Toronto-based Wattpad has appointed its first country manager for India.
Devashish Sharma will lead the company’s efforts to expand all aspects of Wattpad in the region, where it has 2.6 million monthly users. Devashish will be based in Mumbai and report to Wattpad chief product officer and co-founder Ivan Yuen.
“India is home to some of the most creative storytellers on the planet, with the most exciting literary and entertainment sectors anywhere,” said Allen Lau, CEO and co-founder of Wattpad. “With millions of Indian users and stories already on Wattpad, we have a tremendous opportunity to help Indian writers build a global audience, and work with local studios and publishers to find new voices. Devashish understands both the product and community sides of technology, which is the perfect combination to help us expand our business in India.”
Sharma was previously part of the founding team at CoHo, a co-living startup targeting millennials. Leading the product and growth teams at CoHo, he helped the company establish a presence in major cities across India. He has also held roles in Toronto and Silicon Valley.
“Wattpad is bringing something truly unique to the global entertainment industry: a data-backed and audience-first approach to development,” said Devashish Sharma, India Country Manager, Wattpad. “India’s media market is growing at an incredible pace, with producers and OTT services struggling to meet the demand for local content. India is a land of stories, and I can’t wait to tap into the incredible local talent on Wattpad to create hits for Indian and international audiences.”
Wattpad has been focused on expanding its focus in Asia, and recently hired a head of Asia.