In this episode of The Media Room, Vanita Kohli-Khandekar speaks with Ashish Pherwani, Head of Media & Entertainment at EY, for a deep dive into the latest FICCI-EY report and what it reveals about the state of India’s media and entertainment industry.

Ashish breaks down the key trends shaping the sector, from the industry crossing ₹2.7 trillion to digital media emerging as the first segment to surpass the ₹1 lakh crore mark. He explains how advertising growth, government-led consumption, and the rise of SMEs are driving momentum, while also unpacking the evolving balance between television, digital, and emerging formats.

The conversation also explores shifts in consumer behaviour, the rise of connected TV and short-form content, and the growing importance of live experiences—from cinema to large-scale events. They discuss how monetisation models are evolving across platforms, why innovation in ad formats and content formats is accelerating, and what this means for both legacy and digital-first media companies.

From investments and consolidation trends to India’s potential as a global back-end for media services, Ashish outlines where the next wave of growth could come from—and why content quality remains the industry’s most critical driver in an increasingly crowded, AI-driven landscape.

If you want to understand where India’s media industry is headed, what’s driving growth across segments, and how business models are evolving—this episode is essential viewing.

Chapters

00:00 – Introduction

01:00 – India’s Media Industry at ₹2.7 Trillion

03:30 – Digital Media Crosses ₹1 Lakh Crore

06:00 – What’s Driving Ad Growth

08:30 – TV vs Digital: The Big Shift

11:00 – Rise of Connected TV & Short-Form

13:30 – Changing Consumer Behaviour

16:00 – Cinema, Events & Live Experiences

18:30 – Monetisation Challenges

21:00 – Innovation in Content & Advertising

23:30 – Investments & Industry Structure

26:00 – Future Outlook for Media in India

28:30 – Closing Thoughts

#TheMediaRoom #AshishPherwani #MediaIndustry #FICCIEYReport #IndianMedia #DigitalGrowth #AdvertisingIndustry #OTTIndustry #TelevisionIndustry #ConnectedTV #MediaBusiness #ContentEconomy #EntertainmentIndustry #StreamingTrends #MediaTrends #IndiaGrowth #ContentStrategy #MediaInnovation #PodcastEpisode

In this episode of The Media Room, Vanita Kohli-Khandekar speaks with Toshit Panigrahi, CEO - Co-Founder of Tollbit, for a deep dive into how AI is reshaping the economics of digital publishing and content monetisation.Toshit explains how large language models and AI platforms are changing the way content is accessed, distributed and consumed - often without directly compensating the publishers who create it. He breaks down the growing disconnect between content creators and AI-driven platforms, and why this shift is forcing the industry to rethink long-standing models of attribution, traffic and revenue.The conversation explores how Tollbit is building infrastructure to help publishers regain control, enabling them to track, price and monetise their content in an AI-first internet. Toshit also shares insights on licensing frameworks, the evolving relationship between tech platforms and media companies, and why transparency and fair value exchange will be critical in the next phase of the internet.If you want to understand how AI will impact publishers, who really owns content in an algorithm-driven world, and what sustainable monetisation could look like going forward—this episode is essential listening.Chapters00:00 - Introduction01:12 - What Tollbit Does03:45 - How AI Is Changing Content Consumption07:20 - The Publisher vs AI Platform Problem11:05 - Who Owns Content in an AI World?15:30 - Monetising Content Beyond Traffic19:10 - How Tollbit Helps Publishers Get Paid23:40 - Licensing, Attribution & Fair Value25:15 - The Future of Digital Publishing26:27 - Closing Thoughts#TheMediaRoom #ToshitPanigrahi #TollBit #AI #ContentMonetisation #digitalpublishing #mediabusiness #AIandMedia #futureofmedia #ContentEconomy #publishingindustry #TechAndMedia #aiplatforms #mediainnovation #digitaleconomy

In this episode of The Media Room, Vanita Kohli-Khandekar speaks with Monika Shergill, VP - Content at Netflix India, for a deep dive into the strategy, data, and creative thinking behind one of the world’s biggest streaming platforms.

Monika discusses key insights unveiled at Netflix’s Next on Netflix showcase, revealing how the platform is thinking about its upcoming slate, genre mix, and audience-first programming approach. She breaks down how viewer behaviour is evolving, why Indian stories are travelling globally, and what really drives decisions - from greenlighting shows to backing creators and identifying breakout hits.

The conversation also explores major titles and industry signals, from global phenomena like Squid Game and Money Heist to Indian successes such as Kohra and films like Laapataa Ladies - illustrating how content now travels beyond language, geography, and traditional market boundaries.

If you want to understand where streaming is headed, how platforms decide what gets made, and what the next wave of entertainment will look like - this episode is essential viewing.

00:00 — Introduction02:10 — Netflix Strategy & Next on Netflix Insights07:00 — Changing Audience Behaviour10:13 — How Shows Get Greenlit13:37 — Films vs Series Strategy16:07 — Global Viewing & Language Trends21:30 — The Real Competition for Streaming24:00 — Creator Myths vs Reality30:00 — The Future of Streaming in India

#TheMediaRoom #NetflixIndia #MonikaShergill #StreamingWars #OTTIndustry #NextOnNetflix #DigitalEntertainment #MediaBusiness #ContentStrategy #IndianContent #GlobalStreaming #OTTPlatforms #EntertainmentIndustry #StreamingTrends #BingeWatch #WebSeries #FilmIndustry #CreatorEconomy #AudienceInsights #PodcastEpisode

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