Story TV has appointed former Yash Raj Films leader Manan Mehta as Senior Vice President – Content and Strategy, as it looks to strengthen its position in the country’s growing vertical storytelling market.
The appointment comes as the company ramps up investments in premium vertical content, with a focus on studio-scale storytelling, original intellectual property and collaborations with mainstream creative talent.
Mehta brings over two decades of experience spanning business strategy, marketing and content leadership. Before joining Story TV, he spent more than 11 years at Yash Raj Films, having previously worked with agencies including Leo Burnett, Taproot and Razorfish.
During his tenure at Yash Raj Films, Mehta worked closely with Aditya Chopra and played a key role in strengthening the studio’s brand and content marketing strategy. He led marketing and content strategy for more than 26 films, which collectively generated approximately Rs 5,200 crore at the global box office.
In his new role, Mehta will lead Story TV’s content and business strategy for premium vertical storytelling. His responsibilities include developing original vertical storytelling franchises, forging partnerships with actors, filmmakers and studios, and expanding the platform’s portfolio of premium content.
Launched in 2025, Story TV said it has built an audience base of over 100 million users and aims to further strengthen its leadership in the microdrama category through premium storytelling, marquee talent partnerships and original IP development.
Welcoming Manan Mehta, Saurabh Pandey, Founder and CEO, Story TV, said: “We are entering what we see as OTT 2.0. The grammar of entertainment is changing, and vertical storytelling is emerging as one of its most powerful expressions. Our focus is to move microdramas 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.”
“Manan joining Story TV strengthens 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.
“Micro Drama has already arrived but for premium vertical storytelling, there is no playbook that exists anywhere. And that’s 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.”
