Celebrating Vikram Tanna: A journey from broadcast leadership to AI-powered entertainment

In an industry where technology is constantly reshaping the way content is created, distributed and consumed, Vikram Tanna has built a career that reflects the evolution of media itself. From traditional broadcasting and advertising sales to gaming, blockchain and artificial intelligence, his professional journey has been marked by a willingness to explore new business models and embrace emerging opportunities.

As he recently celebrated his birthday, it was an occasion to recognise a media professional whose career spans more than two decades and some of the industry's prominent organisations.

Currently serving as CEO of Eros Universe and Eros Now, Tanna is involved in steering the company's digital entertainment businesses towards a future where content, technology and consumer engagement increasingly intersect.

Tanna's professional journey began during the early years of India's digital transformation. His experience includes a stint with Viacom, where he worked on advertising sales and brand partnerships, gaining exposure to youth-oriented entertainment and the growing importance of integrated media solutions.

He subsequently held a leadership position at Star India, where he spent several years managing revenue and business responsibilities across different entertainment verticals.

His responsibilities at Star included Hindi movies, music and regional entertainment, providing him with experience in content strategy, advertising monetisation and the commercial dynamics of television.

A subsequent stint at Zapak Digital Entertainment brought him closer to the emerging world of online gaming and digital consumer engagement, adding another dimension to his professional experience.

At Discovery Networks Asia Pacific, Tanna took on the responsibility of heading advertising sales and regional business operations for South Asia. The assignment involved managing advertising revenues across television and digital platforms while working with a diverse content portfolio spanning factual entertainment, lifestyle and children's programming.

These assignments helped shape his understanding of the changing relationship between audiences, advertisers and content platforms.

In 2020, Tanna moved into a new phase of his career when he joined Mzaalo, a gamified video-on-demand platform under Xfinite Global Plc, as Chief Operating Officer.

The platform sought to combine entertainment with rewards and blockchain technology, creating a model in which consumers could derive additional value from their engagement with content.

Tanna was involved in developing the platform's rewards-driven entertainment model, token economy and broader digital ecosystem. The experience marked an important transition from conventional media businesses to emerging technology-led entertainment models.

His subsequent appointment as CEO of Eros Now brought together his experience in broadcasting, content monetisation, digital platforms and emerging technologies.

At Eros, his responsibilities have expanded to include Eros Universe, the company's AI-powered entertainment and creator platform, reflecting the growing convergence of content, artificial intelligence and digital experiences.

The year 2026 has been particularly significant for Eros Innovation's technology ambitions. In February, the company unveiled Eros Universe at the India AI Impact Summit, introducing a creator-focused platform designed to combine its entertainment intellectual property with generative AI capabilities.

In August, Eros Universe announced a four-city AI creator audition across Mumbai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Chennai to identify writers and directors capable of using generative AI to develop cinematic stories. The initiative reflects the company's efforts to develop new talent and explore AI-assisted content production.

For Tanna, the evolving entertainment landscape presents opportunities to rethink how audiences interact with content.

His professional focus increasingly extends beyond conventional streaming towards a model where consumers can participate in content creation, engage with familiar intellectual properties and experience entertainment through personalised and interactive formats.

This approach also brings challenges around intellectual property, responsible AI deployment and sustainable monetisation, areas that are becoming increasingly important as entertainment companies experiment with new technologies.

Beyond his corporate responsibilities, Tanna has also contributed to the entrepreneurial ecosystem through mentoring assignments with accelerator programmes, including Algorand Miami Accelerator and Algorand Accelerate.

His academic background includes an MBA from the University of Mumbai and executive education at the Indian School of Business.

He is also associated with Kidverse Trata Foundation, a non-profit initiative focused on redistributing toys, books, learning materials and clothing to underserved communities.

From managing television advertising revenues to exploring blockchain-powered entertainment and now leading AI-enabled digital platforms, Tanna's journey illustrates how media leadership continues to evolve alongside technological change.

As he marks another birthday, his professional story is one of reinvention, adaptability and a sustained interest in the possibilities emerging at the intersection of content and technology.