eNews
Peter Cat Recording Co announces “Good Luck Beta ‘24” tour
Mumbai: Following a dramatic rise in the cult following of Peter Cat Recording Co, India’s ever-evolving genre-bending act is gearing up for one of the largest tours by an Indian band, as they announce 77 concerts with their third and latest album BETA. The band’s ‘Good Luck Beta’24’ run will kick off in August 2024, covering North America, Europe, UK and India. Paytm Insider, one of India’s leading entertainment experiences platforms, along with partners Pagal Haina & WMS Entertainment will bring the tour’s final leg to the country in December 2024.
BETA from the band’s POV is “… a collection of stories about the future told 50 years in the past to make sense of the present, on our only home, planet Earth.” BETA’s origin story is quite heartwarming. They came up with five potential album titles, wrote them on pieces of paper, put them in a hat, and had the drummer Karan Singh’s six-month-old son pick one out. Serendipitously, BETA emerged.
Peter Cat Recording Co has displayed a multitude of emotions, and sonic influences in their music. While psychedelic, jazz, alt-rock, and other genres were novel in the country, PCRC’s vision to establish a contrasting musical identity has been rooted since its inception, despite being in the nascent stage. You might find a sly homage to great acts, however, their music has always had an antecedent mark. The Delhi-formed band comprises Suryakant Sawhney on vocals and guitars, Karan Singh on drums, Dhruv Bhola on bass and samples, Rohit Gupta on keys and trumpet and Kartik Sundareshan on guitars and trumpet.
After the globe-trotting legs of the tour, PCRC will return to the heartland for the last leg of the tour, performing in Pune on 14 December followed by Goa on December 15, 2024. Mumbai will experience PCRC’s electrifying performance on 20 December 2024, at JVPD Ground. On 22 December 2024, they will perform in Delhi NCR, the band’s birthplace, at DLF Cyber Hub in Gurugram. For the finale phase of the India tour, the band will deliver a memorable performance in Bengaluru’s Jayamahal Palace on December 28, 2024, and at Roots in Kolkata on December 29, 2024.
Being one of his favourite Indian bands, Paytm Insider COO Varun Khare said, “Peter Cat Recording Co. are torchbearers in the Indian alt-music scene. Their global tour is a major win for India’s indie culture. Paytm Insider has been a witness of the band’s soaring success, and there has been a strengthened affiliation with them over the years. We’re pumped to bring this iconic tour to fans – old and new – who will experience a tapestry of transcendent melodies, ready to groove to tracks from their latest album, BETA.”
Peter Cat Recording Co. has been rigorously creating genre-bending music, but their efforts were widely acknowledged with their anomalous sophomore album ‘Bismillah’. The musical exploration saga continues with BETA. Each album showcases a whimsical amalgamation of indie, alternative pop, psychedelic, disco and more sub-genres that blend flawlessly with a rare but fleeting Indianness in their tracks. However, with BETA, that rarity would be overturned. The first single, ‘People Never Change’, has more than a half minute of Bhangra beats, slowly descending into a mellowness with Suryakant Sawhney’s velvety croon.
Tickets for the India concerts of the ‘Good Luck Beta’24’ tour are live now on Paytm & Paytm Insider.
eNews
Piyush Thakur steps down as Inshorts’ chief revenue officer
Former vice president and cro says exit marks a new chapter after close to a decade of building revenue and partnerships at Inshorts Group.
NOIDA: Piyush Thakur has stepped away from Inshorts Group after nearly 10 years with the company, marking the end of a long tenure that culminated in his role as chief revenue officer.
In a farewell note, Thakur said he was “turning a new page” after almost a decade at Inshorts, calling it one of the hardest professional decisions he has made. He added that his exit was not driven by uncertainty about the future, but by reflection on a long association with the company.
Thakur joined Inshorts in October 2016 as vice president and spent around seven years in the role before being elevated to chief revenue officer in April 2024, a position he held until April 2026.
He said his tenure was defined by “thousands of mornings, late nights, product debates and breakthrough moments”, as the company evolved into a large-scale digital news platform used by millions.
In his note, Thakur emphasised that Inshorts’ growth was a collective effort across teams, adding that engineers, designers, sales teams and customer support staff all contributed to building the platform. He said the company’s success was not the result of individuals but of “everyone who stayed, passed through, and left their mark”.
Before Inshorts, Thakur worked across several digital media and business development roles. At ESPN, he served as senior regional manager from October 2015 to October 2016, focusing on growth initiatives, strategic opportunities and video distribution.
At Times Internet, he worked for nearly three years, including as head of business development from April 2015 to September 2015 and chief manager from January 2013 to March 2015. His responsibilities included monetisation of mobile platforms, managing media and developer partnerships, and driving revenue across digital properties such as The Times of India and The Economic Times.
Earlier, he worked at Brandmovers as head of business development from June 2012 to June 2013, handling digital, mobile and social media marketing solutions, client development and strategic consulting. During this period, he also worked on advertising revenue, brand strategy and CRM-based solutions.
At Inshorts, Thakur’s role focused on revenue strategy, mobile and media partnerships, and growth initiatives across platforms. His profile highlights experience in mobile product management, digital business models, partner ecosystems and revenue expansion in high-growth environments.
