Netflix launches NextGen India Writers’ Program to discover emerging storytellers

MUMBAI: Every blockbuster starts with a blank page, and Netflix is hoping India’s next generation of writers will be the ones to fill it. The streaming giant has launched the Netflix NextGen India Writers’ Program, a new talent development initiative designed to identify and mentor emerging screenwriters across the country.

The programme marks the first time the global initiative is being introduced in India, making the country only the third market after France and the Netherlands to host it.

The move comes as Indian stories continue to find audiences far beyond domestic borders, with Netflix looking to invest in fresh creative voices capable of shaping the next wave of original entertainment.

Over the past decade, the platform has increasingly backed first-time and emerging creators, producing titles such as The Railway Men from Shiv Rawail and The Ba**ds of Bollywood, created by Aryan Khan. It also highlighted its upcoming series Operation Safed Sagar, developed by creative talents Abhijeet Singh Parmar, Kushal Srivastava, Oni Sen and Mehboob Pal Singh Brar, as an example of its commitment to nurturing new storytellers.

The two-month hybrid programme is open to writers with no more than three years of professional writing experience. Selected participants will receive mentorship, workshops and hands-on guidance from industry experts, with the aim of helping them transform original ideas into professionally developed series bibles suitable for long-form television.

Applications opened on 1 July and will remain open until 1 September 2026. By the end of the programme, participants are expected to gain practical insight into every stage of the creative development process, from concept creation to structuring a series for the screen.

Speaking about the initiative, Netflix vice president, content, India Monika Shergill said, “Every great story begins with a writer. In a country as creatively rich and diverse as India, we know there are countless people with extraordinary stories to tell who simply haven’t had the opportunity yet.”

She added that the programme is designed to discover those voices early, invest in their potential and provide them with the tools to develop their craft. Shergill said Netflix believes the next chapter of Indian entertainment will be shaped by storytellers with fresh perspectives, noting that “the next great Indian story could come from anywhere.”

The initiative reflects Netflix’s broader strategy of strengthening its creative pipeline in India by investing not only in finished productions but also in the people behind them. As competition among streaming platforms intensifies, programmes such as NextGen India could play an important role in uncovering the writers who will create the country’s next globally recognised series.

Writers interested in applying can find programme details and submit their applications through Netflix’s dedicated NextGen portal before the September deadline.