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Pocket FM turns page with AI, unlocking new era of storytelling in India
MUMBAI: Once upon a time just got an upgrade. Pocket FM is putting the ‘AI’ into imagination, unlocking a new chapter in storytelling for Indian writers and listeners alike.
The world’s largest audio series platform has flung open the studio doors, letting anyone with a tale to tell see their words transformed into a fully produced audio show within minutes. Already, more than 30,000 AI-powered series are live, a number set to double by the end of the year.
At the heart of this revolution is Pocket FM’s AI creator suite, a tool that whisks text into audio magic at lightning speed. Built in collaboration with Elevenlabs, the AI voices can slip seamlessly between drama, comedy, fantasy and romance, no more scratchy robots, just finely tuned emotion. For writers, the impact is staggering: What once took weeks now takes hours, with stories delivered 10 times faster.
“This is not just a content shift but the rise of a new writer economy,” said Pocket Entertainment, co-founder, Prateek Dixit. “When human imagination meets AI innovation, the possibilities multiply. Writers can now share their work instantly, globally, and sustainably.”
And it’s not just career writers reaping the rewards. Every month, more than 33,000 Indian listeners-turned-authors are publishing their own series on Pocket FM. Some are even cashing in top creators who are projected to cross Rs 10 lakh in earnings this year. Smash hits such as King of Dragon, Darshi: A Rebirth Story and Divya Yoddha Daksh show the appetite for AI-driven storytelling.
For Nitesh Kumar Dayama, writer of King of Dragon, the experience was life-changing. “I didn’t have the money for editors or publishers,” he said. “Suddenly, I had a production team in my pocket. My words became an audio series in hours, and when I saw millions listening… and that I could earn from it, it felt like a breakthrough.” His series has racked up over 200,000 plays in under a month.
Pocket FM isn’t stopping there. With plans to roll out its creator suite in multiple Indian languages and 200,000 new AI audio series on the horizon, the platform is doubling down on contests, contracts, and cash prizes worth up to Rs 15 lakh to nurture the next wave of storytellers.
For India’s aspiring authors, this could be the ultimate happily ever after.
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With 57 per cent single new users, Ashley Madison rebrands as discreet dating platform
Platform says majority of new members now identify as single
INDIA: Ashley Madison is shedding the “married-dating” label that defined it for two decades, repositioning itself as a platform for discreet dating in what it calls the post-social media age.
The rebrand, unveiled in India on 27 February, 2026, marks a structural shift in business model and identity. Once synonymous with married dating, the company now describes itself as the “premier destination for discreet dating” under a new tagline: Where Desire Meets Discretion.
The pivot is data-driven. Internal figures show that 57 per cent of global sign-ups between 1 January and 31 December, 2025 identified as single: a notable departure from the platform’s married core. The company argues that its community has already evolved beyond its original positioning.
“In an age where our lives have been constantly put on public display, privacy has become the new luxury,” said Ashley Madison chief strategy officer Paul Keable. He framed the platform’s offering as “ethical discretion” for singles, separated, divorced and non-monogamous users seeking private connections.
The shift also taps into wider digital fatigue. A global survey conducted by YouGov for Ashley Madison, covering 13,071 adults across Australia, Brazil, Canada, Germany, India, Italy, Mexico, Spain, Switzerland, the UK and the US, found mounting discomfort with hyper-public online lives.
Among dating app users, 30 per cent cited constant swiping and messaging as a source of fatigue, while 24 per cent pointed to pressure to curate public-facing profiles and early personal disclosure. Some 27 per cent said fears of screenshots or information being shared contributed to exhaustion; an equal share cited unwanted attention.
The retreat from oversharing appears broader. According to the survey, 46 per cent of adults actively try to keep most aspects of their life private online. Only 8 per cent feel comfortable sharing most aspects publicly, while 35 per cent say they are becoming more selective about what they disclose.
Ashley Madison is betting that this cultural recalibration towards controlled visibility can be monetised. By doubling down on privacy infrastructure and reframing itself around discretion rather than infidelity, the company is attempting to convert reputational baggage into a premium proposition.
