iWorld
We want VOOT Kids to be the go-to destination for parents: Viacom18’s Saugato Bhowmik
MUMBAI: Viacom18, after establishing its main OTT service Voot, is now entering the digital space for kids with VOOT Kids. The subscription-based app targets the age group of two to eight year olds.
VOOT Kids, which is priced at Rs 99 per month and Rs 799 per year, houses content in seven different languages. While all of the content is available either in Hindi or English, a certain part of the content is also available in five other regional languages. VOOT Kids business head Saugato Bhowmik said that the content will soon be available in all the seven languages. The app has 20,000 pieces of content including over 6000 hours of video.
“Parents are always looking to curate multiple fun-learning opportunities for their kids because parents believe in holistic development of their children which means emotional development, mental faculties development, social skills development, physical development and entertainment. They are looking for all these developmental needs like curating multiple different fun-learning opportunities for their child. They invest in DYI, books, toys, crafts, puzzles today and they are spending a lot of money. So, for us the challenge was how do we go beyond entertainment where we are leaders and create a leading proposition which nobody has been able to do till now delivering both entertainment and fun-learn together,” he said.
Bhowmik is confident that people will subscribe because VOOT Kids seamlessly delivers and offers videos and tools, fun-learn tools, e-books, audio stories, fun-learn quizzes across five skill domains with parental control in a kid-friendly environment and design.
Considering their offering, the company feels that the pricing is justified. Parents are anyway spending a lot on each of these individually.
“We believe that fun-learning multiple different skills is very important at this stage. As you grow older, formal pedagogy becomes much more important. We did not want to get into that. We are not an ed-tech platform. So, that’s the clear choice we made. We wanted to impact early skill and learning development skill of the child. We also believe that this age group is not being served properly. There is lot of offering for 8-10-year-old kids. This early generation is under-served. We did not find anything that serves fun and learning together,” he explained the rationale of the target group.
The platform wants to leverage the entire power of Viacom18 for marketing the new kid in the house. Although it has its own media vehicle at home, it will still go beyond that by running cross-media, cross-TV, out-of-home campaigns along with on ground activities and influencer marketing. Bhowmik added that it will also be engaging in conversation with school, school teachers and the entire community in future to drive the message that screen-time is not bad if parents can make it meaningful.
Interestingly, the app just launched two days before Children’s Day. “We just want VOOT Kids to become the go-to destination for parents. If we are able to do that, there are millions of households who are willing to invest money in valuable fun-learning services like us,” he signed off.
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.
