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India’s M&E story set to double: Uday Shankar urges industry to back storytellers, not just screens
MUMBAI: India’s media and entertainment industry is sitting on the edge of a blockbuster sequel—if it can get the script right. That was the central message from Uday Shankar, vice chairman of JioStar and co-founder of Bodhi Tree Systems, at the Waves 2025 Summit. His session—“Media in India: Past 25 Years & Journey Ahead – to 2047”—with Media Partners Asia’s Vivek Couto was a masterclass in both history and prophecy.
“From a country with barely a few state-run channels, we’ve become one of the world’s most voracious consumers of video,” Shankar said. “But what got us here won’t get us there.”
Shankar began with a rewind to the early 1990s when, as he put it, “Satellite TV sneaked into India while the regulators were looking the other way.” This accidental revolution unleashed a tidal wave of demand, innovation, and ultimately, ubiquity. By the 2000s, television had wormed its way into the remotest villages.
“India’s success wasn’t scripted by policymakers or global giants,” he pointed out. “It was local grit, local creativity, and Indian capital.”
Today, he said, the transformation is even more dramatic. With over 700 million video consumers and platforms like JioStar commanding 500 million users—many of them paid subscribers—India has gone from media laggard to streaming juggernaut.
While western media circles love predicting the death of linear TV, Shankar shut down that eulogy. “TV is not dying in India. In fact, we’ve added pay-TV subscribers,” he noted. “The reason? We backed the medium with the right kind of content. Content that understands India.”
Streaming, too, is thriving—especially when priced with precision. “People said Indians wouldn’t pay for content. Wrong. They will, if it’s priced right and respects their time.”
But not all is well on the content front. Despite world-class distribution, India’s storytelling muscle, Shankar warned, is underdeveloped. “We’re importing formats that worked elsewhere and force-fitting them into our own culture,” he said. “We need more content—and more local content.”
He championed a full-fledged push into Tier II and III markets, and beyond the usual suspects of Hindi, Tamil and Telugu. “Bhojpuri, Haryanvi, Kumaoni—these audiences are starved for stories in their own language,” he said. “Let’s not give them leftovers.”
While billions flow into content investment, Shankar identified a severe talent bottleneck. “You can’t serve 750 million viewers with 6,000 content creators. It’s absurd,” he said. “We need an army of new-age writers, directors, showrunners—young blood with their ears to the ground.”
He pulled no punches on Hindi cinema saying it had “fallen out of touch” and was “creatively stuck in a loop.” The south Indian industries, by contrast, were lionised for their energy, risk-taking, and affordability. “Look at Tamil Nadu or Telangana or Karnataka —affordable tickets, packed theatres, and movies that connect. That’s the model,” he said.
If there was any doubt about the depth of domestic commitment, Shankar squashed it with numbers. The merged JioStar entity, he revealed, spent Rs 25,000 crore on content in 2024, expected to rise to Rs 30,000 crore this year, Rs 32,000 -Rs 33,000 crore in 2026—roughly $10 billion over three years.
“This isn’t speculative cash chasing vanity metrics,” he said. “It’s focused investment meant for Indian consumers, with returns from Indian markets.”
Despite all the growth, Shankar acknowledged a glaring weakness: outdated monetisation models. “The industry is still stuck between advertising and subscriptions—meanwhile, new players are eating into revenues with creator content, commerce, and gamification.”
His prescription? Rethink what it means to monetise a viewer. “Should a subscription just be access? Or can it be bundled with loyalty programmes, micropayments, creator communities? There’s a whole universe we haven’t touched.”
Shankar also fired a warning shot at policymakers. “India’s regulatory framework still treats TV and digital like twins,” he said. “They’re not. They’re cousins at best—raised differently, with different needs.”
He urged the creation of a sandbox-like regulatory structure—one that encourages innovation and gives breathing space for Indian platforms to grow, rather than mimicking Western regimes.
In conclusion, Shankar set his sights high. “We’re at $30 billion today. The US is at $200 billion. China is pushing $75 billion. Why should we settle for less?”
With 65 per cent of Indians under the age of 35, he argued, India has the youngest, hungriest audience on the planet. “If we invest in our people, our platforms, and—most importantly—our stories, we won’t just match the world. We’ll lead it.”
From satellite smuggling to streaming scale, the Indian M&E journey has been wild. Now, says Shankar, it’s time to script Act II—with more voices, sharper ideas, and fewer borrowed templates.
NEW DELHI: Hamdard Laboratories gathered a cross-section of India’s achievers in New Delhi on Friday, handing out the Hakeem Abdul Hameed Excellence Awards to figures who have left their mark across healthcare, education, sport, public service and the arts.
The ceremony, attended by minister of state for defence Sanjay Seth and senior officials from the ministry of Ayush, celebrated individuals whose work blends professional success with a sense of public purpose. It was as much a roll call of achievement as it was a reminder that influence is not measured only in profits or podiums, but in people reached and lives improved.
Among the headline awardees was Alakh Pandey, founder and chief executive of PhysicsWallah, recognised for turning affordable digital learning into a mass movement. On the sporting front, Arjuna Awardee and kabaddi player Sakshi Puniya was honoured for her contribution to the game and for pushing women’s participation onto bigger stages.
The cultural spotlight fell on veteran lyricist and poet Santosh Anand, whose songs have echoed across generations of Hindi cinema. At 97, Anand accepted the honour with characteristic humility, reflecting on a life shaped by perseverance and hope.
Healthcare honours spanned both modern and traditional systems. Manoj N. Nesari was recognised for strengthening Ayurveda’s place in national and global health frameworks. Padma shri Mohammed Abdul Waheed was honoured for his research-backed work in Unani medicine, while padma shri Mohsin Wali received recognition for his long-standing contribution to patient-centred care.
Education and social development also featured prominently. Padma shri Zahir Ishaq Kazi was honoured for decades of work in education, while former Meghalaya superintendent of Police T. C. Chacko was recognised for public service. Goonj founder Anshu Gupta received an award for his dignity-centred rural development initiatives, and the Hunar Shakti Foundation was honoured for empowering women and young girls through skill development.
The Lifetime Achievement Award went to former IAS officer Shailaja Chandra for her long career in public healthcare and governance, particularly in the traditional systems under Ayush.
Speaking at the event, Hamdard chairman Abdul Majeed said the awards were a tribute to those who combine excellence with empathy. “These awardees reflect Hakeem Sahib’s belief that healthcare, education and public service must ultimately serve humanity,” he said.
Minister Seth struck a forward-looking note, saying India’s young population gives the country a unique opportunity to become a global destination for learning, health and wellness by 2047.
The ceremony also featured the trailer launch of Unani Ki Kahaani, an upcoming documentary starring actor Jim Sarbh, set to premiere on Discovery on 11 February.
Instituted in memory of Unani scholar and educationist Hakeem Abdul Hameed, the awards have grown into a national platform that celebrates those building a more inclusive and resilient India. For one evening at least, the spotlight was not just on success, but on service with substance.
