Bloggers Alliance, the national association of bloggers, storytellers, and content creators, in collaboration with Voice of Achievers, a content and communications consultancy, recently concluded the third edition of The Battle of Voices 2023, India’s pioneering podcasting competition. This exciting event took place at the prestigious Jio Institute, Navi Mumbai, with an intriguing panel discussion on the Podcasting Wave in India, thereby marking a phenomenal start to International Podcaster’s Day celebrated in the same month.
Panel discussion on Podcasting Wave in India
The Battle of Voices 2023 marked a significant milestone in India’s podcasting landscape. After two successful virtual editions due to COVID-19 restrictions, this year’s event witnessed a live audience of approximately 100 attendees. The audience included students from Jio Institute’s Digital Media program, podcast enthusiasts, competition winners, distinguished guests, and the event’s organizers.
In collaboration with The Delhi Audio Factory, Kidschaupal, Kya Matlab Podcast Network, Caspian, and Nutrahar, this event showcased the growing influence of podcasting in India, a few weeks ahead of 30th September (which is celebrated as International Podcaster’s Day).
The competition, which ran for 40 days, attracted over 100 entries from individuals spanning various age groups, including a remarkably talented 10-year-old student. Podcasters explored diverse themes such as History, Culture, Books, Parenting, and Social Change, delivering deep insights, facts, and engaging dialogues. Winners were awarded with gift vouchers, books, and internship opportunities, providing professionals and students with a valuable platform to showcase their talent at the esteemed Jio Institute, Navi Mumbai.
The event also featured inspiring speeches by Mr. Harjeet Khanduja, Senior VP at Reliance Jio, and Dr. Palak Sheth, Project Director, Jio Institute. While Harjeet Khanduja is a renowned author with 2 lakh plus followers on LinkedIn, Dr Sheth’s expertise lies in creating world class institutions, right from conceptualization to internationalization.
The awards and certificates were presented by Dr. Palak Sheth, Mr. Harjeet Khanduja, and Mr. Devendra Jaiswal (Co-Founder, Bloggers Alliance). Dr. Amit Nagpal, Founder President shared Bloggers Alliance story and a quote by Ira Glass that resonated very well with the audience, “”Great Stories happen to those who can tell them”. Distinguished guests included Dr. Yogesh Dube (Special Monitor, Human Rights Commission, Govt of India).
One of the highlights of the event was a compelling panel discussion titled, “The Podcasting Wave – and India riding the tide in the digital age.” Moderated by Yashika Begwani, founder at Voice of Achievers and President of the National Podcast Community, the discussion featured prominent podcasting figures like Aditya Kuber (Co-founder, Ideabrew Studios), Mae Mariam Thomas (Co-founder, Maed in India), Rashi Khanna (Founder, Kya Matlab Podcasts), Abhay Maheshwari (LaalChashma Stories and 2BHK fame), Akanksha Thapliyal Bhatt (Founder, Audio Vaani), Tanya Nambiar (Voiceover Artist and Singer), and Suchita Bhatia (Host of “The SOS Show” and “The Artists”).
The panelists shared invaluable insights into the art of podcasting, emphasizing the importance of authenticity, storytelling, and the myriad of career opportunities within the podcasting space. “The answer of being loved as a podcaster is in being genuine, a genuine voice, with a powerful story is bound to resonate with the audience,” suggested Abhay when asked about how to make a podcast work for the audience. “There are multiple career opportunities within the podcasting space, including podcast production, content strategy, editing, marketing, sales, writing, and so much more as the growth story for podcasts has just begun,” suggested Aditya addressing young digital media students keen on building thriving careers. Tanya’s message from afar focussed on the power of the voice and how voice modulation techniques, and sound quality support in the making of a good podcast, while Rashi and Akanksha were eager to hear more stories coming out of different people and suggested how initiatives like this could uplift and empower the community.
Yashika Begwani, in her introduction to The Battle of Voices and the National Podcast Community, highlighted the community’s success in hosting virtual events over the past two years and outlined plans to further empower and expand the community of podcasters, contributing to India’s digital growth story.
Dr. Amit Nagpal and Mr. Devendra Jaiswal, added insights from business storytelling and entrepreneurial experiences respectively. Winners not only had their podcasting questions answered by experts but also enjoyed a hearty lunch and received support from Bloggers Alliance for their future creative endeavors. Participants also attended a podcasting masterclass organized by Spotify.
“People are looking for more shows to consume, and we haven’t even reached the tip of the iceberg in terms of experimentation and exploration of different themes. The scope and the opportunity are huge,” quipped Mae during the panel discussion and leaving the audience hopeful to begin their own podcast journey.
Bloggers Alliance, a non-profit society established in 2019, aims to guide bloggers and storytellers on the path to success.For more information about the organization, visit bloggersalliance.org. Queries regarding the National Podcast Community can be directed to indiapodcastcommunity@gmail.com, / president@bloggersalliance.org.
