Vice Media opens first Indian office

Vice Media has opened its first offices in India, the nation set to become “the youngest country in the world” by 2020.

New offices in Mumbai and Delhi will host full-scale Vice operations, including a local offering of Virtue Worldwide, Vice’s in-house creative agency, and a full-service content production studio, Vice Studio, producing local news, culture, documentary, film and scripted content for television, SVOD, OTT and digital platforms.

The launch arrives through a partnership with Times of India Group. It intends to bring locally relevant content to a large new audience in primarily Hindi and English.

Vice India has introduced all of its digital brands under the Vice.com banner, premiering a late night prime time television block across the Times of India portfolio.

Vice India is also working with Facebook in the country to expand its audience. Further details on multiple platform partnerships are to be announced in the coming months, with content set to emerge from a deal between drinks giant Anheuser-Busch InBev and Vice’s Virtue Worldwide division.

With a strong focus on culturally-relevant topics and experiences of what it is like to be young in India today, Vice India’s local content programming will span conversations across topics like food, music, politics, sports, sex, identity, nightlife, arts, and comedy.

Last month, Vice India announced the appointment of Chanpreet Arora as chief executive officer and Samira Kanwar as head of content.

Hosi Simon, CEO of Vice APAC, said: “Everything we do, our aim is to reach the aspirational mass audience which is about to make their voices heard loudly in India. We are looking beyond urban India, into the regional emerging, aspirational, and highly curious youth population, which we believe will own the future of the country very soon.

“We hope to create ground-breaking content and play a significant role in creating and giving a voice to the youth of India, and helping to bring their stories and creativity to all parts of India, and to the rest of the world.”

The move arrives as Vice Media goes through major transitions. In March A+E Networks’ Nancy Dubuc succeeded the company’s former CEO Shane Smith. Vivendi content head Dominique Delport also became president of international and chief revenue officer for the company.