In March 2026, Aman Gupta, Co-Founder and the driving force behind boAt’s rise as one of India’s most recognisable consumer-tech brands, stepped back from his daily operations at Imagine Marketing, which is gearing up for an IPO. But rather than taking a break, he is channelling his energy into a new venture: OffBeat Studios. This isn’t just another company but a bold step towards shifting the focus from products to stories, aesthetics, and experiences that truly connect with people. In a world where brands are defined by their narratives rather than just their offerings, OffBeat Studios aims to lead the way by blending talent, creative services, and brand storytelling in a way that feels fresh, authentic, and human. This move reflects a deeper trend: the transformation of brand building into an art of storytelling, where the voice and vision matter most. Aman Gupta’s journey illustrates how branding continues to evolve, opening new horizons for creators and consumers alike.
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The Speed of OffBeat
The name says it all: OffBeat Studios. It embodies the spirit of being not just uncommon or unexpected, but compellingly attractive across fashion, art, music, photography, and entertainment. More than just a creative agency, it’s a forge for brands seeking to stand out amid a sea of sameness, helping them build the muscles to cut through the noise.
Leading this charge is Gupta, whose track record speaks volumes. He successfully transformed boAt into a powerhouse in the fiercely competitive audio-wearables landscape, focusing on design, storytelling, and pop culture rather than just features. Now, with OffBeat Studios, he’s expanding that proven approach to a broader arena, serving creators, influencers, and businesses craving unique, impactful creative strength.
Money, Cred and Gambit
In April 2016, OffBeat Studios was immediately given instant credibility with a ₹100‑crore seed round from Bessemer Venture Partners. That is a big check for a studio in its early formative stage and reflects investors’ faith in Gupta’s brand‑building prowess and the creative‑economy opportunity.
Bessemer is no small‑time investor. It is invested in Anthropic, Shopify and Canva – brands that are design‑commerce‑software hybrids. Aman has explained that he selected the firm because he needed more than just funding: speed, international reach, and guidance in the AI‑led future. As he puts it, he sees the investor‑founder relationship as akin to a life‑partner relationship: designed for both good and bad times.
Creativity and Brand‑Building in the Age of AI
OffBeat Studios is coming at the right time. A McKinsey report predicted that generative AI will create USD 400 billion to USD 660 billion in value for marketers and creatives by 2030, largely by accelerating content creation, enabling storytelling, and optimising creative work.
OffBeat Studios is poised to capitalise on this. Rather than a traditional agency, it is setting itself up as a talent‑focused, AI‑powered creative studio. Its website suggests a goal of “continue to disrupt the creative industry” by focusing on idea‑making, talent‑harnessing, and brand‑storytelling. This strategy is in sync with survey data that 72% of marketers worldwide now rely on AI‑assisted tools for creative processes, and 61% report they are more confident in their storytelling with AI‑augmented creativity.
Talent, Brand‑Story and the “Off‑Beat” Difference
OffBeat Studios’ mantra is to connect:
Unique authors (artists, photographers, musicians, performers).
Brands seeking new and unusual stories. (Can be used in a blurb)
AI and technology that can amplify creativity.
This trend is shaping the future of business. By 2026, Gartner predicts that more than half of large organisations will forge formal partnerships with creative-tech studios or agencies that seamlessly blend human ingenuity with artificial intelligence (AI) in their creative processes. Instead of relying solely on traditional agencies or in-house teams, companies are starting to embrace this hybrid approach. OffBeat Studios is positioning itself right at this crossroads.
For Aman Gupta, this is more than just a strategic move but a declaration. From building a product brand to investing in a creative ecosystem, he signals that the next wave of value will emerge from stories, experiences, and talent networks. In this new landscape, success hinges on authenticity, innovation, and the human touch elements that no machine can replicate. This shift is not just happening. It’s accelerating, transforming how we create, connect, and communicate.
OffBeat Studios: A Creative Economy Win‑Win
OffBeat Studios isn’t a celebrity‑backed studio. It’s a wager on three trends.
The creation‑economy, in which individuals can be as influential as brands. The AI‑storytelling revolution is reducing time to market and aligning with India’s aspirations to be a global creative‑commerce destination, rather than a manufacturing or IT‑services destination.
In a marketplace where the battle for brands is fought on both functional and emotional fronts, OffBeat Studios is designed to be the machine that organises and scales creative ideas into stories. With the support of Bessemer, Gupta’s brand‑building experience, and an “off‑beat” approach, the studio is set to become a benchmark for how the second wave of Indian‑origin creative‑commerce businesses will launch.
At a Glance –
Founded: 2026
Founder: Aman Gupta (Co‑Founder, boAt)
Headquarter: India (brand and operations based in India with a worldwide creative‑commerce vision)
Seed funding: ₹100 crore led by Bessemer Venture Partners
Markets: Creative industries, talent management, brand‑story development, AI‑enhanced creative services
