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Mallikarjunadas CR is Starcom MediaVest Group India CEO
MUMBAI: Starcom MediaVest Group (SMG) has named Mallikarjunadas CR as its new chief executive officer.
Mallikarjunadas takes charge on 25 May and will be based in Mumbai and will be part of the Global Product Committee of SMV Group.
Mallikarjunadas will report to Starcom MediaVest Group India chairman and LiquidThread APAC MD CVL Srinivas.
The branch heads of Starcom Worldwide and MediaVest Worldwide as well as functional heads of SMG’s Insights & Research, Digital and Business Impact functions will report to Mallikarjunadas.
This will be Mallikarjunadas’ second innings with SMG. He had began his career with Starcom MediaVest Group and spent five years primarily on the media planning account of P&G.
Mallikarjunadas moves in from Madison Media, after a four-year stint. He was Madison Media Infinity chief operating officer and Madison Media Research Center director.
Prior to that, Mallikarjunadas was a member of the Simulations practice at Tata Interactive Systems.
Mallikarjunadas also handled advertising and research budget at Asian Paints, as its media and research manager.
Said CVL Srinivas, “In Malli, we have a young and dynamic leader with a strong product orientation and rich client management experience. He has seen the media business from different perspectives and has a very refreshing point of view about the business. We are eagerly looking forward to welcoming him on board and gaining from his experience and expertise.”
Mallikarjunadas said, “I have had the privilege of working at Starcom MediaVest Group in the past. I’m excited to be leading the company at which I started my career. As SMG India charts out a new growth path with Insights & Research, Digital and Content being at the core, I am looking forward to an interesting and challenging assignment.”
MAM
Microdrama Specialist COL Group International Builds Out With Narativ, Rock Networks & BlingWood Deals
MUMBAI: Microdrama powerhouse COL Group International is building out its distribution network, with its CEO saying vertical video is about to enter its “next competitive chapter.”
The microdrama arm of publicly-listed Chinese company COL Group appointed Narativ Media as its official distributor in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and CIS regions and Africa, and a struck new content deal with a new Dubai-based microdrama platform.
The deals were unveiled this morning at MIP London, and also included Rock Networks as its exclusive Southeast Asia telco distribution partner for its app, FlareFlow. MIP London is now into its second day at the Savoy Hotel and adjoining IET London complex.
The deals come soon after COL appointed Harbour Rights to represent its titles in Europe and Latin America, as we reported yesterday in our extended feature on microdrama distribution.
COL’s Singapore-based microdrama unit says its “coordinated global distribution architecture and significantly expanded international content slate” would help to scale its catalogue to more than 1,700 microdrama titles worldwide. These hail from South Korea, Japan, Africa, the Middle East, Southeast Asia and the UK and roll out across Sereal+, FlareFlow and 17K.
A deal with Dubai-based BlingWood, which recently launched as an OTT platform, will expand COL’s access to Middle Eastern and Indian microdramas, and includes a broader pipeline of Indian series from storytelling platform Pratilipi, Korean titles from BeLive Studios and British reality-led formats from Tattle TV — the UK’s first dedicated microdrama app, including titles such as Dog Dates.
“Microdrama is entering its next competitive chapter, where quality, retention and monetization standards are increasingly shaped by data and operational discipline,” said Timothy Oh, General Manager of COL Group International.
“As pioneers in both China and the U.S., scaling some of the world’s leading platforms in this space, we understand what it truly takes to win sustainably. Our role is not simply to offer catalogue volume, but to help partners select, position and scale the right content for their platform and audience. By bringing together a broad, constantly refreshed slate from across regions, we enable smarter curation, clearer differentiation and long-term growth for serious industry players.”
Narativ deal
COL and UAE-based Narativ described their deal as a “strategic expansion of premium vertical content distribution across high-growth emerging markets,” and comes as the microdrama continues to boom financially. The growth of the medium will be among the key topics of conversation today at MIP London, where COL chief Oh will be speaking.
The pact extends beyond content representation and is being billed as part of a more “structured micro-drama distribution infrastructure.”
Narativ will spearhead market development, platform alliances, broadcaster relationships and digital monetization frameworks across the MENA and CIS regions and Africa, where they have identified “rapid mobile-first consumption growth and strong demand for short-form, high-engagement storytelling formats.”
“Micro-dramas are reshaping global viewing habits, particularly across mobile-first markets like MENA, Africa and CIS,” said Manjyot Sandhu, CEO and co-founder of Narativ. “Our appointment as official distributor for COL Group in these territories reflects Narativ’s strategy to build sustainable distribution architecture.
“A key pillar of the collaboration includes integration with FlareFlow, enabling strategic telco partnerships, bundled carrier offerings, and alternative monetization pathways designed to accelerate scale across mobile ecosystems and OTT platforms.”
Oh added: “We are building more than a content slate – we are building the global infrastructure for microdrama. With hundreds of new titles launching every quarter, scale and regional strength are critical. Narativ with its deep foothold in MENA, Africa CIS and other key markets makes them a natural strategic partner as we expand FlareFlow and bring microdrama to new platforms, telcos and audiences.
Narativ, which is joint venture Sandhu operates with Copyright Capital, manages around 7,000 hours of content and has a digital network spanning 150 million subscribers across 21 language.
COL Group has emerged as one of the biggest microdrama platforms, running platforms such as FlareFow. It is also a part-owner of ReelShort.
