Another Senior Exit Signals Ongoing Leadership Restructuring at Pocket FM
Pocket FM, one of India’s leading audio entertainment platforms, is undergoing another significant leadership transition as its India Country Head, Suyog Gothi, has stepped down from the company after a tenure of nearly two and a half years. His departure is the latest in a series of senior executive exits that have taken place over the past month, highlighting an ongoing leadership reshuffle within the company.
According to multiple people familiar with the matter, Gothi’s responsibilities have already been handed over to Nitin Verma as part of an internal restructuring exercise. The transition reflects Pocket FM’s efforts to realign its leadership team while streamlining operations across business verticals.
The latest development comes at a time when the company is reassessing several parts of its business strategy, including the recent closure of its microdrama platform, Pocket TV.
Who Is Replacing Suyog Gothi at Pocket FM?
Sources close to the development said that Nitin Verma has assumed the responsibilities previously handled by Gothi. The leadership transition has reportedly already been completed internally, ensuring continuity across the company’s India operations.
One person aware of the restructuring stated that Pocket FM is reorganizing its senior management structure and that additional leadership changes could take place in the coming weeks. However, the company has dismissed speculation regarding further exits, stating that leadership movements are a normal part of the evolution of any fast-growing organization.
Responding to reports, a Pocket FM spokesperson confirmed that Suyog Gothi had moved on from the company several months ago to pursue new professional opportunities. The spokesperson also clarified that his departure was unrelated to Pocket TV or any recent strategic decisions involving the company’s content business.
Interestingly, Gothi’s LinkedIn profile indicates that he continued serving as India Country Head until May 2026, creating some ambiguity around the exact timeline of his exit.
What Was Suyog Gothi’s Role and Background?
Suyog Gothi brought extensive experience in India’s digital payments and technology ecosystem before joining Pocket FM.
Prior to joining the audio platform, he spent nearly seven years at PhonePe, where he played an instrumental role in scaling the company’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI) business. During his tenure, he later led PhonePe’s merchant lending division, helping expand financial services for businesses across the country.
Earlier in his career, Gothi worked at Flipkart as a Business Analyst, gaining valuable experience in e-commerce, consumer technology, and business strategy.
His diverse background across fintech, digital commerce, and technology made him one of Pocket FM’s key leadership hires as the company accelerated its growth in India and international markets.
As of now, Gothi has not publicly announced his next career move.
Why Are Senior Executives Leaving Pocket FM?
Gothi’s exit is part of a broader series of leadership changes that Pocket FM has witnessed in recent weeks.
Earlier this week, Assistant Vice President of Content Ankit Singh announced his departure after spending nearly two years with the company. Before that, Chief Financial Officer Anurag Sharma resigned after close to three years to pursue entrepreneurial opportunities. Around the same period, Senior Vice President Mayank Sancheti also stepped down from his role.
The succession of high-profile departures has sparked discussions across the startup ecosystem regarding the company’s evolving leadership structure and long-term strategy.
Pocket FM, however, has maintained that such transitions are common for growing companies and should not be interpreted as signs of organizational instability. The company reiterated that senior executives leave organizations for a variety of personal and professional reasons, and it is not aware of any basis for claims suggesting additional leadership exits.
What Happened to Pocket TV?
The leadership reshuffle follows another major strategic decision taken by Pocket FM earlier this year the shutdown of Pocket TV, its microdrama content platform.
Pocket TV was launched to capitalize on the growing popularity of short-form scripted video content. However, the company concluded that the vertical was not contributing meaningfully to its overall business performance and decided to discontinue operations.
According to the company, the closure was purely a business decision based on performance metrics and resource allocation. Pocket FM also clarified that while the platform has been shut down, it continues to see potential in the microdrama category and may revisit the opportunity in the future if market conditions become more favorable.
What Lies Ahead for Pocket FM?
Pocket FM remains one of India’s largest audio storytelling platforms, serving millions of listeners across multiple languages while also expanding internationally. The company has built its business around serialized audio fiction, audiobooks, and creator-driven storytelling, helping popularize long-form audio entertainment among digital audiences.
With a refreshed leadership structure, the company is expected to sharpen its focus on its core audio business while improving operational efficiency and driving sustainable growth. As India’s creator economy and digital entertainment market continue to evolve, Pocket FM’s ability to execute its long-term strategy under new leadership will be closely watched by investors, creators, and industry observers alike.
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