Crewbella

Cover Block

Metric	Value
Name	Crewbella
Tagline	Connecting media talent and opportunities with secure, blockchain-based contracts for film and media professionals.
Headquarters	Ajmer, India
Founded	2022
Stage	Pre-Seed
Business Model	Marketplace
Industry	Media / Entertainment
Technology	Blockchain / Web3
Geography	South Asia
Growth Profile	Venture Scale
Founding Team	Chirag Balani, Vartika Balani
Funding Label	Pre-Seed

Links

• Website: https://crewbella.com/
• LinkedIn: https://in.linkedin.com/company/crewbella
• Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.crewbella.app

Crewbella is an early-stage Indian startup formalizing the fragmented hiring and payment workflows of the film and media industry through a secure, blockchain-based marketplace. Founded in 2022 by Chirag Balani, who concurrently works as a Creative Producer at Zee Studios, the venture is bootstrapped from its registered office in Ajmer, Rajasthan [Tracxn, 2026]. Its core product is a web and mobile platform connecting media professionals with gig opportunities, differentiating itself with an emphasis on secure digital contracts that use blockchain technology to protect payments for both clients and crew [PERPLEXITY SONAR PRO BRIEF, mid-2026]. Over the next 12-18 months, key watchpoints include the company's ability to secure institutional capital, demonstrate transaction volume beyond initial app downloads, and convert industry connections into formal partnerships.

Data Accuracy: YELLOW -- Core product claims are sourced from company materials and a research brief; funding and traction data are limited.

Taxonomy Snapshot

Axis	Classification
Stage	Pre-Seed
Business Model	Marketplace
Industry / Vertical	Media / Entertainment
Technology Type	Blockchain / Web3
Geography	South Asia
Growth Profile	Venture Scale
Founding Team	Chirag Balani, Vartika Balani

How the Company Got Here

Crewbella is a pre-seed Indian startup building a marketplace for media and film professionals, founded in 2022 by Chirag Balani. The company is registered as Crewbella Ecosystem Private Limited, with its registered address in Ajmer, Rajasthan [Tracxn, 2026]. The founder's concurrent role as a Creative Producer at Zee Studios suggests a founding thesis grounded in firsthand experience with the logistical and payment challenges of freelance crew hiring in the Indian media industry [LinkedIn, 2026].

Key operational milestones have been product-focused. The company launched its web platform and mobile applications for iOS and Android [crewbella.com, 2024]. By mid-2026, its Android app had surpassed 5,000 downloads [Google Play, 2026]. The platform has also expanded its scope to include an events section [crewbella.com, 2024].

Data Accuracy: YELLOW -- Company registration and product claims are confirmed by official filings and app store listings; founder background is partially corroborated by LinkedIn, but some location details conflict.

Where the Demand Sits

The media production industry in India remains a fragmented and largely informal network, creating a structural opening for platforms that can bring order and security to the hiring process.

The Indian media and entertainment industry was valued at approximately $27.9 billion in 2023 and is projected to grow to $38.2 billion by 2026 [FICCI-EY, March 2024]. Within this, the film segment employs hundreds of thousands of freelance professionals. The demand for a structured marketplace is driven by the industry's shift towards more frequent, smaller-scale productions for digital streaming platforms, which rely heavily on project-based, freelance labor [FICCI-EY, March 2024].

Metric	Value
Total Indian M&E Industry 2023	$27.9B
Projected Indian M&E Industry 2026	$38.2B

Data Accuracy: YELLOW -- Market sizing figures are cited from a major industry report. The analysis of demand drivers and adjacent markets is based on industry trends but lacks specific third-party citations linking them directly to Crewbella's model.

Competitive Landscape

Crewbella positions itself as a specialized ecosystem for media professionals, with blockchain-based contract security as its primary wedge.

Company	Positioning	Stage / Funding	Notable Differentiator
Crewbella	Marketplace for film/media crew with secure, blockchain-based contracts.	Pre-seed, no institutional funding disclosed.	Focus on payment and contract security within a dedicated media ecosystem.
Trisna Films	Full-service film production company in India.	Private company, funding not public.	Integrated production services.
India Production Services	Provider of production support and crew logistics.	Private company, funding not public.	Operational logistics and on-ground support network.
Beverly Boy Productions	US-based film/TV production and crew coordination.	Private company, funding not public.	Established client base and production track record.
SVF Entertainment	Major Indian media and entertainment conglomerate.	Publicly listed, large-scale operations.	In-house production, distribution, and talent management.

Data Accuracy: YELLOW -- Competitive landscape is based on industry mapping; funding status for competitors is not publicly disclosed.

Opportunity

The potential prize for Crewbella is the creation of a trusted, high-frequency transaction layer for a multi-billion dollar, globally fragmented media production market, starting in India.

Scenario	What happens	Catalyst	Why it's plausible
Vertical Platform Dominance	Crewbella becomes the mandatory hiring and contracting tool for major Indian production houses.	A formal, publicized partnership with a major studio.	The founder's existing industry connections at Zee Studios provide a logical entry point.
Regulatory & Financial Infrastructure	The company evolves into a regulated escrow and financial services provider.	Securing a payment aggregator or escrow license.	The core product claim is built on secure digital contracts to ensure monetary security.

Data Accuracy: YELLOW -- The opportunity analysis is based on cited product claims and founder background. Market size and valuation comparables are not publicly confirmed for this specific vertical in India.

Sources

1. [Tracxn, 2026] CREWBELLA ECOSYSTEM PRIVATE LIMITED - 2025 Company Profile | https://tracxn.com/d/legal-entities/india/crewbella-ecosystem-private-limited/__B1UVrdUzjamgOcKcc-AQBNAyUqN-5TSBTLliqp-Kvd0
2. [LinkedIn, 2026] Chirag Balani - San Francisco, California, United States | Professional Profile | LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/in/chirag-balani-0a79ba163/
3. [crewbella.com, 2024] Crewbella - Connecting Media Talent & Opportunities | https://crewbella.com/
4. [Google Play, 2026] Crewbella - Film & Media Crew - Apps on Google Play | https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.crewbella.app
5. [FICCI-EY, March 2024] FICCI-EY Report on Indian Media & Entertainment Industry | https://www.ey.com/en_in/media-entertainment/ficci-ey-report
6. [LinkedIn, retrieved 2026] chirag balani - Owner - None | LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/in/chirag-balani-88633b212/
7. [crewbella.com, retrieved 2024] Crewbella Events | https://crewbella.com/events