Pocket FM’s Zero to One Hackathon targets AI tools for storytelling

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TL;DR:
Pocket FM is bringing OpenAI and Lightspeed to IIM Bangalore for a 36-hour generative media hackathon, testing whether 150-plus Indian builders can turn AI storytelling ideas into viable audio, visual and creator tools.

Article:
Pocket FM will host Zero to One, a 36-hour generative media hackathon at IIM Bangalore on July 25–26, bringing OpenAI and Lightspeed into a sprint focused on AI-powered storytelling, audio and visual media. More than 150 founders, engineers, researchers, creators and students are expected to turn ideas into working prototypes, giving the event a clear test: can generative AI produce useful media tools rather than another polished demo?

The timing is deliberate. OpenAI said in November 2025 that India was ChatGPT’s second-largest market, underscoring the scale of the country’s AI user and builder base. For Pocket FM, the hackathon can surface products that improve creation, localization, discovery and interactive formats across a multilingual entertainment market.

Participants will work on creative tools, immersive storytelling formats and consumer media experiences, with mentorship from technology, investment and AI leaders. Selected teams will present to judges and industry experts, compressing the path from concept to prototype into one weekend.

“There is an extraordinary community of builders in our country,” said Nitin Bawankule, Head of Enterprise Sales at OpenAI India, in the launch announcement. He added that tools such as Codex can help builders move faster from an idea to something they can test and refine.

The commercial question comes after the applause. Media companies need AI systems that lower production friction without flattening creative judgment, weakening creator rights or producing indistinguishable content at scale. A hackathon cannot settle those tensions, but it can expose which ideas survive contact with users, costs and editorial scrutiny.

For Pocket FM, the most valuable outcome may not be a prize-winning prototype. It may be a repeatable pipeline connecting Indian AI talent with real media problems, and a clearer view of which generative media products are ready to move beyond experimentation.