iWorld
Voot to roll-out 4 new originals in a month under SVoD
MUMBAI: To lure more users, Viacom18’s over-the-top (OTT) platform — Voot — will roll-out four new Originals under the subscription video-on-demand (SVoD) category on the platform. The launch of these four new Original series will happen anytime within 30 to 45 days, says Viacom18 Digital Ventures, chief operating officer, Gourav Rakshit speaking exclusively to Indiantelevision.com.
The media and entertainment company earlier this year has already formally announced a subscription-based video streaming service — Voot Select, a premium pay service. The arm of the company’s OTT platform will be helmed by Ferzad Palia, head – youth, music & English, Viacom18.
“The shooting of Originals being already completed, it was outsourced to production houses”, says Rakshit. “As the platform will roll-out the very first Originals, it had to be Hindi genre, however, it will have a translation to other regional languages.”
According to Rakshit, “Regional is going to be a growth factor for the next five years. Even though Hindi content will grow, the regional content’s growth would be more excessive.”
Besides Voot Select, the company had also launched Voot Kids last year, its first paid service to tap into the growing demand for kids’ content. Meanwhile, Hotstar has also introduced a new “Kids” button to its website that filters age-appropriate content with parental control last year.
The SVoD category will provide exclusive content across a diverse multi-genre marquee, of which four of them will be unveiled in a month’s time. “Originals are the big players in the customer acquisition for subscription business,” says Rakshit.
The data and content have been the major engine drivers for OTTs. Disregarding both of them, Rakshit says, “Our focus is on users more than the data or content. Users exposed to content will definitely provide the data and the reason for our existence is only because of them.”
“We are putting out a slate, which is our best guess with respect to upcoming Originals, beyond that we’ll start getting data,” says Rakshit. “We have already been live while in terms of just putting out our select service sans putting out Originals. This is done to get likes and dislikes of the consumer.”
He adds, “On the AVoD side, there is a lot of content we make ourselves under Voot Night Live, which is like an extra innings of the hit show Bigg Boss.” This attempt itself has given a lot many tractions on the digital platform but it wanted to go beyond TV content on the OTT platform and hence the decision to come up with new Originals soon, explains Rakshit.
Voot is the third broadcaster-led OTT platform, after ZEE5 and Hotstar, to enter into the SVoD category. It has over 100 million downloads on the Google Play store.
Stating that it’s just a start for the OTT players, Rakshit says, “Don’t believe 2020 is going to be the transformation year. However, it’s going to be a whole decade. In this context, we are neither late nor early to come up with new Originals and in this decade lot many things are going to change.”
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.
