iWorld
Hoichoi to introduce pay-per-view, offline payment method
MUMBAI: SVF, the big name in Bengali entertainment industry, last year launched its Bengali OTT platform Hoichoi riding the wave of digital growth. In the second season of its journey, it is expanding its footprint into Bangladesh and UAE market. Though dependent on the SVOD model since birth, it will now introduce pay per view model as well. Moreover, in a first of its kind move in the industry, it has launched Hoichoi Top Up card which will be available in nearest retailers or upcoming Hoichoi kiosks. Given the preference for cash payment, this is an offline payment method.
Along with a new payment method and business plans, it has the ambition to add more than 100 hours of original content in the upcoming year. The new content pipeline includes 30 original shows, some of which are second seasons of popular web series already aired on the platform. While SVF, the parent company has a rich history in the Bengali film industry, the digital venture aims to add 12 original films.
Hoichoi co-founder Vishnu Mohta mentioned the high user engagement of the app though kept mum on subscriber numbers. He claims the average time spent in-app is one hour per day. It is not certain how the company has been able to get its return but the awareness of Hoichoi has been created.
Like other OTT platforms, Hoichoi is also seeing traffic from tier-II and III cities. In addition to that, almost 40 per cent of the audience comes from non-urban areas and Hoichoi director and co-founder Mahendra Soni mentions this as the rationale behind introducing offline payment method.
While Bengali industry makes many good films, the natives living outside Bengal don’t get the chance to watch them in theatres often. The plan of digital premiere is aimed to bridge this gap. “In yet another first in the Bengali entertainment space, we are now introducing the ‘pay per view’ feature as part of the TVoD model. We will be releasing movies on Hoichoi very soon after their theatrical release and the viewers will have the option to pay for the content on an a-la-carte basis,” Hoichoi director and co-founder Shrikant Mohta said.
A partnership with Airtel TV in India, Robi in Bangladesh and Etisalat and du in UAE have also been struck.
There is also a plan for a Bengali app and website interface making it more comfortable for users. Simultaneously, Hoichoi wants to dub the shows into other languages like Hindi, Tamil and Telugu. To position it more strongly as a brand, the platform also start merchandising.
iWorld
YRF, Red Chillies explore micro dramas as format gains ground
Short-format boom grows, 71 per cent users rely on UPI autopay.
MUMBAI: Big stories are getting shorter and Bollywood’s biggest studios are starting to think small to stay big. Yash Raj Films and Red Chillies Entertainment are independently evaluating entry into the micro drama space in 2026, signalling a strategic pivot as legacy players chase the fast-growing demand for bite-sized storytelling.
At YRF, the recent appointment of Saugata Mukherjee is being read as more than just a leadership shuffle. Industry insiders view the move as a deliberate step towards building a sharper, digital-first content pipeline. Mukherjee, who previously played a key role in shaping premium originals at SonyLiv, is known for backing narrative-led shows that helped the platform stand out in an increasingly crowded OTT market. His experience in scaling differentiated content is now expected to anchor YRF’s next phase of expansion.
While YRF’s plans appear relatively advanced, conversations around micro dramas are also picking up at Red Chillies, albeit at an earlier stage. Insiders suggest the studio is exploring the format as part of a broader rethink of content strategy in a market where attention spans and distribution formats are rapidly evolving.
The timing is hardly accidental. India’s micro drama ecosystem is already taking shape, with platforms such as JioHotstar (“Tadka”), Zee5 (“Bullet”), Amazon MX Player (“Fatafat”) and Tata Play (“Shots”) experimenting with mobile-first, episodic formats designed for binge consumption. Alongside these, niche players like Kuku TV, QuickTV and StoryTV are also building early traction.
What is driving this surge is not just format novelty but consumption behaviour. Data from Redseer indicates that content velocity and freshness are emerging as key engagement drivers, with users responding strongly to frequent releases and evolving story arcs. Interestingly, pricing is not a major friction point audiences are willing to pay, provided the content offers novelty and quality.
User feedback also points to a shift in taste. There is growing appetite for genre diversity beyond familiar tropes, opening up space for experimentation in storytelling formats. This creates an opportunity for both incumbents and new entrants to differentiate in what is quickly becoming a crowded segment.
Monetisation, however, remains tightly linked to ease of access. Around 71 per cent of users rely on UPI autopay for subscriptions, underlining the importance of seamless payment systems even as platforms explore diversified revenue models.
The rise of micro dramas is part of a larger shift in India’s digital entertainment landscape, where interactive media including audio streaming, social discovery and niche formats such as devotional and astrology-led content is gaining momentum. This broader segment is projected to grow into a $3.1–3.4 billion market by FY30, with micro dramas expected to be among the fastest-growing categories, outpacing traditional short-form video.
For studios like YRF and Red Chillies, the message is becoming clear: in a market where attention is fragmented, storytelling may need to shrink in size but not in ambition.
