MAM
Fast Data Connect bands together with Connect Publics to help US startups crack India’s market
MUMBAI: Launching a startup in India can sometimes feel like navigating through Mumbai traffic at rush hour: chaotic, exciting, and occasionally overwhelming. Enter Fast Data Connect (FDC) and Connect Publics, a new dream team ready to steer US startups clear of potholes and straight towards success in the Indian market. Forget GPS—this partnership promises to be the ultimate roadmap for American entrepreneurs aiming to conquer India.
Announced on 20 March 2025 in Delhi, FDC, a US-based consulting and IT services wizard, partnered with the dynamic PR and branding agency Connect Publics. Their combined superpowers will deliver market entry strategies, crisp brand positioning, savvy public relations, and razor-sharp digital marketing, all wrapped up neatly for US startups eager to explore India’s booming economy.
“India’s startup ecosystem is booming, and the country is making a mark on the global stage. With more international companies looking to expand here, our partnership with Connect Publics ensures that these startups have the right marketing, PR, and outreach strategies to make a successful entry into the Indian market,” said FDC CEO Mike Agar.
Connect Publics founder & brand strategist Aviyukta Adlakha echoed the excitement, “India’s growing success in every field is attracting international businesses and entrepreneurs. This collaboration with FDC is a milestone as we help US startups launch and build a lasting presence in India, a country that offers tremendous growth opportunities with its large, diverse, and tech-savvy market.”
Adding more fuel to the startup fire, Connect Publics co-founder Sandarbh Shrivastava commented, “As India continues to rise as a global leader in innovation, it’s becoming a top destination for entrepreneurs worldwide. Our partnership with FDC will help US startups connect with Indian audiences in a meaningful way and establish a strong foothold in this fast-growing economy.”
Over the coming months, this collaboration plans to unleash a series of exciting startups across sectors like technology, healthcare, fintech, and consumer brands. With tailored marketing campaigns, influencer partnerships, strategic media outreach, and impactful PR initiatives, FDC and Connect Publics are set to turn startup dreams into business realities.
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.
