Neeraj Chopra debuts in startup world with investment in regional OTT platform Stage

Neeraj Chopra makes his debut as an investor in the startup world.

Olympic gold medalist Neeraj Chopra has forayed into the startup world with an investment in a regional streaming platform called Stage.

The over-the-top (OTT) platform which was launched in 2019 has over six million installs and a community of over 5.5 lakh paying subscribers.

The OTT app caters to local dialects and languages and has a diverse array of content spanning movies to poetry to motivational content.

"Cultural preservation and pride in where we come from are woven into the fabric of our identity," said Neeraj Chopra. “My investment in Stage represents more than just a desire to rekindle the flames of our diverse regional dialects. We will embark on a journey together to reawaken dormant languages and empower every voice, ensuring that our cultural heritage thrives in its true form through this platform," he said.

The partnership with Chopra was announced at the athlete's ancestral village of Khandra in Panipat.

"We believe in the compelling force of storytelling and the unifying potential of regional content. Neeraj Chopra's involvement adds an impactful and relevant dimension to our mission, and we are elated to welcome him aboard," said Vinay Singhal, the CEO, and Co-Founder of Stage.

Talking about the association, Divyanshu Singh, COO of JSW Sports said, "Neeraj is a global icon who remains very local and connected to his roots. He has done immensely well for our country at the international level, but he has stayed true to his personality, and from that perspective, we feel that this is a very strategic partnership. His coming on board as an investor with Stage, which is a very dialect-centric OTT platform, is very relevant to him and the brand. It's a long-term association."