Yash Raj Films (YRF) has made a strategic investment in digital-first entertainment company Rusk Media as the two companies partner to develop original vertical storytelling IPs for Gen Z and Gen Alpha audiences.
The collaboration will combine YRF's creative expertise with Rusk Media's production and distribution capabilities to create original animation and vertical micro-drama content. Under the partnership, YRF will oversee the creative direction of the IPs, while Rusk Media will produce and distribute them through its proprietary Alright! TV platform and global digital channels.
The investment reflects YRF's push into the fast-growing vertical entertainment space as audiences increasingly consume short-form, mobile-first content.
Akshaye Widhani, CEO, Yash Raj Films, said: “The instinct to evolve has always been central to YRF’s DNA. Platforms are infrastructure, content and IP are culture. Mayank and his team at Rusk Media have built a deep understanding of how the next generation discovers and inhabits stories, and that is exactly the kind of vision we want to invest in . Together, the aspiration is to build worlds, not just content.”
Mayank Yadav, Co-Founder and CEO, Rusk Media, said: “Vertical entertainment in India has produced extraordinary reach, but not the enduring IP that defines a category. That is the gap this collaboration is designed to close. We bring a native understanding of how digitally native audiences discover and build community around content, and with YRF’s backing, we are building for longevity, not the algorithm.”
The companies said the partnership is aimed at creating enduring digital intellectual property as the lines between cinema, digital and mobile entertainment continue to blur.
