New Delhi, June 25 -- At a time when venture capitalists are aggressively backing short-form microdramas as consumer tech's next frontier, audio storytelling platform Pocket FM is swimming against the tide. The company has quietly shut down its own vertical video and microdrama experiment, Pocket TV.

The move appears highly counterintuitive, given the massive funding flowing into the vertical video space. Mint breaks down why Pocket FM walked away from a booming market, where it is shifting its resources, and what it means for the company's future.

Pocket TV was Pocket FM's microdrama vertical, featuring short-form vertical videos. Its shutdown was first reported by The Economic Times.

According to a company spokesperson, the vertical ...