B-wood to cut down US ad spends | CXO Moves

Storyboard18 brings you top five news updates from the world of advertising, marketing, and business of brands.

By  Panchutantra| Sep 30, 2025 7:31 PM
The United States remains one of its most visible, largest overseas territory for Indian cinema. Bollywood and South Indian blockbusters rely heavily on the diaspora audience there, which contributes an estimated 5–7% of overall revenues for Indian films, and nearly 20% when combined with all overseas markets.

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We bring you top five news updates from the world of advertising, marketing, and business of brands.

Trump’s 100% movie tariff: Bollywood to cut Ad spends in US market as distribution costs to surge

President Donald Trump’s announcement of a 100% tariff on all foreign-made movies has sent Bollywood’s marketers and producers back to the drawing board. With distribution costs in the US expected to double overnight, Indian film companies are preparing to cut down on expensive ad spends in diaspora-heavy American cities. Industry insiders say the focus will shift from lavish billboards and TV campaigns to leaner, digital-first strategies aimed at keeping audiences engaged without burning cash.

The United States remains one of its most visible, largest overseas territory for Indian cinema. Bollywood and South Indian blockbusters rely heavily on the diaspora audience there, which contributes an estimated 5–7% of overall revenues for Indian films, and nearly 20% when combined with all overseas markets.

Arvind Fashions MD & CEO Shailesh Chaturvedi steps down

Shailesh Chaturvedi, who led Arvind Fashions as Managing Director & CEO and as Member of the Committees of Board of Directors has stepped down from his position due to personal reasons.

Chaturvedi successfully led several of Arvind Fashions' brands over the last 15 years. He joined the company in 2006 to lead Tommy Hilfiger JV.

boAt elevates Gaurav Nayyar to CEO

Imagine Marketing Limited (IML) brand owner of the mark "boAt", India’s audio & wearables brand, co-founded by Aman Gupta & Sameer Mehta, announced that the Board of Directors has approved the elevation of Gaurav Nayyar to the position of Chief Executive Officer.

Nayyar has served as boAt’s Chief Operating Officer for the past three years and brings more than two decades of strategic and operational experience, including eight years at Bain & Company where he was a Partner, prior to joining boAt.

Chatterbox Technologies IPO: Influencer marketing agency spends Rs 12.28 lakh on ads, clocks Rs 24.2 lakh revenue in FY24

Chatterbox Technologies, the digital and influencer marketing agency behind the Chtrbox platform, is headed for the stock exchanges as it looks to tap into India’s booming creator economy. The Mumbai-headquartered company, whose issue size is Rs 42.8 crore, is likely to be listed on the stock exchanges on 3 October. According to the Draft Red Herring Prospectus (DRHP), Chatterbox reported brand-building and marketing spends of Rs 8.28 lakh as of December 31, 2024, accounting for just 0.27% of total revenue. In FY24, such expenses stood at Rs 12.28 lakh.

OpenAI posts $4.3 billion revenue in H1 2025 amid massive AI investment

OpenAI generated approximately $4.3 billion in revenue in the first half of 2025, surpassing last year’s full-year revenue by roughly 16%, according to a report by The Information citing financial disclosures to shareholders.

The surge comes as the AI research firm continues to pour resources into developing advanced models like ChatGPT. OpenAI reportedly spent $6.7 billion on research and development during the first six months of the year, contributing to a total cash burn of $2.5 billion.

Despite the high spending, the company ended June with about $17.5 billion in cash and securities.

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First Published onSep 30, 2025 7:31 PM

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