Locomotive Global

What Locomotive Global does

Locomotive Global Inc. (LGI) is a privately held, Mumbai-headquartered content production company incorporated in the United States and founded in 2013 by Sunder Aaron and Scott Anderson. The company develops, produces, and distributes original scripted television series, feature films, and non-fiction content rooted in Indian narratives but engineered for global audiences, with a stated slate of more than 19 active projects spanning crime drama, horror, comedy, thriller, supernatural, and historical formats across Hindi and regional (e.g., Tamil) languages. Its core commercial assets are co-productions and licensing arrangements with major global streaming platforms — most prominently Netflix India (flagship title Rana Naidu, a Hindi adaptation of Showtime's Ray Donovan, with Season 2 commissioned for 2025) and Amazon Prime Video (Inside Edge, India's first OTT series and Emmy-nominated, and the Breathe franchise) — supplemented by co-ownership of The Q India, a nationwide Hindi general entertainment television channel that contributes advertising revenue.

The business model is B2B content licensing and co-production: the company does not sell to end consumers directly, but instead funds development, packages projects with top-tier Indian creative talent (Karan Anshuman, Hansal Mehta, Prashant Nair, Suparn Varma, Mayank Sharma, Simon Mirren), and licenses completed or in-production titles to streaming platforms and broadcasters under bespoke deal structures. Format adaptation is a deliberate strategic pillar — international IP is licensed in (CBS Studios' Ray Donovan) and Indian IP is positioned for global distribution through partnerships with All3Media and Endemol Shine India announced in April 2023. Distribution and marketing are conducted through direct enterprise sales to platforms, co-owned linear-TV carriage, and earned-media coverage in industry press (Forbes, Variety, Deadline, Hollywood Reporter, TBI Vision, Screen Daily).

Despite a high-profile slate and marquee platform relationships, the operating organization is intentionally lean (1–10 employees), with a core leadership team of four (Founder Sunder Aaron, ex-Sony Pictures Television Networks India EVP; Co-Founder Scott Anderson, ex-Hallmark Channel SVP and Starz/Encore; Head of Films Vikas Sharma; Finance Controller Nikhil Ahuja) supplemented by contracted producers, showrunners, and project-based production crews. The company is privately held with no disclosed institutional funding rounds, parent company, or revenue figures, and operates as an independent media production entity reliant on co-production financing, licensing advances, and channel-level advertising for cash flow.

Name

Locomotive Global

Legal name

Locomotive Global Inc.

Website

https://locomotiveglobal.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Locomotive Global is a Mumbai-based, US-incorporated independent production company founded in 2013 that develops, produces, and licenses original Indian scripted series, films, and non-fiction content primarily for Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and its co-owned The Q India Hindi TV channel.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Television and Film Production

SIC

Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)

akta.pro primary industry

Live-Action International/Co-Production & Service Production (MPADABAG)

Keywords

• Original scripted content
• Premium television production
• OTT series development
• Content licensing
• Film production

Headquarters

HQ city

Mumbai

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Content Production & Licensing: Development and production of original scripted series, films, and non-fiction content licensed to streaming platforms and broadcasters globally.
2. Co-production Deals: Joint production arrangements with streaming platforms (Netflix, Amazon Prime Video) and studio partners for development and production of content.
3. Television Broadcast: Ownership and management of 'The Q India' Hindi language general entertainment television channel broadcast nationwide in India.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Locomotive Global develops, produces, and distributes original scripted premium television series, feature films, and non-fiction content rooted in Indian narratives and adapted for global audiences. The company operates a slate of 18+ projects (e.g., Rana Naidu, Boat Story, Bombay High, Maya House) that it licenses and co-produces with global streaming platforms such as Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. It also co-owns and operates The Q India, a Hindi-language general entertainment television channel.

Product overview

Locomotive Global Inc. (LGI) is a premier content creation company dedicated to developing, producing, and distributing original scripted Series, Films, and Non-Fiction content. The company operates as a content production powerhouse with a portfolio of 19+ projects including Netflix series 'Rana Naidu' (Hindi adaptation of 'Ray Donovan'), feature films like 'Bombay High' and 'The Yeti', and multiple series projects across genres including horror, crime thrillers, comedies, and dramas. The company bridges local Indian narratives with global audiences through partnerships with Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and other major platforms.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Rana Naidu Indian adaptation of Showtime's 'Ray Donovan' — a Hindi-language drama series about a Mumbai problem solver for the rich and famous and his ex-con father, commissioned by Netflix India and starring Rana Daggubati and Venkatesh Daggubati. Season 2 has been commissioned.
• Boat Story Thriller series where two struggling strangers discover smuggled diamonds on a sunken boat with corpses, getting caught up in a web of cops, masked hitmen, and a criminal kingpin.
• Bombay High Feature film inspired by the fire on Bombay High oil rig, depicting survivors battling flames and storm on the worst day in Indian industrial production history.
• The Shaman's Daughter Supernatural film where a widow and her adopted orphan child face supernatural forces tied to the child's mysterious past.
• Death By Coconut Romantic comedy film about a bride-to-be who wakes up in the afterlife after a heavenly blunder and must battle for her soulmate.
• Unnamed Horror film where a couple awakens an ancient force hidden beneath a Goan bungalow while trying to heal from a miscarriage.
• Untitled Project (Hansal Mehta) Drama about a struggling novelist who strikes up an extramarital relationship with a young waitress. Based on a Showtime series.
• Maya House Horror series grounded in Indian mythology where a reality show winner's family confronts terrifying secrets hidden within a luxurious mansion.
• Jungle Book Drama/fantasy series reimagining Kipling's classic with Mowgli as a feral child with claws and prehensile tail in Dagariya Sarai, Delhi.
• TV Town Drama series about an entrepreneur from Surat who becomes a leading figure in India's emerging TV industry during liberalization.
• The Yeti Folk horror feature film about adventure seekers searching for the Yeti in the Himalayas, encountering supernatural forces and strange disappearances.
• APEX Crime thriller series of 20 episodes featuring an AI system called APEX that uses historical and present-day data to identify patterns across heinous crimes and help catch serial predators.
• C Bank Heist True crime thriller feature film about India's biggest bank heist on New Year's Eve 2007 in Kerala, involving Rs 8 crore and 80 kg of gold.
• How to Steal A Ghost Comedy horror about a teen inventor who partners with an eccentric old Parsi man in ghostbusting adventures.
• Dirty Minds Dark comedy thriller series of 8 episodes about an Indian therapist secretly running a PTSD clinic in Mumbai, dealing with patients' traumas involving murder, terrorism, suicide, and assault.
• I Created A Monster Crime thriller drama about a disillusioned teacher who forms an unlikely friendship with an out-of-place student, leading to accidental killing and dark consequences.
• Pallavapuram Comedy caper series in Tamil about three friends from Pallavaram, Chennai who get sucked into a conspiracy beyond their wildest dreams.
• Nilakurinji Thottam Multiple-season series about a young influencer retreating to a hill station after her mother's death, getting embroiled in murder, cursed inheritance, occult rituals, and family curse.
• The Q India Co-owned Hindi-language general entertainment television channel targeted at Young Indians aged 20-30, broadcast nationwide in India.

Quantifiable outcome

• Rana Naidu was the number one most-watched Indian content on Netflix and ahead of Fubar in Netflix's most in-demand Originals for 2023
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability1 record

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• All3MediacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 April 2023Strategic partnership announced April 2023 for development and production of content slate, expanding Locomotive Global's creative portfolio.
• Endemol Shine IndiacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 April 2023Strategic partnership announced April 2023 for development and production of content, leveraging Endemol Shine's production expertise and global reach.
• Netflix IndiaflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary streaming partner for original Indian content. Co-commissioned Rana Naidu (Hindi adaptation of Ray Donovan), released March 2023. Season 2 commissioned and in production for 2025 release.
• Amazon Prime VideocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partner for original series production including Inside Edge (India's first OTT series, Emmy-nominated) and Breathe franchise.
• CBS StudioscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLicensing partner for adaptation of Showtime's Ray Donovan into Rana Naidu, the award-winning series format licensed for Indian adaptation.
• The Q IndiacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-owned Hindi language general entertainment television channel targeted at Young Indians aged 20-30, broadcast nationwide in India.
• The Ink StoryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCreative partnership for development of How To Steal A Ghost project.
• The Story InkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerContent partnership for C Bank Heist (based on true story) and other projects.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Excel Entertainment: Indian production company behind Inside Edge (co-produced with Amazon Prime Video) and Mirzapur. Direct peer producing premium scripted series and films for global streaming platforms with comparable genre mix (crime thriller, drama) and India-to-global adaptation focus.
• Applause Entertainment: Indian production studio behind premium scripted series such as Scam 1992 and Rocket Boys for streaming platforms. Direct peer with a similar model of premium Indian narratives adapted for global streaming audiences and a comparable prestige-tilted content slate.
• Sikhya Entertainment: Indian production company behind Gangs of Wasseypur, Masaan, and The Lunchbox. Direct peer producing prestige Indian films and series with international festival recognition, comparable to Locomotive's awards-track positioning.
• RSVP Movies: Indian production company behind series including Guns & Gulaabs for Netflix and premium theatrical features. Direct peer producing premium Indian scripted content for global streaming platforms with a similar co-production motion.
• Emmay Entertainment: Indian production company producing premium series and films for streaming platforms. Direct peer targeting premium Indian narratives for global streaming audiences, overlapping with Locomotive's content and partnership profile.
• Abundantia Entertainment: Indian content studio producing premium scripted series and films for streaming platforms including Breathe: Into the Shadows (closely related to Locomotive's Breathe franchise history). Direct peer with comparable premium Indian content positioning.
• The Viral Fever (TVF): Indian digital content studio producing premium scripted series such as Kota Factory, Panchayat, and Gullak for streaming platforms. Direct peer focused on Indian-to-digital scripted content with comparable audience overlap in India.

Broad incumbents

• Yash Raj Films: One of India's largest film production and distribution companies. Much larger incumbent producing both theatrical and streaming content; broader portfolio but includes comparable premium Indian content feeding global streaming platforms.
• Viacom18 Studios: Large Indian media conglomerate producing films, series, and digital content including for its own JioCinema platform. Broad incumbent with significantly larger scale, broader distribution, and comparable content ambitions.
• BBC Studios India: International broadcaster's production arm operating in India. Broad incumbent producing premium scripted content for both global and Indian audiences; comparable premium-scripted content thesis with significantly larger international footprint.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/IncLocomotive?t=87zl7HcMcn_pXGTRgMu8WQ&s=08
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/locomotive-global-media
• Instagraminstagram.com/locomotiveglobal

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Locomotive Global