JioHotstar’s TADKA crosses 100 million users as micro-content goes mainstream

MUMBAI: In a sign that short stories are finally having a long run, JioHotstar’s micro-content platform TADKA has crossed 100 million users, marking a major milestone for mobile-first entertainment in India.

Launched within the JioHotstar ecosystem, TADKA has rapidly emerged as a leading destination for premium micro-content storytelling, signalling a shift in how audiences consume digital entertainment.

The platform has also seen a sharp spike in engagement, with daily watch time per viewer rising five-fold since launch, underscoring sustained audience interest beyond initial curiosity-driven usage.

According to the company, more than 42 per cent of TADKA’s users are under the age of 24, highlighting strong traction among younger viewers. At the same time, metros and Tier 2 cities each contribute nearly 40 per cent of total watch time, reflecting a balanced urban and semi-urban adoption curve.

The format’s rise is also reshaping production patterns. Content creation has expanded beyond traditional entertainment hubs, with shoots now taking place across cities including Mumbai, Delhi, Lucknow, Indore, Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Chennai. This decentralisation is helping build a more diverse storytelling ecosystem driven by regional voices and varied cultural contexts.

TADKA features over 100 original titles and is built around vertical episodic stories ranging from 30 to 60 seconds. The content spans genres such as romance, drama, thrillers, comedy, sports and youth-focused narratives, available in multiple languages including Hindi, Tamil and Telugu.

Speaking on the milestone, JioStar executive vice president for micro content Ambuj Kashyap said the achievement represents a structural shift in streaming consumption habits.

“Crossing 100 million users is not just a milestone for TADKA; it represents a larger inflection point in the evolution of streaming,” said Kashyap.

He added that audiences are increasingly moving beyond traditional long-form formats, creating new opportunities for storytelling across multiple moments of the day and enabling premium micro-content to emerge as a distinct entertainment category.

TADKA is part of JioStar’s broader strategy to align content offerings with evolving consumption behaviour. The platform is also experimenting with product-led innovations such as interactive experiences, second-screen engagement and integrated discovery tools to deepen user engagement.

As competition intensifies in India’s streaming market, the milestone highlights how platforms are increasingly betting on short-form, mobile-native formats to capture younger audiences and drive sustained engagement in a crowded digital entertainment landscape.