nexGTV, subscription-driven video entertainment App, has appointed Abhesh Verma as its Chief Operating Officer (COO). In his new role at nexGTV, he will be spearheading executive decision-making and long-term strategic planning for the organisation. He was previously associated with the digital entertainment portal Saavn and Saavn Interactive as its Chief Growth Officer and CEO.
Abhesh joins nexGTV with over 16 years of experience across several industries such as entertainment, e-commerce, SEO, advertisement, venture capital and real estate.
Abhesh has developed, implemented and managed many India-centric digital media and advertisement solutions to great success for the organisations he has been associated with. ShopClassic.com, with him at the helm as its President, was driving e-commerce way back in 2000 as a website that allowed Indians to purchase and deliver gifts to each other within India. He was also instrumental in transforming Saavn’s business approach from a B2B to B2C model. By deploying and managing multiple revenue streams including online ad sales & solutions teams for the platform, Abhesh played a vital role in building up nearly 95 percent of Saavn’s revenue from scratch. He also oversaw the integration of new site acquisitions into the Saavn Interactive aegis, and was also responsible for end-to-end management and integration of new features.
Holding Bachelors in Mechanical Engineering from Pune University and an MBA from Maharishi University of Management, Fairfield, Iowa, Abhesh is a thought leader and pioneer who created and drove internet-based digital media start-ups during a time when the term wasn’t even coined. Several highly successful ventures such as SmasHits.com, India Broadcast Live Inc, MyIndoSpace.com and IndiAds.com under his belt have firmly established his credentials as one of the earliest and most prominent influences in the digital entrepreneurship field.
Before merging with Saavn in January 2009, SmasHits.com was amongst the top three most visited music & entertainment websites in India with monthly visitor traffic of over 30 million. Under Abhesh’s leadership, SmasHits.com also led the world premiere of Ajay Devgn’s home production ‘Raju Chacha’, (India’s most expensive production at that time), at the Samuel Goldwyn Theatre at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. The feat, which was unique for a Bollywood movie, is yet to be emulated.
