In an exclusive interview with Loudest.in, he shares how Dolby elevates sight and sound across cinema, home, streaming, and cars, reflecting India’s rising appetite for premium audiovisual experiences.
Sameer Seth, Director of Marketing – India at Dolby Laboratories, brings over two decades of experience across media and entertainment, having worked with leading corporations like Star India, Network18, and Essel Group. At Dolby for more than five years, he has championed brand advocacy, digital-first strategies, and partnerships that shape consumer experiences.
An XLRI alumnus and Wharton-trained professional, Seth combines deep expertise in business strategy with a passion for technology, news, music,gadgets, films, and sports.
In an exclusive interview with Loudest.in, he shares how Dolby elevates sight and sound across cinema, home, streaming, and cars, reflecting India’s rising appetite for premium audiovisual experiences.
Here are edited excerpts:
What dolby really does?
I think that’s a question your audiences would definitely want answered. They may have already experienced Dolby, but it would be helpful to give them an overview of what we actually do.
At Dolby, we take great pride in saying that we transform the science of sight and sound into spectacular experiences for consumers worldwide. What does that really mean? We do this by working across the entire ecosystem.
Our journey begins when we partner with artists, storytellers, filmmakers, musicians, and technicians. They use our innovative technologies like Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos to enhance storytelling. When they create content with our tools, they tell us it allows them to deliver the creator’s intent in the most powerful way possible.
Next, we work closely with streaming services and pay-TV platforms to ensure that once content is created in Dolby, it can be delivered to audiences without compromise,in the highest quality formats.
Finally, the last cog in the ecosystem is the work we do with device manufacturers. Once content is created and distributed, it needs to play back on devices in the best possible way. That’s why we partner with OEMs,everything from TVs, soundbars, and AVRs in your living room, to tablets, smartphones, and even cars. The in-car Dolby experience is one of the latest ways consumers can immerse themselves in our technology.
And when we talk about content, it’s not just movies and TV shows. It’s music, sports, gaming,essentially any form of entertainment that consumers in India enjoy, across languages. Whether they’re at home, at work on their PCs, on the go with their phones, or inside a cinema hall,there’s a Dolby experience available for them.
Over the last five years, Dolby has made significant strides across home, cinema, and mobile entertainment in India. How have these advances shaped consumer perceptions of sound and visual technology?
Over the last five years,especially since the pandemic,I’ve noticed a clear behavioral shift among Indian consumers. People are consuming far more content than ever before, and they’re also exploring genres they may never have considered in the past. I’ve experienced this myself; I’ve tried content I wouldn’t have watched earlier, and while doing so, I’ve found myself prioritizing premium experiences.
When I discover new genres or return to the ones I love, I want to enjoy them in the best possible format. That quality brings me closer to the content and makes the experience more meaningful,whether I’m in a cinema, at home, at work, or on the go.
Take the home environment as an example. Consumer studies show a two-pronged upgrade happening. First, people are investing in better devices.
For years, I had an old TV that I barely used because I was often at work. But with hybrid work and more time at home, I felt the need to upgrade. I wanted a device that could give me the best possible picture and sound.
The second upgrade is in streaming services. Earlier, I subscribed to a basic, single-device plan in standard definition. Now, I’ve switched to a multi-device plan that offers HDR content with Dolby Vision and immersive Dolby Atmos sound. Together, these upgrades,devices and services,let me connect more deeply with the content I love.
This is exactly where Dolby plays a role. We work with creators, services, and device makers to deliver these premium experiences. Dolby Vision HDR brings ultra-vivid colors to life, while Dolby Atmos creates immersive soundscapes. Together, they elevate storytelling and meet the growing demand for richer, more premium experiences. Whether in cinemas, living rooms, on the go, or even in cars, Dolby ensures that every moment of content consumption feels extraordinary.
Dolby has expanded into the automotive space with notable milestones. What achievements stand out, and how have they influenced consumer perceptions of in-car audio quality in India?
In 2024, more than 4.5 million passenger vehicles were sold in India. For Dolby, the last three quarters on the automotive side have been exhilarating. Our journey began with Mahindra’s born-electric vehicles,the BE6 and XUV9E,announced in December 2024 as the first Indian cars to feature Dolby Atmos. Since then, we’ve expanded to five models on Indian roads, not just from Mahindra but from other automakers as well. To me, that’s a very proud “India moment.”
Now, when we talk about what consumers actually want inside their cars, I’d like to highlight a recent consumer study we conducted with Counterpoint Research in China,the world’s largest automotive market. With 1,200 respondents across multiple cities, the study revealed something fascinating: in-car entertainment ranked higher than price, design, or even battery range (for EVs) when it came to deciding factors for buying a new car. This only reinforces what we see in India as well,consumers are increasingly prioritizing premium in-car experiences.
Think about it: one of the first things people do after stepping into a car is turn on the entertainment system. That’s exactly where Dolby Atmos Music makes a difference. It transforms the way music is experienced, moving beyond the limitations of stereo and surround sound. Dolby Atmos allows artists to place every element,vocals, instruments, effects,within a 360-degree soundscape. The result is a deeply immersive experience, almost like being in a concert hall, bringing fans closer than ever to the artist’s true creative intent.
Consumers today are seeking this kind of clarity, depth, and emotional connection. With Indian automakers adopting Dolby Atmos and studies showing entertainment as a top priority, it’s clear that premium in-car audio has become a defining part of the driving experience. That’s what has kept us busy and excited,over the last three quarters.
With Indian consumers increasingly valuing premium in-car experiences, how have expectations around audio quality inside vehicles evolved?
Sure, that’s a great question. Expectations have clearly shifted,from audio being just a feature to becoming the centerpiece of the driving experience.
I spoke earlier about the consumer study. Conventional wisdom suggests that car buyers prioritize price, design, features, or range. But contrary to that belief, the study revealed that in-car entertainment actually ranks higher than those factors. Consumers today want more than just functionality,they want a deeper, more emotional connection with their music and podcasts. With Dolby Atmos in cars, people are rediscovering their favorite songs, connecting more closely with the artists they love, and turning every ride into a “concert on wheels.”
Now, to your point about strategic partnerships in India,let me take you back. When we launched our Indian subsidiary in 2010, the ecosystem was undergoing a massive upgrade, moving from analog to digital, and SD to HD. A watershed moment was our partnership with Star India, when they launched their HD portfolio with the campaign “Asli HD”,shot in HD and powered by Dolby Surround Sound. That was one of our earliest and most impactful partnerships. By 2011, almost 80–90% of HD channels across broadcasters were using Dolby Surround.
We then expanded into cinema. I still remember December 12, 2012, when we opened our first Dolby Atmos screen at Satyam, Chennai. The first Indian title mixed in Atmos was Sivaji 3D. Fast-forward to today,India accounts for nearly 45% of global Dolby Atmos theatrical content, spanning seven languages.
From there, we moved into homes. In 2014, Dolby introduced Dolby Vision HDR, first brought to India by LG with its OLED TVs. Since then, we’ve collaborated with global and Indian OEMs,Zebronics, Govo, BPL, Thomson, Kodak,to make Dolby Vision and Atmos accessible in living rooms across the country.
On the automotive front, brands like Mahindra and Tata Motors have introduced cars with Dolby Atmos experiences, making “premium audio” a proud India story. And with streaming, our partnerships go beyond global players. We work with Indian services like JioCinema, ZEE5, SonyLIV, Sun NXT, aha, and Hoichoi to deliver movies, shows, and live sports in Dolby.
So across cinema, home, automotive, and streaming, we’ve built this ecosystem over the last 14 years. Today, no matter the lifestyle,whether you’re at the movies, at home, on the go, or even in your car,you can experience Dolby. And with all humility, that’s the love we’ve received from Indian audiences.
In an experience-driven category, how do you measure the ROI of digital campaigns for a tech brand like Dolby?
That’s a great question. From an ROI perspective, we evaluate multiple parameters,engagement, trial, and advocacy. For example: how many consumers experienced Dolby for the first time? How many recommended it to friends? And how many are now considering the purchase of a Dolby-enabled device?
Two-thirds of what we do is also upstream, with content creators and influencers. We track how organically they talk about Dolby, and whether they use Dolby tools for storytelling. With Dolby Vision available on smartphones, are creators capturing and sharing content in Dolby Vision? Does it help them tell more powerful stories? Those insights also form part of our ROI framework.
On the digital front, we focus on aiding discovery. We work with streaming platforms to highlight Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos badges, ensuring consumers can easily identify Dolby-enabled content. To me, ROI here means reducing friction in the customer journey,making discovery seamless and intuitive.
We also measure ROI through commerce. For instance, Dolby has brand e-stores on Amazon and Flipkart, where we track ROAS (Return on Ad Spend),the revenue generated for every unit of ad investment.
So ultimately, ROI depends on who we’re talking about,consumers, creators, or partners. Across all these touchpoints, we actively track performance to ensure we’re creating both value and impact.
How do you adapt Dolby’s global brand narrative to resonate with India’s diverse linguistic and cultural landscape?
Sure. The brand ethos remains the same globally, but the real question is,how do you adapt it for local cultural relevance? Let me give you an example I’m especially proud of.
We recently partnered with Mahindra’s EV range for a five-city campaign across India’s top regional markets. In each city, a popular regional music artist launched a brand-new track,not at a streaming event or a digital campaign, but inside a Mahindra dealership. The track was showcased through Gaana, the in-car streaming app, with consumers experiencing it live inside the vehicle.
The activation brought together artists, radio jockeys, and walk-in customers, creating a unique, on-ground cultural moment. Artists like Adi Nagar, Harshvadhan Wavre, Sihai, and Gubbi were part of this initiative, giving fans a completely new way to discover music.
What made this campaign special was how it reimagined a dealership as a launchpad for music,an unconventional but powerful touchpoint. It stayed true to Dolby’s global ethos of bringing fans closer to artists, while adding a strong layer of local cultural relevance.
How do you localize the in-car narrative for Indian consumers, considering their diverse music preferences, languages, and driving habits?
Sure. India’s music landscape is incredibly diverse, with an enormous variety of content. While Bollywood music remains hugely popular, there is also a massive appetite for indie tracks and regional music. On a single car ride with friends, for example, a playlist might seamlessly shift from Bollywood to Punjabi beats, and then to a Malayalam number.
Dolby Atmos ensures that no matter the language or genre, the music comes alive in a rich, three-dimensional soundscape. How do we make this happen? It begins with the musicians who use Dolby Atmos as a creative tool, and extends to our deep collaborations with streaming services. Take Gaana, for instance, which delivers music in Dolby Atmos. At last count, there were around 12–14 curated playlists across genres,from Dolby Retro Hits to Punjabi songs, to Bengali and Marathi classics.
This means that whether you’re listening to international tracks, Bollywood, or regional favorites, the experience is uncompromised and immersive. And it’s not just limited to cars,you can enjoy Dolby Atmos on your mobile phone or other devices. The goal is simple: to deliver the best possible audio experience, everywhere.
What strategies have you found most effective in educating both consumers and industry stakeholders about the value of immersive sound and picture technologies?
I believe there is no substitute for actually experiencing Dolby. You can’t really explain the impact until someone feels it firsthand. That’s why our top priority is to deliver those experiences. We actively do this through carefully curated partnerships with our collaborators.
Take Dolby Cinema, for example,the most advanced cinematic experience in the world. We invite consumers, artists, and partners to experience it themselves. Recently, we also hosted a Friends of Dolby engagement at a music mix studio, where we gave guests a Dolby Atmos music session. To extend the experience, we had a Mahindra car parked outside, and the artist who created the track in the studio played it in the car. Guests could hear exactly how the music translated from creation to playback, with no compromise.
We create such moments not just for consumers but also for industry stakeholders. We run workshops and masterclasses for filmmakers, musicians, technicians, and budding artists, showing them how to use Dolby’s audio and visual technologies to enhance storytelling.
Another crucial area is retail,the “moment of truth” when a consumer is deciding what to buy. At stores, we work with OEMs to train retail staff and set up simple AV demos that showcase the difference between a regular TV and one enabled with Dolby Vision and Atmos. These clips often sell the experience themselves. We replicate this online too, through Dolby brand e-stores on Amazon and Flipkart, as well as Dolby.com.
So the answer is simple: experience, experience, experience. Once someone experiences Dolby, whether in a cinema, studio, car, store, or streaming platform, there’s no going back.
At the intersection of technology, lifestyle, and mobility, what’s your approach to fostering creativity within your marketing team to make Dolby’s in-car story stand out?
I would say the three components of our ecosystem,creators, services, and OEMs,are truly our advocates. They often tell our story far better than we could ourselves. As an ingredient brand aspiring to become more consumer-facing, our access to the audience largely comes through these partners.
We also draw a lot of inspiration from India’s vibrant culture and shared passions,whether it’s cricket, Bollywood, or even the joy of long drives in a car. The question is: how do we weave these cultural touchpoints into stories that bring consumers closer to artists? That’s exactly what we aim to do from a music standpoint. For instance, the campaign we ran with five regional artists at car dealerships was all about creating a direct artist-to-fan connection.
Ultimately, our work with creators, services, and OEMs stays true to our purpose, and it’s these partnerships that inspire us as a marketing team. They remain our strongest advocates, consistently doing an incredible job of telling the Dolby story.
How do your personal interests in news, gadgets, movies, and sports influence your professional decisions and campaigns at Dolby?
Coming from a media background, I naturally consume a lot of content and I genuinely enjoy it. I love devices, films, gadgets, and sports, and these personal passions keep me connected to the same target group we engage with as a brand. When I experience content across these different areas, the insights I gain often shape the way we design our campaigns, helping us showcase our impact on the larger entertainment story.
I believe the more diverse the content you consume and the more you explore it across different devices,the stronger your understanding of how technology and content work hand in hand. These experiences consistently inspire me and become the foundation for my ideas and approach.
What are the upcoming projects for Dolby? What we can expect?
Going back to what you said about not needing to be everywhere,there’s still a lot happening that excites us. Automotive, for instance, is a big focus. The last three quarters have been truly exhilarating. What began as just an announcement in December 2024 has, by September 2025, already translated into multiple Indian cars on Indian roads. That’s a very proud moment,not only are these cars reaching Indian consumers, but we also see the potential for a story that goes from India to the world.
Another area that excites me is Dolby Cinema. Indian consumers today take great pride in seeking premium experiences. Gone are the days of settling for compromises,we want the best format, the best content, and the best overall experience. Dolby Cinema delivers exactly that. We recently launched a Dolby Cinema screen in Pune, and we have plans to open five more across different cities later this year. That will certainly keep us busy and energized.
On the content side, there’s also plenty of momentum. India, with its 22 official languages, is home to a vast diversity of creators, services, and formats,whether it’s gaming, sports, TV shows, movies, or music. Supporting and partnering in that ecosystem will remain a major focus for us in the months ahead.
How do you see audio business industry in next 2-3 years?
Sure, I think all of this really stems from what consumers are seeking. If I recall, your first question in this conversation was about exactly that,what are consumers looking for? And I believe they are clearly prioritizing premium experiences. Our own consumer studies have consistently shown that people value high-quality audiovisual experiences.
So whatever we do ultimately mirrors what consumers want. If they are seeking premium experiences, then different lifestyle choices and technologies will naturally power and enable those experiences.