iWorld
Story of product, digital marketing and tech to ensure customer retention: Voot’s Akash Banerji
MUMBAI: This is not only the time to focus on what the business is gaining but also giving the best experience to existing consumers, Viacom18 AVoD business head Akash Banerji believes. While he notes that there has been an obvious upsurge in engagement, Banerji highlights that consumers are watching a variety of shows and sampling a wider roster of content.
“Ealier, consumers would only come to watch certain content. But now they are much more open to watching different stuff and experiment. And then they're also trying to sample what works for them and what doesn't. So their propensity to try out new content also seems to have increased,” Banerji says in an interaction with Indiantelevision.com.
It has been more than two months since the country has started grappling with this pandemic. People had taken refuge in the leading over-the-top players including Voot to beat the monotony and blues of the lockdown. In such a crisis, Banerji believes innovation becomes an inherent part of every business’s DNA. One of the big steps that Voot has taken is doing collaborations and partnerships with content platforms at scale. He mentions that their partnerships with UpGrad, Cultfit, Sadhguru are aimed at giving knowledge, tips around health and helping them stay focused. Moreover, it has partnered with nearly about 15 linear live channels also.
Banerji also talks about Voot’s new show amid lockdown Go Fun Yourself hosted by Kusha Kapila. “Our idea was to bring a content piece to life, where engagement with the consumer has to be at the centre and driving the entire content creation path. It's a great win-win for both the platform and viewers. We get a lot of content and they find a voice and a platform to showcase their talents and abilities,” he adds.
Other than user-generated content, two types of genres have worked very well during this period for the platform: mythology and romance. Moreover, a rich roster of news has also seen good uptick.
While many of the players and experts in the OTT ecosystem are speaking about growth of connected devices during this period, Banerji says the growth already started happening at scale even before Covid2019 happened. He says, citing industry sources, that about the end of last year itself there were about 15-16 million users. He adds that it won’t be surprising if that number doubles in July-August.
“Right now, while the individual consumption on mobile has increased significantly, this is also a time when all the families and individual members in the family are coming together and watching content. The interesting thing is now these consumers prefer to watch content that they wish to do. But on a device, joint watching and group consumption can also happen. Now, connected TV absolutely sits right in the middle. It offers the flexibility of video on demand. And yet, it offers the flexibility to watch content on a bigger device and with everyone together. So the growth was already there. It has only got accelerated,” he adds.
While there has been a sudden spike in traffic on all OTT platforms creating more pressure on back-end, he mentions that most of the OTT platforms don’t only plan a capacity on the basis of average consumption but for peak levels which is always 20-30 per cent more than what the platform will be seeing naturally at any given point in time. While many OTT platforms have seen a substantial increase, he says that the backend, the tech part has always been geared to have managed to service the demand in a very, very seamless fashion. “If they have not planned for it, I think now would also be the time for a lot of the platforms to go back to the drawing board and plan it out,” he mentions.
For the tech team, another challenge is spike in users.
“I think what the product and the tech team need to see is how different will the journey of a new consumer be from that of an existing company. What is the content that you're going to dish out to a new consumer versus an existing consumer? How will the new person discover his or her target content, what is the kind of ad load you would provide or do you want to give them an ad experience for the first few times? How do you ensure that the retention levels of the new consumer are sustainable?” he asks.
“So it's a story of the product, digital marketing and tech to ensure how and what the behaviour of a new consumer is. You should have the necessary tools to know who the new consumers are and try the maximum retention possible,” he concludes.
iWorld
Prime Video bets big on India with global originals, films and franchise expansion
Execs highlight scale, travelability and new IP bets as India anchors global strategy
MUMBAI: At Prime Video Presents 2026, the message was clear and confident. India is not just part of the plan, it is central to it.
In a lively fireside chat hosted by filmmaker Karan Johar, Kelly Day, vice president of prime video and amazon mgm studios international, Nicole Clemens, vice president of international originals, and Gaurav Gandhi, vice president for Apac and Anz, laid out an ambitious roadmap. Think bigger stories, wider reach and a sharper focus on building franchises that travel.
Kelly Day, a regular visitor to India, set the tone early. Calling the country “one of the most important markets globally”, she pointed to the sheer scale and diversity of audiences as a driving force behind Prime Video’s growth. Indian Originals, she said, are not just local hits but global engines powering subscriptions and engagement.
That global appeal is already visible. According to Clemens, around 25 percent of viewership for Indian content now comes from outside the country. Shows rooted deeply in local culture are finding fans worldwide, proving that specificity, when paired with universal themes, travels well. From gritty dramas to sharp thrillers, Indian storytelling is increasingly crossing borders with ease.
Clemens, who joined recently to lead international originals, was particularly upbeat about India’s creative range. She highlighted a growing slate of over 100 shows in development and production, with more than 60 percent returning for multiple seasons. For her, the formula is simple. Authentic stories, told well, resonate everywhere.
Adding to the buzz, she teased new and returning titles, alongside a fresh superhero universe, the Kalyug Warriors. It signals a push into new genres while doubling down on familiar fan favourites.
If content is king, distribution is the clever courtier. Day outlined Prime Video’s layered business model in India, which blends subscription, rentals, add on channels and ad supported viewing through Amazon MX Player. The idea is straightforward. Give viewers choice, whether they want premium, free or pay per view.
India, she noted, has also become a testing ground for innovation. Tiered pricing, mobile only plans and language diversity have all been sharpened here before being exported to other markets. In many ways, the India playbook is now influencing global strategy.
For Gaurav Gandhi, the next chapter is about scale with intent. He outlined four priorities. Making Prime Video more accessible, pushing Indian content globally, building stronger franchises and supercharging the films business.
On films, the platform is moving beyond licensing into co productions and now theatrical releases in partnership with amazon mgm studios. These films will eventually stream on Prime Video, creating a full circle from cinema halls to living rooms across 240 countries.
Franchise building remains another key pillar. With hits like The Family Man, Mirzapur and Panchayat already enjoying multi season success, the focus is now on creating the next wave of enduring IP. Newer titles are already lining up for second seasons, signalling a steady pipeline.
What stood out through the conversation was a shared belief. Streaming in India is still in its early innings, and the runway is long. With a mix of local flavour and global ambition, Prime Video is betting that stories from India will not just stay at home, but travel far and wide.
Or as the executives seemed to suggest, the world is watching and India has plenty more to show.
