MAM
One Digital Entertainment and Event Capital announce “Social Nation”, India’s first ever festival celebrating the democracy and power of Digital content creators and the community
MUMBAI: One Digital Entertainment is known for giving the Indian digital entertainment industry some key digital influencers and first of its kinds, digital IP’s. Now, the network is all set to bring the first ever live event in the form of Social Nation by joining hands with the largest event IP curators and aggregators of the country – Event Capital, a Laqshya Media group company. Social Nation is a festival that will celebrate the independence and the colossal power of the Internet.
Social Nation is a first of its kind festival that will celebrate the emergence of the Internet content creators and communities growing at a booming speed. Set to empower the digital content ecosystem, this festival will encourage the audience to interact and exchange ideas in real time and space with their social media timelines. A one-stop entertainment and interactive festival across two days, Social Nation will witness performances by more than 60 artists from different segments like music, comedy, dance, poetry, and others. While Stage 1 will see Stand – up acts, Slam poetry, Comedy debates, Dance and Indie performances, Stage 2 will have Inspirational talks, Open mics, Rap battles, Fireside chats etc. It will also host multiple engaging hands-on workshops and panel discussions by creators and industry experts from digital fields. While the final list of creators will be announced shortly however the biggest of the names – national as well as international are said to be roped in.
Gurpreet Singh, COO and Co-Founder, One Digital Entertainment said , “As a company, One Digital Entertainment has always aimed at empowering creators and giving the audiences quality content to consume. Our core idea has always been to support independent content and creators and the Internet has made it possible year after year. To celebrate the very said democracy, we are bringing a multi-layered festival whose core lies in the creator-fan relationship and hence we have meticulously planned to create an exclusive arena for the creators to interact with their fans. Networking with the industry and directly connecting with the consumers on-ground, understanding them, their choices and their consumption patterns will be an added advantage”.
Deepak Choudhary, Founder and Director, Event Capital said , “Social Nation is an extremely special addition to our current roster of event IPs. We have been curating various IPs in music, fashion, lifestyle, sports, kids etc and we have been very keen on curating an IP for the offline digital content space. India is witnessing a subculture of independent content and digital space has carved a niche for itself especially with the millennials. Through this IP we aim to create a close community of fans and creators where everybody feels home and significant.”
Scheduled to take place on 19-20th October 2019 at Jio Garden, Social Nation will also have Off – Stage Activities, Experience zones, never seen before VR experiences amongst many other things. Set to be a year-round IP, August onwards, Social Nation will travel to multiple Indian cities with Digital superstars/artists.
Brands
Abhinav Rastogi named global marketing director for YouTube Shopping
Google veteran to scale creator commerce and expand shopping across global markets
SINGAPORE: Abhinav Rastogi has stepped into a new role as global marketing director for YouTube Shopping, marking the latest chapter in a more than decade-long career at Google.
Rastogi, who took on the position in February and is based in Singapore, will lead global marketing for YouTube Shopping, a platform designed to connect creators, viewers and merchants in a single ecosystem. His remit includes expanding the service into new markets and strengthening its positioning as a growth channel for both creators and brands.
In a reflective note on the transition, Rastogi pointed to a simple but powerful idea driving the role. For years, creators have quietly built trust with audiences through consistent and authentic content, and that trust often shapes purchasing decisions. What is changing now, he said, is the infrastructure around that behaviour. YouTube Shopping aims to make it easier for viewers to discover and buy products recommended by creators they already follow.
The scale is already significant. More than half a million creators have joined the programme, with recent expansion into Japan through a partnership with Rakuten signalling further global ambitions.
Rastogi believes the future of shopping on YouTube will be driven by a blend of creators, content and communities. In his view, it is the human voice behind the screen, not just the product, that ultimately builds trust and drives discovery.
Prior to this role, he served as director of marketing, YouTube Asia Pacific, where he led regional marketing across creator engagement, brand building and reputation. During that time, he played a key role in launching and scaling YouTube Shopping across eight markets in the region.
Earlier stints at Google include group product marketing manager, consumer apps, overseeing growth for products such as Search, Maps and Assistant across India and Southeast Asia, and product marketing manager roles spanning consumer apps and YouTube, where he contributed to launches including YouTube Music, YouTube Originals and YouTube Shorts.
Rastogi began his career in consulting with Boston Consulting Group and A.T. Kearney, before moving into the technology sector. He is an alumnus of Indian Institute of Management Calcutta and Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur.
Alongside his corporate role, he is also an active angel investor, backing early-stage startups in consumer technology and electric mobility across India and Southeast Asia.
As he settles into the new role, Rastogi is betting on a future where every video can double up as a storefront, and where commerce feels less like a transaction and more like a recommendation from a trusted voice.
