Indian audio OTT platform Kuku FM has successfully raised $85 million (approx. INR 747 crore) in its Series C funding round, marking its largest capital infusion to date. The round was led by Granite Asia, with notable participation from Vertex Growth Fund, Krafton, International Finance Corporation (IFC), Paramark, Tribe Capital India, and Bitkraft. This new funding is expected to significantly boost the platform’s content creation capabilities and market reach.
Scaling Premium Content with Star Power
The Mumbai-based startup plans to leverage the fresh capital to expand its premium content catalogue, improve production quality, and bring celebrated actors and TV personalities into its original shows. “With this investment, we’ll bring celebrated actors and television personalities into our shows. This will build more and more shows that surpass 100 million views while delivering premium content to our audience,” said Kuku FM co-founder and CEO Lal Chand Bisu.
Kuku FM aims to stand out in India’s fast-growing digital audio space by creating engaging and star-studded shows, especially in regional languages. The strategic focus on bringing known faces and voices to its platform aligns with the broader industry trend of celebrity-led content driving higher user engagement and retention.
Journey So Far
Founded in 2018 by Lal Chand Bisu, Vikas Goyal, and Vinod Kumar Meena, Kuku FM offers a diverse library of audiobooks, podcasts, and original audio shows in multiple Indian languages. The platform caters to millions of users across the country who seek entertainment, motivation, education, and self-improvement through audio content.
Over the years, Kuku FM has carved a niche by focusing on vernacular content and unique storytelling formats, appealing to Tier-II and Tier-III cities in India. It claims to have millions of monthly active users and a growing base of paid subscribers.
Competition and Market Dynamics
Kuku FM’s funding comes just four months after reports surfaced that it was in early discussions to raise around $70 million, and shortly after a public spat with rival Pocket FM. The controversy involved accusations from Bisu alleging a “smear campaign” by Pocket FM’s PR agency, reflecting the high-stakes rivalry in India’s competitive audio streaming market.
Despite the friction, Kuku FM continues to push forward with its growth plans. With this Series C round, it now has the resources to double down on premium content, regional language expansion, and technology enhancements.
The Road Ahead
The Indian audio content market is projected to grow significantly over the next few years, and Kuku FM is well-positioned to be at the forefront of this transformation. With the backing of global and domestic investors and a renewed focus on high-quality, celebrity-led audio experiences, the company is set to reshape the way India consumes spoken-word content.
