Pocket FM has elevated Lalit Gangwar to the role of Chief Operating Officer (COO), in a significant leadership move as the audio entertainment platform looks to strengthen its global operating structure and scale international growth. In his new role, Gangwar will oversee Pocket FM’s global audio business, managing markets, growth, monetisation, and execution across key geographies.
The appointment comes at a time when Pocket FM is expanding aggressively beyond India, particularly in overseas markets such as the United States, which has emerged as a major focus area for the company’s next growth phase. By elevating a long-time internal leader, Pocket FM appears to be doubling down on operational continuity while preparing for larger global ambitions.
Gangwar has been associated with the company since its early days and is regarded as one of Pocket FM’s founding members. According to the company, he played a key role in building its India growth playbook, helping the platform scale to 150 million users in its first year. He later went on to lead Pocket FM’s US expansion, where he was instrumental in setting up teams and driving market growth.
Commenting on the next phase of the business, Gangwar said the company will continue focusing on scaling global markets, investing in AI-led storytelling, and strengthening monetisation. Pocket FM has increasingly positioned itself as a technology-led content platform, investing in tools that improve content creation, storytelling efficiency, and user engagement.
Pocket FM claims to have over 250 million listeners globally and has built a large creator ecosystem with more than 300,000 writers and over 100,000 audio series available on its platform. The company has also reported strong financial momentum, recording a 68% increase in revenue to Rs 1,768 crore in FY25. It recently stated that it crossed an annual recurring revenue (ARR) of Rs 4,167 crore while achieving EBITDA profitability.
The audio storytelling market in India is also becoming more competitive. Rival Kuku FM reported nearly three-fold year-on-year growth in revenue to Rs 242 crore in FY25, although its losses rose 60% to Rs 153 crore. As competition intensifies and digital content consumption continues to evolve, Pocket FM’s latest leadership move signals its intent to build a stronger global presence while deepening its leadership in the fast-growing audio entertainment category.
