Eloelo group-owned micro-drama platform Story TV appoints Manan Mehta as senior vice-president, strategy and content

India’s micro-drama industry is entering a serious phase of business as companies have begun to build corporate teams by hiring seasoned hands in the entertainment industry. In a first major development, which indicates serious commitment to the micro-drama business, one of the largest micro-drama platforms in India—the Eloelo group-owned Story TV—has appointed Manan Mehta, former senior vice-president, marketing, Yash Raj Films, as its senior vice-president, strategy and content.

“We are entering what we see as OTT 2.0. The grammar of entertainment is changing. Vertical storytelling is emerging as one of its most powerful expressions. Our focus is to move micro-dramas from a niche to a full-fledged entertainment ecosystem. We are on a journey to build an ecosystem, where directors, writers, producers and top creative talent come together to define a new vertical-first language of storytelling that will scale both culturally and commercially,” said Saurabh Pandey, founder and CEO, Story TV.

“Manan will strengthen our ambition to elevate vertical storytelling. His experience at Yash Raj Films brings studio-scale thinking and original storytelling which will go a long way into making micro dramas mainstream. His role will be key in bridging traditional storytelling with the new vertical-first world, deepening talent partnerships, and scaling premium IPs,” added Pandey.


At Yash Raj Films, Manan Mehta worked closely with Aditya Chopra. He had led marketing and content strategy for over twenty-six films which collectively garnered collection of close to Rs 5,200 crore at the global box office.

"Micro-drama has already arrived. But for premium vertical storytelling there is no playbook that exists anywhere. And that is exactly what excites me about this opportunity.” said Manan Mehta, SVP - Strategy and Content, Story TV. “Premium vertical storytelling is the next big shift in entertainment, and I'm thrilled to be part of building it with Saurabh and the entire team at Story TV," he added.

In his new role, Mehta will lead the company's strategy to develop premium vertical storytelling franchises, forge partnerships with leading actors, filmmakers and studios and strengthen Story TV's position as the destination for premium vertical storytelling.

Globally, vertical storytelling content is emerging as one of the fastest-growing formats in digital entertainment. Its market size is projected to reach US$3 billion by 2030 in India.

Since its launch in 2025, Story TV has rapidly emerged as one of India's leading micro-drama platforms. The micro-drama platform has built a library of more than 1500 shows featuring leading names in the entertainment industry.