In this episode of The Media Room, media journalist and author Vanita Kohli-Khandekar speaks to Tusharr Kumar, CEO and Director of Only Much Louder (OML), one of India’s most influential media and entertainment companies. Once known as an indie music promoter, OML has shapeshifted into a multi-pronged business spanning talent management, branded content agencies, and long-form content production. Today, it manages more than 100 creators across comedy, beauty, food, and travel; runs three agencies including the creative shop MO and influencer network Hypothesis; and has produced over 60 shows for Amazon Prime and Netflix.
Kumar talks about why comedy remains central to OML’s DNA and how comedians helped shape both India’s YouTube ecosystem and its OTT boom. He explains how artist management functions as “soft power” for the company, why OML deliberately keeps its roster selective, and how controversies and cancel culture are part of managing creative risk. They also discuss OML’s global campaigns in markets from Poland to the Congo, its growing bets on sports content beyond cricket, and the economics of long-form storytelling in an era dominated by platforms and algorithms. Tune in for insights into how OML stays close to culture, scales its businesses, and keeps reinventing itself in the fast-changing media landscape.
(00:00) Introduction
(01:45) OML’s journey from indie music to managing 100+ creators
(05:12) Why OML keeps comedy at the heart of its business
(09:34) Managing artists in the age of controversy and cancel culture
(13:28) OML’s global footprint: campaigns in Poland, Lebanon, and Congo
(17:46) The rise of sports content beyond cricket
(21:40) How pop culture fuels new interest in sports like rugby and chess
(24:51) What drives OML’s growth across agencies, talent, and long-form content
(28:10) How OML creates and monetises stand-up specials and fiction shows
(32:20) Talent management as OML’s “soft power”
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