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New Venture: OffBeat Studios — launched March 3, 2026; business model undisclosed
Founder: Aman Gupta — co-founder of boAt, Shark Tank India judge, serial brand-builder
Funding: Not disclosed; no external investors announced yet
boAt Context: Gupta became non-executive director in September 2025; boAt IPO on hold
What’s Next: Full business reveal expected in the coming months; full sector unknown
Consumer electronics founder Aman Gupta has launched OffBeat Studios, his first new venture since stepping back from day-to-day operations at IPO-bound boAt — marking what he describes as the start of “Aman 2.0” and signalling a deliberate move into a new entrepreneurial chapter.
The announcement positions OffBeat Studios as a watch-worthy early-stage bet at the intersection of Gupta’s brand equity and entrepreneurial ambition. With boAt’s professional management team now firmly in place and the IPO timeline uncertain, the market is watching closely — Gupta’s next sector play could attract institutional attention the moment he reveals it.
StartupFeed Insight
What the name says: “Studios” signals a media, content, or creator-economy play — not a hardware company. Gupta’s Shark Tank India visibility and boAt’s D2C brand-building DNA point to a venture built on storytelling, influence, or platform distribution.
What this means for you:
If you’re a founder: Gupta’s move confirms that founder-led brand equity is a fundraisable moat — even before a product launches
If you’re an investor: Watch for the business reveal — pre-seed round from known VCs could be oversubscribed given Gupta’s track record
If you’re in consumer tech / media: A Gupta-led content or creator platform entering your market is a competitive signal to take seriously today
Our prediction: OffBeat Studios will reveal itself as a creator economy or branded content platform by Q2 2026 — and will secure its first institutional round of $3–5 Mn within 12 months of the business launch.
What We Know About OffBeat Studios
Gupta unveiled OffBeat Studios on March 3, 2026 — coinciding with his birthday — via a post on X. The announcement was light on detail but heavy on intent. “With every birthday, some grow older, I grow bolder,” he wrote, adding the handle @Offbeatstudios1 and a stylised “OFF/BEAT” logo.
No business model, funding structure, team composition, sector focus, or product launch timeline has been disclosed. The name “Studios” and its accompanying branding are the only public signals available so far — but they are deliberate ones from a founder who built boAt’s entire identity on the power of brand storytelling.
It also remains unconfirmed whether OffBeat Studios will have any strategic or operational link to boAt (Imagine Marketing) or operate as an entirely independent founder-led initiative. Sources familiar with the matter have not commented publicly.
Venture Profile
| Aspect | Details |
| Venture Name | OffBeat Studios |
| Founder | Aman Gupta |
| Announced | March 3, 2026 (via X / Twitter) |
| Business Model | Undisclosed — details expected in coming months |
| Sector Focus | Undisclosed — name suggests media/content/creator economy |
| Funding Status | Not disclosed; no investors announced |
| boAt Association | No confirmed link; appears to be an independent initiative |
| Legal Entity | Not yet registered publicly (as of March 4, 2026) |
| Social Handle | @Offbeatstudios1 on X |
Why Now: The boAt Chapter That Led Here
Gupta co-founded Imagine Marketing (boAt’s parent company) in 2016 alongside Sameer Mehta. He served as Chief Marketing Officer and became the public face of the brand — turning a mid-range audio startup into India’s #1 consumer wearables company by volume.
In September 2025, as boAt geared up for a second IPO attempt, both founders transitioned to board roles. Gaurav Nayyar (previously COO) took the CEO seat, while Mehta became executive director focused on strategy. The shift was a classic pre-IPO governance upgrade — institutional investors prefer professional management teams over founder-dominated operations.
Beyond boAt, Gupta built a powerful second identity as a judge on Shark Tank India — investing in early-stage startups and becoming a recognisable brand in his own right. That television platform gave him distribution reach that no amount of PR spend can replicate.
boAt IPO: Where Things Stand
| Metric | Detail |
| IPO Size (DRHP, Oct 2025) | Rs 1,500 Cr |
| Fresh Issue Component | Rs 500 Cr |
| Offer for Sale (OFS) | Rs 1,000 Cr |
| Founders’ OFS (Gupta + Mehta) | Rs 300 Cr combined |
| Remaining OFS (Fireside + Qualcomm) | Rs 700 Cr |
| Current IPO Status | On hold — auditor scrutiny on financial discrepancies |
| boAt FY25 Revenue | Rs 3,073.3 Cr (flat YoY) |
| boAt FY25 Net Profit | Rs 60.4 Cr (vs Rs 73.7 Cr loss in FY24) |
| boAt Q1 FY26 Revenue | Rs 628.1 Cr (+11% YoY) |
| boAt Q1 FY26 Net Profit | Rs 21.4 Cr (vs Rs 31.1 Cr loss in Q1 FY25) |
The IPO delay is notable. Statutory auditors flagged mismatches between quarterly filings submitted to lenders and the company’s books of account — a governance concern that requires resolution before a public listing can proceed. OffBeat Studios is Gupta’s forward move while that process plays out.
What Aman Says
“With every birthday, some grow older, I grow bolder. I am still hungry, still impatient and still driven. Aman 2.0 begins soon. Introducing my new venture, @Offbeatstudios1.”
— Aman Gupta, Co-founder, boAt (Imagine Marketing) | March 3, 2026 on X
The word choice reveals as much as it conceals. “Bolder” — not larger, not richer — suggests Gupta is pursuing creative or strategic risk over financial scale. “Hungry” and “impatient” signal that this is not a retirement project. The “2.0” framing is deliberate: he is not building boAt again. He is building something new, with everything he learned at boAt as foundation.
Who Should Be Watching?
| Player | Why This Matters |
| boAt / Imagine Marketing | Any brand-building, audio, or D2C play from Gupta could create perception competition — even if operationally separate |
| Shark Tank India alumni startups | Gupta’s new venture could shift where he directs his personal investment attention and public endorsement |
| Creator economy platforms (Kuku FM, Stage, Pocket FM) | If OffBeat Studios enters the content/creator sector, it brings rare founder credibility + existing distribution to a crowded market |
| D2C consumer brands (boAt competitors: Noise, Fire-Boltt) | Gupta’s marketing playbook, if applied to a new consumer brand, would be the most credible challenger to his own former company |
| Venture capital funds backing media startups | High-profile founder + undisclosed model = strong lead-generation dynamic for VC deal flow |
What’s Next
Our prediction: OffBeat Studios will reveal its business model by Q2 2026 — and it will be a content, creator, or media-adjacent play rather than a hardware or consumer electronics product. Gupta’s entire professional identity over the last four years has migrated toward brand, audience, and storytelling.
Two things to watch: First, whether any boAt investors (Fireside Ventures, Qualcomm, Warburg Pincus) back OffBeat Studios — which would signal strategic continuity. Second, whether the venture taps Gupta’s Shark Tank India portfolio companies as early partners or distribution channels.
The real question isn’t whether Aman Gupta will build something big again — his track record makes that the base case. It’s which sector he has chosen, and whether India’s startup market is ready for whatever “OffBeat” turns out to mean.
