iWorld
How did OTT Evolve and Where Is It Heading
We create innovative solutions against problems as a tendency. With the conventional means of video content, there were many problems associated. They mostly were because of the format of content distribution which didn’t go hand in hand with the habits people had started acquiring.
All technological advancements have been directed towards convenience. The shopping scene shifting to digital means was a huge revolution in society. Now people are accustomed to making decisions of their own will, not constrained by time or place.
Although content consumption had taken a leap from conventional TVs to satellite-based networks that could be customised, this wasn’t enough. There was more to be narrowed down. Not just the selection of channels, but the selection of shows and more was what customers wanted.
The simple solution to this was an OTT platform. OTTs like Prime Video, Aha and other leading OTT platforms in India provide the users with the freedom to select the shows that they want to watch. They can choose from a pool of shows and hardly ever it is that they cannot find what they need.
On the other hand, these OTTs also do a great job with AI in engaging a customer with personalised suggestions to watch.
It is not the ultimate solution to the entertainment needs of humans, which would be a pool of anything and everything. For example, a drawback that the OTTs have is shows in a limited number of languages. Netflix might not have Telugu content. Although we have Aha, a user would need to take multiple subscriptions to enjoy content in both languages.
Rise of OTTs
With more people turning to online means of entertainment content, the OTT industry skyrocketed. With Netflix leading the game globally, with its national competitors like Prime Video, millions of people found value in these OTTs who then decided to ditch cable TV or satellite connections.
The price was another advantage of the OTTs. They could be pretty affordable. You can find tons of content at a nominal charge of as little as Rs 99 per month. This works because people have the access to a huge range of content at their fingertips. Moreover, they would be able to select the platform based on their interests, type of shows etc.
However, we are also affected by the rise of convenience offers by OTTs.
No time to think!
As we have the option to get entertained at all times, it is very easy to click on a thumbnail and watch an entire show. This can also be the first thing we would be drawn towards when feeling bored. Because we keep ourselves so engaged all the time, we may lose out on other important things. Ultimately, going to the gym, or spending time in the kitchen making healthy food, or learning new skills can take a backseat. Although, you don’t have to learn new skills constantly, it becomes a problem when you cannot even think about it.
Future of OTTs
We are going towards a platform that is the combination of Netflix, Prime Video, SonyLIV, Alt Balaji and everything else. Such a platform is not directed by one company. On the other hand, it is owned by the users themselves. Probably, they can curate what type of content they’d want to see depending on languages, genres and even actors. Such a platform will eradicate the current limitations in the OTT industry. And I think this is what we are heading towards.
Conclusion
OTTs are here to stay. Not only can you enjoy the bounties, but also contribute to the platforms by creating your own content. Many video streaming platforms like YouTube allow you to do so.
You can be a part of the online content consuming audience with a subscription fee. Sp try out for yourself and try to make the best of it while you do so.
e-commerce
Visa report tracks rise of India’s affluent, experience-led spending
Affluent base doubles to 130 lakh, travel 58 per cent of elite spends.
MUMBAI: In India’s new luxury playbook, it’s less about owning more and more about living better. A new whitepaper by Visa Consulting and Analytics (VCA) maps a decisive shift in India’s affluent economy, where spending is becoming more intentional, experience-led, and closely tied to personal identity rather than pure income growth.
Titled India’s Affluent Economy 2025–2026, the report draws on a Visa-commissioned Yougov study and VisaNet data across travel, dining, retail and lifestyle categories. The headline number is hard to miss: individuals earning over Rs 10 lakh annually have nearly doubled from 69 lakh to 130 lakh, significantly expanding the country’s discretionary spending base.
But it’s not just about scale, it’s about behaviour. As consumers move up the affluence ladder, discretionary categories are taking a larger share of credit card spends, positioning cards as key enablers of premium, lifestyle-driven consumption.
The geography of wealth is shifting too. Affluence is no longer confined to metros such as Mumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru, with cities like Ahmedabad, Surat, Jaipur and Lucknow increasingly mirroring metro consumption patterns.
The report highlights a clear pivot from ownership to access. More than 50 per cent of affluent consumers now use cards for elite memberships, while 7 in 10 are drawn to limited-edition drops and curated collections. Increasingly, luxury is defined by seamless access be it concierge-led travel or curated dining where time saved is as valuable as money spent.
Spending patterns reinforce this shift. Among the ultra-elite, travel accounts for 58 per cent of discretionary spends, far outpacing retail and luxury combined at 28 per cent. Cross-border spending penetration stands at 63 per cent, signalling a growing global outlook among India’s affluent.
Closer home, indulgence is becoming routine. Nearly 4 in 5 affluent consumers dine at premium establishments at least three times a year, while 1 in 4 visit luxury venues more than five times annually. Dining spends are also climbing, with Rs 20,000 emerging as a new entry-level benchmark per experience and Rs 50,000 marking premium territory.
Retail, meanwhile, is becoming more selective. Three in four affluent consumers make a high-end purchase at least once a quarter, while one in four shops premium every two weeks. Luxury retail intensity is also rising, with 2 in 5 consumers spending over Rs 5 lakh annually, and a smaller but significant segment exceeding Rs 10 lakh.
Technology and wellness are carving out new roles in this ecosystem. High-end gadgets now see average spends of Rs 60,000 or more per purchase, while ultra-elite consumers are eight times more likely to visit spas and show five times higher engagement with cosmetic stores than non-affluent groups.
The broader takeaway is structural. Affluent consumers are no longer buying products, they are buying ecosystems. Integrated experiences across travel, dining, wellness and payments are becoming central to how this segment lives and spends.
As India’s affluent base expands beyond metros and aligns more closely with global consumption patterns, the real opportunity lies not just in size, but in speed. For brands, the message is clear: relevance will be defined by how early and how seamlessly, they plug into this evolving lifestyle economy.
