Microdrama matches reels as 86 per cent watch it for 15+ minutes daily

MUMBAI: Short stories are getting a long look. Microdrama, the bite-sized format that blends the quick hit of short-form video with the cliffhangers of episodic storytelling, is rapidly moving from a social-media curiosity to a daily viewing habit in India, with audience preference now almost on a par with reels.

A new Kantar study commissioned by ShareChat and Moj has found that 80 per cent of smartphone users surveyed prefer microdrama, compared with 81 per cent for standalone short videos and reels and 63 per cent for content running longer than five minutes. The findings suggest that viewers are not necessarily choosing between short attention spans and deeper stories; increasingly, they want both.

The study, titled State of Microdrama in India, is based on a quantitative survey of 1,045 respondents and an eye-tracking Attention Module involving 450 respondents. The research covered smartphone and social-media users across metros and non-metros and NCCS A, B and C segments, with the attention study testing microdrama, long-form and short-form content across Moj, JioHotstar and Instagram.

The habit is already showing staying power. Kantar found that 86 per cent of microdrama viewers spend at least 15 minutes a day watching the format. On a typical day, 36 per cent spend 15-30 minutes with microdrama, while 20 per cent spend 31-60 minutes, 16 per cent spend one to two hours and 14 per cent spend more than two hours. Only 14 per cent watch for less than 15 minutes.

And this is not a format built for marathon viewing. Around 29 per cent typically watch five to 10 episodes in a sitting, equivalent to roughly 20 minutes, while 26 per cent watch three to four episodes, or around 10 minutes. Another 18 per cent watch 11-20 episodes, while 12 per cent stop after one or two episodes. Only 3 per cent consume an entire microdrama in one sitting, with another 3 per cent watching 31-50 episodes. The report puts the most common viewing session at around 15 minutes.

What keeps viewers coming back is not simply brevity. Sixty-nine per cent of respondents said they strongly like or like having a storyline that continues across episodes, compared with 42 per cent for unrelated short-form content and 39 per cent for recurring characters. The storytelling layer appears to be what gives microdrama an edge over a feed full of disconnected clips.

The emotional pull is equally striking. Among microdrama viewers, 89 per cent said stories help them feel emotionally connected, while 90 per cent said they make content more meaningful and 90 per cent said they help them relate to real-life experiences. Another 90 per cent said stories keep them engaged and make content more memorable, while 88 per cent found finishing a story satisfying and 90 per cent said storytelling made them want to return for more.

Curiosity is the biggest hook. Twenty-seven per cent of viewers said microdrama should have a storyline that keeps them curious about what happens next. Another 20 per cent prioritised emotional or feel-good moments, while 20 per cent wanted content that could become part of their daily routine. Quick entertainment during breaks accounted for 19 per cent and relatable or familiar characters and stories for 14 per cent.

The report also suggests that Indian viewers want stories that feel closer to home. Thirty-six per cent of microdrama viewers prefer stories reflecting their everyday lives, while 34 per cent favour stories reflecting realities from different parts of India. Only 27 per cent prefer stories reflecting realities from other countries. The preference is particularly pronounced among NCCS C audiences, with 51 per cent favouring everyday-life stories.

Language is another important part of that connection. Hindi remains the biggest emotional connector at 57 per cent nationally, followed by English at 16 per cent, Tamil and Telugu at 6 per cent each, Marathi at 5 per cent, Gujarati and Kannada at 4 per cent each, Bhojpuri at 1 per cent and Malayalam at 0.5 per cent. Regional languages, however, become particularly important in their home markets, with Tamil at 67 per cent in Tamil Nadu, Telugu at 49 per cent in Telangana and Kannada at 38 per cent in Karnataka.

Comedy currently has the widest appeal, selected by 51 per cent of microdrama viewers, followed by drama at 42 per cent, romance at 37 per cent, action at 30 per cent and thriller at 27 per cent. Drama becomes more prominent among heavy viewers, suggesting that deeper narrative genres can gain traction as audiences spend more time with the format.

Microdrama’s reach also stretches well beyond the youngest smartphone audience. Among viewers, 30 per cent are heavy viewers who spend more than an hour a day with the format, while 56 per cent are medium viewers spending 15 minutes to an hour and 14 per cent are light viewers spending less than 15 minutes. The pattern is broadly consistent across age and gender groups.

The report identifies heavy viewers as a particularly attractive consumer segment. Sixty-three per cent of heavy viewers report monthly household income above Rs 1 lakh, 68 per cent report income above Rs 10 lakh, 78 per cent spend more than Rs 2,000 a month on online shopping, 63 per cent own a house, 76 per cent have average monthly credit-card spending above Rs 20,000 and 69 per cent travel more than twice a year.

Discovery, meanwhile, still begins with the scroll. Seventy-seven per cent of viewers say they discover microdrama while scrolling social media, making feeds the biggest entry point. Recommendations from friends and family account for 53 per cent, influencer recommendations 46 per cent, reviews and comments 40 per cent, while 26 per cent actively search for a genre or title. Among heavy viewers, reliance on social-media scrolling rises to 84 per cent.

The format is also largely a solo affair. Seventy-five per cent of viewers watch microdrama alone, while 54 per cent return to the same story on the same day. The report found that 58 per cent give the content undivided attention, compared with 42 per cent who multitask while watching.

For advertisers, however, the most interesting numbers may come after the episode ends. Kantar’s attention study found that microdrama advertising generated 84 per cent brand recall, 79 per cent message association and 82 per cent purchase intent. The corresponding figures for long-form content were 66 per cent, 71 per cent and 66 per cent, while short-form content recorded 72 per cent, 56 per cent and 70 per cent respectively.

The attention data provides some context for those results. Kantar measured both playback and whether viewers were actually looking at the screen. Microdrama recorded 100 per cent playback and 75 per cent attention, compared with 100 per cent and 63 per cent for long-form content and 48 per cent and 40 per cent for short-form content in the test.

That makes microdrama increasingly interesting beyond the content business. Kantar’s assessment is that the format can offer brands a storytelling-led environment where advertising sits alongside narratives that sustain attention and emotional involvement. The report also argues that the format can contribute across the funnel, from recall and message association to purchase consideration, rather than functioning simply as another salience play.

There is, however, a catch in the quick format. Kantar says microdrama’s discovery is currently heavily dependent on social feeds, meaning growth can remain tied to algorithms and visibility. The report argues that the format needs more consumer-intent-led discovery, stronger content breadth and narratives that are easy to re-enter when viewers dip in and out rather than binge an entire story.

For now, though, the numbers suggest microdrama is no longer merely filling the gaps between reels. It is building its own viewing habit, leaning on local stories and languages, and giving advertisers something increasingly valuable in the crowded mobile screen economy: not just a few seconds of attention, but a reason for viewers to stay for the next episode.