MAM
Create value wherever life places you: Madison’s Vanita Keswani
MUMBAI: During lockdown, we may not be living life like monks, but we are certainly living under restrictions. For us, the lack of hustle and bustle is quite unsettling. We’re so accustomed to this fast-paced life that when it ceases, we may feel anxious and uneasy. In this quietness, our minds are occupied by this constant chatter which refuses to go. At this moment, when our lives are at risk, there is a concern of job security and financial stability; it is easy for negative thoughts to emerge. Under this situation, what is the role of spirituality? Why is it important? To answer all these questions Indiantelevision.com spoke to Madison Media Sigma CEO Vanita Keswani who through her poem invokes the underlying emotion that every human needs to address, especially during these testing times.
Excerpts:
What is the importance of spirituality in your life?
Spirituality has helped me discover meaning and purpose in all areas of my life. It drives me towards constant self-improvement and plays a pivotal role in polishing innate humane qualities like trust, sense of responsibility and empowerment.
How can entrepreneurship and spirituality go together?
Japanese reformist Makiguchi suggests that work can provide three kinds of value – Beauty (work that we like), Benefit (financial security) and Good (value to society). Entrepreneurship can help build either or each of these values depending on the entrepreneur’s objectives.
Please tell us about your love for poetry?
I am fascinated by the rhyme and rhythm in which poetry flows and appeases our senses. This passion of mine has its roots in school activities of elocution and poetry writing.
Has your inclination to spirituality helped you get through the lockdown?
Certainly, spirituality has helped me elevate my fundamental life state and manifest high vitality and stamina amidst challenging circumstances. These trying times have given me the opportunity to apply spiritual concepts like “oneness of life and environment” and “changing poison to medicine.” Rather than being at the mercy of the environment, I am learning to influence my environment inside out through positivity.
What advice would you like to give others who may be exploring this?
Constantly unearth the jewel of your life and polish it. Seek your own entity and unique purpose in life.
Who or what has shaped who you are?
I have been blessed to find greater meaning in my life through the life-transforming philosophy of Nicherin Daishon in Buddhism. My family and my workplace have played a major role in the evolutionary process.
What is your greatest fear, and how do you manage fear?
My greatest fear is of not being in control and not knowing what to do in certain challenging situations. For managing my fear, I work on building the tenacity of my mind through meditation and chanting and act by working harder and giving my absolute best. I truly believe that each such fearful situation that I successfully overcome, which makes me stronger and wiser.
If you had the chance to start your career over again, what would you do differently?
I am a firm believer in the mantra, “From this moment onwards now”. I like to live the drama of life regret-free. So, no retakes.
If you were to write a book about yourself, how would you name it?
The name of my book would be ‘pH balance’. The foreword would describe the relevance of the title – discovering my purpose and happiness in life
What business-related book has inspired you the most? (or, What is your favorite book?)
Stories at Work – Unlock the secret to Business storytelling by Indranil Chakraborty. It inspires me to use storytelling to create a lasting impact among audiences that I address.
What mindsets helped make you successful?
When work is a pleasure, life is a joy.
Create value wherever life places you.
Digital
Content India 2026 opens with a copro pitch, a spice evangelist and a £10,000 prize for Indian storytelling
Dish TV and C21Media’s three-day summit puts seven ambitious projects before an international jury, and two walk away with serious development money
MUMBAI: India’s content industry gathered in Mumbai this March for Content India 2026, a three-day summit organised by Dish TV in partnership with C21Media, and it wasted no time making a statement. The event opened with a Copro Pitch that put seven scripted and unscripted television concepts before an international panel of judges, and by the end of it, two projects had walked away with £10,000 each in marketing prize money from C21Media to support development and international promotion.
The jury, comprising Frank Spotnitz, Fiona Campbell, Rashmi Bajpai, Bal Samra and Rachel Glaister, evaluated a shortlist that ranged from a dark Mumbai comedy-drama about mental health (Dirty Minds, created by Sundar Aaron) to a Delhi coming-of-age mystery (Djinn Patrol, by Neha Sharma and Kilian Irwin), a techno-thriller about a teenage gaming prodigy (Kanpur X Satori, by Suchita Bhatia), an investigative crime drama blending mythology and modern thriller (The Age of Kali, by Shivani Bhatija), a documentary on India’s spice heritage (The Masala Quest, hosted by Sarina Kamini), a documentary on competitive gaming (Respawn: India’s Esports Revolution, by George Mangala Thomas and Sangram Mawari), and a reality-horror competition merging gaming and immersive fear (Scary Goose, by Samar Iqbal).
The session was hosted by Mayank Shekhar.
The two winners were Djinn Patrol, backed by Miura Kite, formerly of Participant Media and known for Chinatown and Keep Sweet: Pray & Obey, with Jaya Entertainment, producers of Real Kashmir Football Club, also attached; and The Masala Quest, created and hosted by Sarina Kamini, an Indian-Australian cook, author and self-described “spice evangelist.”
The summit also unveiled the Content India Trends Report, whose findings made for bracing reading. Daoud Jackson, senior analyst at OMDIA, set the tone: “By 2030, online video in India will nearly double the revenue of traditional TV, becoming the main driver of growth.” He noted that in 2025, India produced a quarter of all YouTube videos globally, overtaking the United States, while Indians collectively spend 117 years daily on YouTube and 72 years on Instagram. Traditional subscription TV is declining as free TV and connected TV gain ground, forcing broadcasters to innovate. “AI-generated content is just 2 per cent of engagement,” Jackson added, “highlighting the dominance of high-quality human content. The key for Indian media companies is scaling while monetising effectively from day one.”
Hannah Walsh, principal analyst at Ampere Analysis, added hard numbers to the picture. India produced over 24,000 titles in January 2026 alone, with 19,000 available internationally. The country now accounts for 12 per cent of Asia-Pacific content spend, up from 8 per cent in 2021, outpacing both Japan and China. Key exporters include JioStar, Zee Entertainment, Sony India, Amazon and Netflix, delivering over 7,500 Indian-produced titles abroad each year. The top importing markets are Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt, the United States and the Philippines. Scripted content dominates globally at 88 per cent, with crime dramas and children’s and family titles performing particularly strongly.
Manoj Dobhal, chief executive and executive director of Dish TV India, framed the summit’s ambition squarely. “Stories don’t need translation. They need a platform, discovery, and reach, local or global,” he said. “India produces more movies than any country, our streaming platforms compete globally, and our tech and creators win international awards. Yet fragmentation slows growth. Producers, platforms, and tech move in different lanes. We need shared spaces, collaboration, and an ecosystem where ideas, technology, and people meet. That is why we built Content India.”
The data, the pitches and the prize money all pointed to the same conclusion: India is not waiting for the world to discover its stories. It is building the infrastructure to sell them.
