The 4th Edition of The Battle of Voices, organized by Bloggers Alliance and Voice of Achievers, concluded spectacularly today at the prestigious Jio Institute in Navi Mumbai. The event celebrated the rise of podcasting as a vital tool for digital storytelling and marketing, with insightful panel discussions, interactive performances, and an awards ceremony honoring India’s top podcasting talent.
Panel discussion on podcasting and storytelling, Jio Institute
The day began with an insightful keynote by Advertising legend KV Sridhar (aka Pops), Global Chief Creative Officer at Nihilent Limited, who shared valuable anecdotes about the power of storytelling. Pops is known for leading teams that created top advertising campaigns such as ‘I Love You Rasna’, “Hamara Bajaj’ and ‘Wah Taj’. This was followed by an introduction to The Battle of Voices by Dr Amit Nagpal, Founder & President of Bloggers Alliance which aims to celebrate storytellers – creators, students, or professionals. Dr Amit highlighted storytellings power, “Our hearts connect to stories, our brains are wired for stories, and our ears want to listen to stories. We want our stories to be heard because our experiences are stories, our complaints are stories, and sometimes, the biggest burden on our souls are our untold stories.”
The first panel, Podcasts: The New Marketing Powerhouse, featured industry leaders such as Shimona Mathur (MnM Talkies), Vineet Kanabar (Matrix Partners), and Archana Kapoor (Radiofest). They discussed how podcasts are reshaping brand storytelling and marketing. The panel emphasized that podcast success is not defined by chasing numbers but by consistency and building a niche community of listeners. Long-term credibility leads to easier marketing and conversions, with podcasts emerging as a key tool for generating awareness and engaging audiences through unique storytelling lenses.
Following this was an engaging interactive session on Digital Storytelling & Voice Modulation, led by Tathagata Chowdhury, a seasoned theater actor and founder of Theatrician. He captivated the audience with techniques for elevating storytelling skills and performance behind the microphone.
The event also saw Sachin Karnik, Founder of The Great Unicorn Hub, speak on the art of storytelling when pitching startups to investors, highlighting how compelling narratives can secure investor interest. Harjeet Khanduja, Sr VP HR at Reliance Jio, shared insightful anecdotes about the power of storytelling and podcasts, showing how modern leaders and organizations can use podcasts to authentically engage with their audience.
Another highlight was the second panel, The Future of Digital Storytelling: Elevating Podcasts & Vodcasts, featuring insights from Rima Amarapurkar (Podcaster & Filmmaker), Nimisha Sirohi (Actor & Voiceover Artist), Aditya Kuber (Ideabrew Studios), and Mae Mariyam Thomas (Maed in India). The panel explored how podcasts go beyond simple dialogues or celebrity interviews, offering a platform for storytellers to share personal and impactful stories on any topic close to their hearts. This was followed by Mantra (popular actor, podcaster, and Director, MnM Talkies) addressing the awardees for their win.
The Battle of Voices 2024 Awards recognized top and emerging talents in podcasting:
Aishwarya Ashok took home 1st place in the Professional – Indie Podcast Category for her podcast Founder’s Foyer, while Rakesh Soni (India Unveiled) and Samentha Fernandes & Arnold Medeira (The Weekend Brain) shared the 2nd place honors.
In the Professional – Regional Podcast Category, Soham Sabnis claimed 1st place with Mangalwar Marketing, followed by Sohm Kurulkar, who secured 2nd place for Cosmos Star Media.
The Professional – Backed by Studio Category was dominated by Dakshin Gangotri for their docu-podcast series India’s Greatest Journeys, produced by MnM Talkies, while Abhishek Mittal earned 2nd place for Wisdom Whispers, backed by Ideabrew Studios.
The Student Podcast Category saw Alina Shaikh, Jahnvi, and Shreya (Fergusson College, Pune) win 1st place for Gaavgunj, with Aaqib Rangraze taking 2nd place for Baawra Mann. Additionally, CNS Narsee School received a special award for their exceptional efforts in podcasting with CNS Den.
This year’s event was made possible by the contributions of our Industry Partners, MnM Talkies, and Masterclass Partners, Ideabrew Studios, who shared their expertise on podcast growth and production. Key collaborations with The Radio Festival, Theatrician, Maed in India, and India Podcast List helped shape the narrative around podcasting’s evolution in India, while The Daily Eye served as our dedicated media partner.
The event would not have been complete without the support of our Music and Gifting Partners, Hoopr, Primes & Zooms, and Kitabe Book Club. The winners received a 1 year Creator Elite Subscription from Hoopr AI, along with coupons for Podcast and Video gear from Primes and Zooms along with some insightful books by Kitabe Book Club. The special guests and jury received some unique made-in-India fragrances powered by Exclusive Gifting Partner, A Fragrance Story for their valuable contributions and their expertise.
As the event came to a close, Dr Amit Nagpal shared his thoughts on personal branding for podcasters, “You don’t build your personal brand. Other people do, when they see excellence and have pride in associating with you.”
This was followed by Yashika Begwani, Founder of Voice of Achievers expressing her gratitude, “The growth of podcasts as a medium of communication has been nothing short of phenomenal. We are excited to see how this dynamic form of storytelling continues to evolve and look forward to hearing more from these talented creators in the future.”
The event also featured a heartfelt vote of thanks to the Jio Institute for their collaboration as venue partners and to all the jury members, participants, and sponsors for their continuous support.
For media inquiries or more details, please contact: www.voiceofachievers.com, www.bloggersalliance.org.