CA Media has made this investment alongside Zodius, an investor and operator of digital media, commerce and services companies that develops market defining companies in the new digital India.

Only Much Louder operates at the intersection of three key elements - alternative culture, youth and brands. It focuses on reaching the youth market in India through high quality entertainment properties including music festivals, television and web-based content. OML started as an artist management firm in 2002 and has now expanded its operations to include a large-format music festivals division, a full-fledged production house, a digital wing and an expansive artist management and bookings enterprise. OML works with various brands in the country in conceptualising and executing their marketing and branding strategies aimed at the youth segment.

CA Media CEO Paul Aiello said, “Our investment in OML represents one end of the spectrum of our investment plans in India – that of identifying and backing talented people in virgin domains, with sustainable as well as scalable business models. OML is in an exciting domain and we foresee great potential ahead.”

CA Media India CEO Rajesh Kamat commented, “OML operates in a category that’s nascent right now, but holds immense potential in time to come. With over 65% of Indian population under 35 years of age, we’re extremely bullish about the value that OML can unlock in this segment.” He added, “Our expertise in traditional media coupled with the Zodius team’s skills and experience in the digital space will drive OML’s future growth.”

Through this investment and management support, CA Media and Zodius plan to assist OML in scaling up its operations, to achieve true scale, over the next few years.

Neeraj Bhargava, Zodius, commented, “Vijay and his team at OML not only create exceptional media platforms for their clients but they also execute flawlessly. We are delighted to partner with the OML team and CA Media to build the market leading company targeting youth entertainment.”

Vijay Nair, Founder and CEO, OML Entertainment, commented, “Over the last decade, we have grown from being an artist management company to building several successful franchises across content platforms centred around live music and alternative culture. This investment marks a new phase in the evolution of OML where we will be focussing not only on live on-ground properties, but actively looking at amplifying them through television and digital media. CA Media and Zodius are the right partners to guide us and work with us on strategically scaling up OML and build it to its true potential.”

About The Chernin Group
The Chernin Group (TCG) is a privately held media holding company based in Los Angeles, CA founded by Peter Chernin. TCG has built, managed, operated and invested in businesses in the media, entertainment, and technology sectors around the world since 2010. TCG’s assets include Chernin Entertainment, which produces award-winning television programs and feature films; Hong Kong-based CA Media, which builds, manages, and operates media, entertainment, and technology businesses in Asia, particularly India, Indonesia, and China; and several strategic investments in technology and media companies in the U.S. including Pandora, Fullscreen, Tumblr and Flipboard.

About CA Media
Majority-owned by The Chernin Group, CA Media was founded in November 2010 with a mandate to build, manage, and operate media, entertainment, and technology businesses throughout Asia. Based in Hong Kong, CA Media is building a regional footprint primarily focused on India, Indonesia and China.
CA Media’s CEO is Paul Aiello formerly was the CEO of News Corp.’s Star TV Asia. Prior to that, he was the Head of TMT investment banking at Morgan Stanley for the Asia region.
CA Media India CEO is Rajesh Kamat was formerly COO of Viacom18 Group, CEO of Colors and set-up the Endemol operations in India as its Managing Director.

About Zodius
Zodius builds businesses in the “new” Digital India. Operational since 2011, Zodius partners with entrepreneurs to craft and build valuable, reputed and market-defining digital businesses. It typically develops one company every six months and works intensively with its portfolio company teams to “speed up” and “shape up” for exceptional growth and profitability. Zodius has been founded by Neeraj Bhargava, co-founder and ex-CEO of WNS (listed at NYSE). Prior to WNS, Neeraj was Managing Partner of eVentures India, where he was also the first investor in MakeMyTrip (listed at NASDAQ), NetMagic (sold to NTT), Customerasset (evolved into India-listed FirstSource) and Mentorix (sold to LionBridge), and a Partner at McKinsey & Company. The Zodius team is an experienced and cohesive team, which has worked together for several years in a combination of investing and operating roles.

About Only Much Louder
Only Much Louder operates at the intersection of three key elements - alternative culture, youth and brands. OML started in 2002 as an artist management and booking agency, which still remains its core business through its brand The Syndicate.
Only Much Louder’s music festival division promoted and executed the highly successful NH7 Weekender festival and Invasion festival properties between 2010-12. OML routinely tours leading international artists in India and have promoted artists such as David Guetta, Lady Gaga, Imogen Heap, Mumford & Sons, Jay Sean, Basement Jaxx, The Prodigy, Bobby Friction, Asian Dub Foundation, and Laura Marling in India.
Their technology business, OML Digital, focuses on brands and entertainers and runs the popular alternative culture portal NH7.in. OML also runs a video content production house, Babble Fish Productions, which develops and produces innovative content such as The Dewarists and MTV Sound Trippin’.
Only Much Louder was founded by Vijay Nair who is the CEO of the company. Girish Talwar is the co-founder of the company.

Though the exact date has not been confirmed, the episode will be aired in the first week of May on UTV Bindass. So stay tuned.

PS. Take a look at our nostalgia-inducing photo gallery of the Eristoff Invasion here - www.nh7.in/davidguettaindia

Bhasin joined the organization on March 1 and will be organizing this year’s Bacardi NH7 Weekender, Eristoff Invasion and other OML events.