iWorld
Bharat Ke Super Founders crosses Rs 100 crore mark
Amazon MX Player’s startup show races past Rs 100 crore in funding
MUMBAI: Amazon MX Player’s entrepreneurial reality series Bharat Ke Super Founders has powered past the Rs 100 crore investment mark early in its season, turning televised pitches into real capital and credible business momentum.
Streaming free across India, the show has quickly evolved from a reality format into a serious investment platform. Each episode brings founders face to face with seasoned investors for searching, unscripted conversations that cut beyond polished pitch decks. The focus is on vision, scalability and long-term value, mirroring how real fundraising plays out in boardrooms rather than on stage.
The results have been tangible. The season’s highest funding so far, Rs 20.25 crore, went to ReGrip, signalling the scale of bets being placed. Innovation has arrived in many forms, from ZozoConnect, an NFC-based networking solution pitched by 11-year-old Athvik Amith Kumar that secured an Rs 11 lakh grant and mentorship, to MH19 Chips Vala, founded by brothers Durgesh and Sai Shimpi, whose journey from Jalgaon struck a chord with viewers and investors alike.
The show has also spotlighted deep-tech ambition. Cosmoserve, a space-tech venture founded by former Isro scientist Chiranjeevi, secured Rs 5.5 crore in funding. Go Swasthya received Rs 2 crore from Nitish Mittersain, while Organiko rallied multiple investors and the Market behind its growth vision.
Amazon MX Player director and head of content Amogh Dusad, said the milestone reflects the platform’s commitment to backing authentic ambition across India. He noted that making the show freely accessible has helped entrepreneurial stories from beyond the metros reach a wider audience, strengthening both engagement and aspiration.
Actor and entrepreneur Suniel Shetty, who mentors and hosts the series, emphasised that the show is built on decisive funding and long-term mentorship rather than symbolic handshakes. He said honouring commitments and standing by founders is what turns ambition into scale.
At its core, Bharat Ke Super Founders brings together influential business leaders including A. Velumani, Nitish Mittersain and Shanti Mohan, among others. With a live market powered by Recur, founders can secure both debt and equity, with every deal backed by real money rather than reality show theatrics.
New episodes drop every Friday and Saturday, streaming free on Amazon MX Player across the MX Player app, the Amazon shopping app, Prime Video, Fire TV and Airtel Xtreme.
For a show built on belief, Bharat Ke Super Founders is proving that when ambition meets capital, prime time can translate into prime growth.
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.
