Velvet Welcomes Pankaj Tripathi as Co-founder, Aims to Redefine Audio Entertainment The platform primarily focuses on Hindi-language content, with plans to expand into English and other Indian regional languages.
You're reading Entrepreneur India, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media.
Renowned Bollywood actor Pankaj Tripathi has officially joined Velvet, a cutting-edge cinematic audio storytelling platform, as a co-founder. The platform, which launched in October 2024, aims to redefine audio entertainment by offering immersive, high-quality storytelling experiences.
Co-founded by Tripathi, Vikas Kumar (actor and dialogue coach), Akshat Saxena, Varad Bhatnagar, and Sharib Khan, Velvet seeks to take India's rich oral storytelling tradition to a global audience. Initially introduced as a beta version in July for distribution partners, Velvet has now launched publicly as a web platform and a free app for iOS and Android.
With a rapidly growing listener base, Velvet claims to have already amassed 10,000 listeners on its own platform and over 1 million through distribution partners such as Josh App in India and Future Today Group in the US. The platform primarily focuses on Hindi-language content, with plans to expand into English and other Indian regional languages.
Tripathi expressed his deep passion for storytelling, stating, "Storytelling is deeply rooted in our culture. From folk tales to epics, our stories have always had the power to inspire, educate, and entertain. With this audio platform, we wanted to take this tradition and elevate it into a cinematic experience for the ears—something that transports listeners into a world of imagination while being deeply rooted in our cultural ethos."
Velvet also plans to collaborate with popular personalities, particularly cinematic icons, to lend their voices and bring engaging narratives to life. The platform envisions a space where audio storytelling blends tradition with modern technology, captivating audiences worldwide.
Tripathi further shared his excitement, adding, "What excites me the most is the opportunity to connect with audiences worldwide and share stories that are uniquely Indian yet universally relatable. This platform is not just about entertainment; it's about preserving and promoting the art of storytelling in a way that resonates with modern listeners."
With a strong vision, star power, and commitment to storytelling, Velvet is set to become a pioneer in the cinematic audio space, offering an unparalleled experience to listeners across the globe.
