In this episode of Industry Spotlight by Creative First, Vivek Lath, Managing Director of GoQuest Media joined Lohita Sujith, Sr. Director at the Motion Picture Association, to discuss the company’s evolution and its focus on bringing Central and Eastern European stories to global audiences.

Vivek explained that GoQuest, once India’s largest independent distributor of local content, expanded into Eastern Europe as production quality and storytelling in the region began to rise. With limited competition and increasing government support, GoQuest saw an opportunity to help these stories travel worldwide. The biggest challenge, he said, lies in localization — capturing cultural nuances accurately — and earning initial trust from audiences and broadcasters unfamiliar with the region’s content.

He shared that GoQuest’s success with shows like Civil Servant and Ruby Ring came from focusing on powerful narratives rather than big titles. For many Eastern European producers, global exposure brings pride more than profit, and GoQuest builds lasting partnerships by aligning with that goal. Vivek also noted a shift in the media landscape: with traditional funding drying up, producers now need to own and monetize their intellectual property directly.

He highlighted the global rise of drama, especially “microdramas,” as a stable and lucrative genre, though he expects shorter formats to thrive mainly in social media and branded content spaces. Comparing global trends, he observed that while Korean, Turkish, and Spanish dramas dominate with emotional storytelling, Eastern European content is still developing its own voice.

Vivek advised Indian creators to first build strong local audiences before aiming for global reach, emphasizing authenticity over imitation. Looking ahead, GoQuest is moving into producing and owning its own IP, beginning with its successful Turkish drama Puma. The company plans to expand further into Indian and Turkish dramas, continue as a B2B distributor, and experiment with innovative monetization models for a future global drama platform.