Beyond swipes and screens: How Eshtory wants to create an audio platform for Indian fiction

Eshtory was launched as a premium audio OTT fiction-only platform by OrangeGlobal Stories Pvt Ltd. Rooted in India’s rich tradition of oral narratives—where stories have long been passed down through generations—Eshtory says it wants to tap into the nation’s deep- seated love for immersive audio experiences. In a conversation with ET Digital, Harrish M Bhatia, Co-Founder of OrangeGlobal Stories says he wants Eshtory to be the audible pulse of Indian fiction, a platform with multilingual depth, and a gateway to bring regional Indian voices to the world. Edited excerpts.

Economic Times (ET): What inspired you to create Eshtory, and why now?
Harrish M Bhatia (HMB): India is a nation built on spoken stories—myths whispered around fires, legends sung through generations. But somewhere between swipes and screens, that magic faded. We created Eshtory to bring it back. In today’s mobile-first world, there was a glaring gap: no dedicated platform celebrating original fiction in audio form. We saw an opportunity to revive India’s storytelling tradition in a modern, immersive way. With audio consumption peaking and attention spans shrinking, this was the right moment to deliver emotionally rich stories that fit into the rhythm of daily life.


ET: How did the founding team—coming from diverse media backgrounds—come together for this venture?
(HMB): Our founding team—Viplove Gupte, Nilesh Kadam, Inu Majumdar and myself—has collectively witnessed the evolution of Indian storytelling: from radio’s golden age to the streaming revolution. We’ve each built brands, launched formats, and lived the audience shift firsthand. Eshtory is the convergence of those journeys. We didn’t just want to create another platform—we wanted to create the destination for fiction audio. Our shared belief in the power of voice, and our passion for pushing creative boundaries, made Eshtory not just a business, but a calling.

ET: In a content landscape saturated with adaptations, how does Eshtory ensure every story remains truly original?
HMB: We are not recycling stories—we are writing them into existence. Every Eshtory series is built from the ground up, tailor-made for audio. No adaptations, no second-hand plots. Just fresh narratives from handpicked creators who understand how to command attention with sound. We champion voices that think in audio, craft in cadence, and innovate in every episode.

ET: What makes fiction-only audio storytelling a compelling proposition for Indian audiences today?
HMB: Indians do not just consume stories—we live them. And audio fiction, with its intimacy and imagination, taps into that instinct like no other medium. It turns daily commutes into epic adventures and chores into emotional journeys. In a world drowning in visuals, audio lets you see with your ears. Fiction audio isn’t just convenient—it is transformative. It gives the listener the freedom to imagine and the storyteller the freedom to innovate.

ET: How are you discovering and nurturing original voices in the Indian audio fiction space?
HMB: We are building India’s most dynamic creator ecosystem for fiction audio. With over 60 writers, over 100 voice artists, 20 plus sound designers, and over 15 production houses on board, we’re curating—not crowdsourcing—talent. Each collaborator goes through a rigorous, creativity-first evaluation. And we ensure fair, credential-based compensation—because stories don’t grow on trees, and storytellers deserve to thrive. We’re not just finding new voices; we’re giving them the stage and the spotlight.

ET: What are some of the technological innovations or features in Eshtory?
HMB: Eshtory is built for immersion. Our audio engine delivers studio-quality sound with nuanced layering, dynamic soundscapes, and zero-lag streaming—even on low bandwidth. The app is designed for thumb-friendly discovery and frictionless navigation. Personalised recommendations, seamless bingeing, and audio enhancements like spatial sound and ambient FX ensure that the listener isn’t just hearing a story—they’re inside it.

ET: How does being mobile-first shape your approach to storytelling formats and delivery?
HMB: We design with the listener’s lifestyle in mind. Stories are delivered in 10–12-minute episodes—perfect for a chai break, a walk, or a metro ride. With 80–100 episodes per title, we offer long-form fiction in digestible chunks. Our writers craft arcs that respect attention spans without compromising depth. Whether someone has 5 minutes or 50, Eshtory meets them where they are—with content that feels accessible, addictive, and always worth pressing play.

ET: Tell us more about the freemium model. How are you balancing accessibility with monetisation?
HMB: We believe great stories should be easy to discover and rewarding to support. Every user can enjoy the first five episodes of any series for free—no ads, no barriers. Beyond that, they can subscribe for Rs 49/month, Rs 149 for 3 months, or Rs 499 for a year. Alternatively, they can buy Oranges—our platform credits—for as little as Rs 29. This dual path empowers the listener: commit fully or pay as you go. It keeps storytelling accessible while sustaining our creator economy.

ET: With a $36 million commitment, where will the bulk of investment be focused—talent, tech, marketing, or something else?
HMB: The $36 million will be split across three core pillars. We will look for talent, which is scaling our creator network and nurturing new voices. We will also look at tech and advancing the platform experience and production capabilities. The money will also be used for branding and building Eshtory as a cultural icon through marketing, partnerships, and content-led growth.

ET: What are your revenue targets for Eshtory, and how do you plan to achieve them?
HMB: While we are not disclosing numbers just yet, our revenue playbook is rooted in quality, not quantity. We will drive monetisation through subscriptions, micro-transactions (Oranges), and selective brand partnerships for native storytelling. Our listener base is emotionally invested—this depth of engagement offers long-term monetisation potential that’s far richer than surface-level impressions.