How Three Friends Built a ₹1,700 Crore Audio Empire in Just 6 Years
The Unbelievable Growth of Pocket FM
Pocket FM is one of those rare Indian startups that went from a small idea in 2018 to becoming a global audio entertainment giant in just six years.
- In 2022 , it entered the US.
- By 2025 , the average American was spending 110 minutes a day on Pocket FM.
- That’s more time than Netflix or Spotify .
- Today, Pocket FM has 200 million active users across 8 countries , with plans to expand to 80 countries by the end of 2025 .
? The Idea Sparked in Traffic
The story begins with Rohan Nayak , an IIT Kanpur graduate .
After graduation, Rohan moved to Gurugram for work . But his job required him to travel 3–4 hours daily between Gurugram, Delhi, and Noida.
During those long commutes, he realized:
- No real audio-only entertainment platform existed .
- Video had YouTube, Amazon Prime, Netflix.
- Music had Saavn and Gaana.
- But story-driven audio entertainment? Missing!
That daily frustration turned into an idea worth billions .
? Founding Pocket FM
In 2018, Rohan met his friend Nishant Sharma , who was working at JioSaavn. Along with co-founder Prateek Dixit , the trio launched Pocket FM .
- Seed funding (2018): ₹4 crore
- Series A: ₹50 crore
They weren’t just building a company; they were creating a new category — audio entertainment beyond music .
? The Pandemic Changed Everything
When Covid hit, people were stuck at home. Entertainment needs skyrocketed.
- Pocket FM jumped from 10,000 downloads (in 18 months) to 1 crore downloads in just 3 months .
- It quickly became the #1 audio entertainment app in India.
But there was one more twist.
? The Monetization Innovation
Indian users don’t like subscriptions. Pocket FM cracked the code by introducing micro-transactions :
- First few episodes = Free
- Next episodes = Pay per episode unlock
This model worked brilliantly.
? The Funding Journey
The growth caught investors’ attention.
- 2021: Series B of $21.2 million
- Just 3 months later: Series C of $65 million
And Pocket FM became unstoppable.
? A Global Powerhouse
Here’s the stunning part:
- Only 15% of users are outside India.
- But they generate 70% of Pocket FM’s revenue .
? The Numbers That Shocked Everyone
- FY23 Revenue: ₹150 crore
- FY24 Revenue: ₹1,051 crore
- FY25 Revenue: ₹1,768 crore
That’s 10x growth in just 2 years .
