iWorld
Saavn hires former PepsiCo exec as vice president of entertainment and original content
MUMBAI: Saavan LLC’s music streaming app Saavan has roped in Gaurav Wadhwa as its vice president of entertainment and original content. Earlier, Wadhwa was senior marketing consultant at PepsiCo.
Wadhwa will lead Saavn’s expansion into new genres through original programming. Based in Mumbai, Wadhwa will be looking over the generation of new content verticals, Saavn’s transformation into a comprehensive steaming service by developing the company’s sports, comedy, and other such channels. The company had announced in July that it planned to expand beyond mainstream music.
Wadhwa has experience of over 10 years in curating content for many global brands including Red Bull, MTV, Mountain Dew, and Pepsi. He has worked with MTV to develop music programming and brand solutions, has launched Red Bull in India through alternative sports, music, and culture marketing. He also launched Pepsi’s big cola innovation and spearheaded the Pepsi MTV Indies program.
Saavn co-founder and executive chairman Paramdeep Singh said, “Gaurav’s award-winning experience, combined with his genuine passion for music, culture, and technology, makes him absolutely ideal to lead Saavn’s Music+ initiatives.”
On his new role, Wadhwa said, “I am enormously excited to join Saavn and work with some of India’s most talented content creators and entertainment platforms to create a next generation media-tech brand. It’s not every day that you get to create a whole new category from scratch, but that’s the kind of incredible opportunity we have at Saavn.
iWorld
JioHotstar enters micro-drama space with 100 shows under Tadka banner
Short-form push targets 300M users as content meets commerce in new format
MUMBAI: JioStar has made a bold play in India’s fast-growing micro-drama space, rolling out over 100 short-form shows under its new Tadka banner on JioHotstar, timed with the massive viewership surge of the Indian Premier League 2026.
The scale of the launch signals clear intent. Rather than testing the waters, the company has dived in headfirst, releasing a wide slate of content on day one. Each show is designed for quick consumption, with episodes running 60 to 90 seconds in a vertical format tailored for mobile-first audiences.
The move comes as India’s micro-drama market, currently valued at around $300 million, is projected to grow tenfold to over $3 billion by 2030. Globally, the format has already proven its mettle, with China’s micro-drama sector recording explosive growth in recent years.
What sets this rollout apart is its built-in monetisation strategy. The shows are free to watch and ad-supported, with brand integrations woven directly into storylines from the outset. It reflects a broader shift where content and commerce are increasingly intertwined, rather than operating in silos.
The timing is equally strategic. With more than 300 million users already tuning in for IPL action, JioHotstar is effectively turning cricket’s biggest stage into a discovery engine for its new format.
The company is not entering an empty arena. Early movers like Kuku TV, MX Player and platforms backed by Zee Entertainment Enterprises have already laid the groundwork, building audiences and validating demand for snackable storytelling.
Now, with scale, distribution and advertiser interest aligning, the big players are stepping in. For JioStar, Tadka may well serve as a proving ground for the next evolution of digital entertainment, where every minute counts and every second sells.
If the bet pays off, India’s next big content wave might just arrive in under 90 seconds.
