Audio entertainment platform Pocket FM has named former Bank of America investment banker Abhilash Padival as its new Chief Financial Officer. The appointment comes as the company sharpens its focus on global expansion and core audio operations following the recent closure of its experimental video platform, Pocket TV.
Pocket FM, a prominent player in the audio series space, has onboarded Abhilash Padival as its new Chief Financial Officer. Padival joins the leadership team after a seven-year tenure at Bank of America, where he most recently led the investment banking practice for the consumer internet sector. His background includes advising Indian companies on financial strategy, private fundraising, and public market preparations.
Finance Leadership and Strategic Shift
Padival will oversee the company's global finance functions, including capital allocation, business strategy, and investor relations. He replaces Anurag Sharma, who left the position in May 2026. This leadership change occurs as the platform transitions its focus toward scaling its international business.
Part of this strategic realignment involved the discontinuation of Pocket TV, the company's beta-stage microdrama product, in June 2026. By closing this experimental venture, management is aiming to concentrate its capital and operational resources exclusively on its primary audio entertainment business. This move is significant for investors and stakeholders, as it highlights a shift toward core business profitability and streamlined growth in the competitive digital content sector.
Focus on Global Scaling
CEO and co-founder Rohan Nayak stated that the appointment is intended to strengthen the company’s finance division as it seeks to build a global audio ecosystem. The platform, which has been operating since 2018, combines storytelling with artificial intelligence to offer audio series across multiple languages. For the company, moving toward a more mature financial structure is often a precursor to larger fundraising rounds or long-term structural changes.
Investors and observers will likely monitor how effectively the company balances aggressive global growth with sustainable capital management. The effectiveness of Padival’s strategy in navigating the costs of international expansion while maintaining the platform's creator-first ecosystem will be the primary monitorable in the coming quarters.