iWorld
Content choice drives Indians’ subscription to multiple OTT platforms
MUMBAI: OTT subscription fatigue is a myth in India for now. While subscribing to multiple OTT services, Indian subscribers rely on content as the driving force. There are three primary reasons for this – demand for more content options (42 per cent), satisfying the content needs for an entire family (42 per cent) and all content not being available on one single OTT service (42 per cent).
“Our research findings suggest that the online TV consumer in India sees the value in TV content whether they are paying with greater focus and attention, or with their money,” says Brightcove India sales director Janvi Morzaria.
The study run by Brightcove polled 9,000 participants across nine countries in Asia, including 1,000 consumers in India. It also revealed that 79 per cent of respondents welcomed the hybrid model of OTT. The report said that 35 per cent of respondents are open to a reduced monthly subscription package that serves ads depending on the price, whereas 44 per cent said they would definitely sign up.
25 per cent of Indian respondents wants to pay nothing and watch ads as a trade-off to consuming content while 25 per cent elected to pay a lower fee with limited ads. Just 14 per cent agreed to pay a higher fee to be free from ads and 14 per cent would like an option where they can customise their price and ad packages. 37 per cent of respondents wanted to pay less than $1 per month, 27 per cent would pay $1-$4 per month, and 16 per cent would pay $5-$9 per month.
“Indian consumers do not mind seeing ads as part of their shows, especially if they are getting a deal. 79 per cent of Indian respondents stated that they are open to a hybrid plan of ad-funded SVOD that comes with a reduced price,” she added.
It also emerged that offline downloads, access on mobile, and using less data on mobile were the top three OTT service features most wanted by Indian consumers. 22 per cent of Indian respondents found two ads as an acceptable advertising load per ad break and 13 per cent were open to three ads per break. In addition to that, 67 per cent of respondents were receptive to the idea of shoppable TV.
“OTT service providers should take advantage of this preference and make the advertising experience engaging while limiting ad loads per break. Consumers are now willing to watch ads if they have the option to subscribe to a reduced price plan,” she commented.
iWorld
Pocketful appoints Prateek Singh as CEO to drive next growth phase
Ex-Bajaj Broking executive to scale digital investing platform in India
MUMBAI: Pocketful has appointed Prateek Singh as its chief executive officer, marking a key leadership move as the company looks to scale its presence in India’s fast-evolving investment market.
Backed by the three-decade legacy of Pace Group, Pocketful is positioning the appointment as a strategic step to accelerate growth and strengthen its foothold among retail investors.
Singh brings over 13 years of experience in building digital financial platforms, with expertise spanning customer acquisition, product development and business expansion. He joins from Bajaj Broking, where he served as chief growth officer and played a key role in enhancing the company’s digital capabilities and platform experience.
Commenting on the appointment, Pocketful co-founder Sarvam Goel said, “Prateek’s appointment represents an essential milestone for Pocketful as we expand our operations and strengthen our position in the Indian investment market.” He added that Singh’s experience aligns closely with the company’s vision of building a user-focused, technology-driven platform.
For his part, Singh said, “I am truly excited to join Pocketful at such a pivotal stage of its growth journey,” highlighting the rising retail participation and shift towards digital investing in India. He added that the focus will be on simplifying the investing experience and enabling more informed participation in capital markets.
Pocketful offers zero brokerage on equity delivery trades, along with no account opening charges and lifetime zero annual maintenance fees, positioning itself as an accessible platform for new-age investors. It also caters to active traders with advanced tools and features such as margin trading and its in-house intelligence layer, Pocketful GPT, designed to assist with trade ideas and portfolio analysis.
The company has recently expanded into mutual funds, signalling its ambition to evolve into a full-stack investment platform. With Singh at the helm, Pocketful is looking to ride the wave of India’s growing retail investor base and sharpen its competitive edge in the crowded brokerage space.
