In the 81st episode of Jam With Sam, host Sampath Iyengar delves into the fascinating journey of Amit Doshi, the founder of IVM Podcasts. From his early days in education to creating one of India’s most influential podcast networks, Amit shares insights into his life, the evolution of the podcasting industry, and the vision that drives IVM Podcasts to be a household name.
From Delaware to Bollywood: Amit’s Early Days
Amit Doshi’s path to podcasting wasn’t linear. Born in the United States, he relocated to India after his father’s passing and later pursued a BA in Mass Communication at the University of Delaware. Despite familial scepticism about his unconventional career choice, Amit’s interest in English literature and filmmaking fueled his ambitions.
His foray into the professional world began with a serendipitous detour in Bollywood, where he worked on films like La Varis. Although the stint wasn’t long-lasting, it provided him with the confidence to experiment in other fields, eventually leading him to the burgeoning tech space in 1999 with ventures in e-commerce and mobile applications.
The Rise of IVM Podcasts
IVM Podcasts began in 2015, addressing a unique gap in India’s media landscape: the absence of talk radio. Regulatory hurdles and limited FM licenses meant that the Indian audience was deprived of diverse audio content. Amit envisioned podcasts as the solution to this problem, offering engaging, long-form discussions on topics that traditional media avoided.
Starting with Cyrus Says—a flagship show hosted by comedian Cyrus Broacha—IVM Podcasts quickly expanded its portfolio. Today, the network boasts 67 shows across genres, including public policy (The Scene and the Unseen), cricket, indie music, and marketing, among others.
Building the Podcasting Ecosystem in India
Amit highlights the challenges of podcasting in India, particularly the technological limitations and data scarcity stemming from the RSS-feed-based infrastructure. Despite these hurdles, IVM’s content is distributed across platforms like Spotify, Saavn, and Audible, ensuring wide reach.
The network also thrives on collaboration. From brand partnerships to producing content for platforms like BookMyShow and Audible, IVM Podcasts has diversified its revenue streams. The team’s commitment to streamlining production processes has allowed them to create over 3,700 episodes, setting benchmarks for quality and efficiency in the industry.
Vision 2025: Making IVM a Household Name
Amit’s ultimate goal for IVM Podcasts is ambitious: to become the ESPN of audio content in India. By continuously expanding their catalog and staying ahead of industry trends, Amit and his team aim to dominate the podcasting space while nurturing India’s nascent audio storytelling culture.
About Amit Doshi:
Amit Doshi is the founder of IVM Podcasts, one of India’s leading podcast networks. With a background in mass communication and experience spanning Bollywood, e-commerce, and tech, Amit has been a pioneer in building the podcasting ecosystem in India. Under his leadership, IVM Podcasts has become synonymous with high-quality, diverse audio content.