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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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Inshorts Group chief Deepit Purkayastha joins IAB video council for Southeast Asia and India
The co-founder and chief executive of the short-form content platform has been inducted into the IAB SEA+India Video Council, giving India a stronger voice in shaping digital video frameworks
NOIDA: India has long been the world’s most chaotic, multilingual and mobile-first digital market. Now, one of its most prominent short-video executives is getting a seat at the table where the rules are written.
Deepit Purkayastha, co-founder and chief executive of Inshorts Group, has been selected as a member of the IAB SEA+India Video Council for 2026. Run by the Interactive Advertising Bureau, the council brings together senior leaders from Southeast Asia and India to shape standards, best practices and measurement frameworks for the fast-evolving video and digital advertising ecosystem.
The timing is pointed. According to the IAMAI-Kantar Internet in India Report 2025, over 588 million Indians are now consuming short-video content, with growth increasingly driven by rural and non-metro audiences. India’s active internet user base has crossed 950 million, with 57 per cent of users now coming from rural markets. Yet the frameworks that govern how video consumption is measured and monetised were largely designed for single-language, Western markets and have struggled to keep pace with the scale, diversity and complexity of India’s digital landscape.
Purkayastha is no stranger to these debates. He already serves on the AI Council at Marketing and Media Alliance India and as co-chair of the Digital Entertainment Committee at the Internet and Mobile Association of India. His induction into the IAB SEA+India Video Council extends that influence into the global video standards arena.
Inshorts Group sits squarely at the intersection of these forces. Its flagship product, Inshorts, India’s highest-rated short news app, reaches 12 million active users with 60-word news summaries. Its sister platform, Public App, reaches 80 million monthly active users across more than 700 districts and 12 languages, serving communities that most global platforms barely register.
Purkayastha said the opportunity was about building something more representative. “India today sits at the centre of the global video ecosystem, but the frameworks that define how value is created and measured have not always kept pace with the realities of our market,” he said. “Being part of the IAB SEA+India Video Council is an opportunity to contribute to a more representative and future-ready approach, one that accounts for diversity in language, context, and user intent.”
As a council member, Purkayastha will contribute to shaping regional standards across video advertising, measurement and platform governance, with a focus on frameworks that are native to India’s multilingual, mobile-first ecosystem rather than imported from global benchmarks designed elsewhere.
For years, India has been content to play by rules written for other markets. Purkayastha’s induction is a signal that it is done waiting to be consulted and ready to start writing them.
