Yash Raj Films (YRF) has announced a strategic investment in digital-first entertainment company Rusk Media, marking its entry into India's fast-growing vertical entertainment space through the creation of original animation and micro drama intellectual property (IP) for Gen Z and Gen Alpha audiences.
As part of the partnership, YRF will steer the creative direction of the original content, while Rusk Media will produce and distribute it through its proprietary Alright! TV platform and global digital channels. The collaboration aims to build long-term entertainment franchises rather than content designed solely for short-term digital consumption.
Commenting on the partnership, 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 the collaboration seeks to address the lack of enduring intellectual property in India's vertical content ecosystem.
"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," he said.
The investment reflects YRF's continued push to diversify beyond traditional film production and strengthen its presence across emerging digital entertainment formats, as consumption increasingly shifts towards short-form, mobile-first storytelling.
