Pocket FM Appoints Former PhonePe Executive Suyog Gothi As VP & India Country Head

Audio over-the-top (OTT) platform Pocket FM has appointed former PhonePe executive Suyog Gothi as its vice president and India country head. 

In a statement, Pocket FM said Gothi will spearhead its operations in India, working closely with cofounders Rohan Nayak and Nishanth KS. 

His responsibilities will include overseeing operations in India and implementing strategic initiatives to further strengthen Pocket FM’s dominance in the market. He will play a crucial role in driving the company’s growth across India, with a focus on scaling up the user and writer community and driving sustainable growth.  

A graduate from IIT Madras, Gothi headed the merchant lending division at PhonePe and played a key role in scaling up its UPI payments business.

Gothi, in the statement, said, “I look forward to advancing our mission, fostering innovation, and empowering voices across the nation’s diverse auditory landscape.”

Nishanth KS, cofounder and COO at Pocket FM, said, “Gothi’s proven track record and strategic vision align seamlessly with our goals for expansion and innovation.”

Founded in 2018 by Nayak, Prateek Dixit and Nishanth KS, Pocket FM offers audio content in long formats, audio shows, stories, novels, and podcasts. The platform hosts audio content with the help of writers and voice actors, creating content in multiple Indian languages including Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Bangla, Hindi, Kannada and Marathi.

The startup’s India arm narrowed its net loss by 56% year-on-year (YoY) from INR 171.6 Cr in FY22 to INR 75.7 Cr. Its operating revenue surged 663% YoY from INR 17 Cr in FY22 to INR 129.7 Cr in FY23.

Last year, Pocket FM secured debt funding of $16 Mn from Silicon Valley Bank to expand its audio library, boosting its creator community and accelerating revenue. 

Prior to that, the startup had raised a total of $93.5 Mn in funding from the likes of Lightspeed, Goodwater Capital, Times Internet, Tencent, and others.