iWorld
ALTBalaji direct subs up 69% YoY; half-yearly revenue at 34cr
Mumbai: Balaji Telefilms announced its financial results for the quarter and half year ended 30 September 2021.
Selling 2.9m subscriptions during H1Fy22 (vs 1.7m in H1FY21) ts streaming platform ALTBalaji reached a current active direct subscriber base of over 1.45m. This excludes subs on partner apps. Direct subscription revenues stood at Rs 34cr vs Rs 24cr. ALTBalaji contributed Rs 39cr to the half-year Group revenues at Rs 141cr
The platform added nine shows in the half-year taking the overall library to 87. Some of the hits launched in H1Fy22 include Punchh Beat Season two, Broken but Beautiful season three, and Cartel. ALTBalaji continues its strategy of driving deeper audience engagement through differentiated content targeted at mass India.
During the half-year, the TV business produced 363.5 hours of content across seven shows for four broadcasters. Five new shows have been lined up, and should commence shortly, it said.
Movie business also resumed production. With five projects in the pipeline, the company said it is making good progress, even as it waits for the availability of theatrical launch windows. Deals across direct to digital are also being explored. As part of its strategy, it continues to control investments in movies and pursue pre-sales and co-production deals where feasible.
Balaji Telefilms Limited MD, Shobha Kapoor said, “ALTBalaji continues to drive subscription growth. We added 2.9m subscriptions during the half-year. We added nine shows in the half-year and now have a very strong lineup for the rest of the year. Our strategic content-sharing deals will ensure we maintain control on the cash spends while driving overall profitability.”
Commenting further on the TV and movies business, she added, “Our TV business has shown good recovery in terms of production hours and we hope to improve this momentum as five new shows commence. In the movie business, production for some of the exciting projects are at various stages of completion and we are closely monitoring the availability for theatrical releases as well and direct to digital launches. Overall, the year has started well and we will build on this momentum through the year.”
iWorld
Micro-Dramas Surge in India, Redefining Mobile Content Habits
Meta-Ormax study maps rapid rise of short-form storytelling among 18–44 audiences.
MUMBAI: Micro-dramas aren’t just short, they’re the snack that ate Indian entertainment, and now everyone’s bingeing between the sofa cushions. Meta, in partnership with Ormax Media, has released ‘Micro Dramas: The India Story’, a comprehensive study unveiled at the inaugural Meta Marketing Summit: Micro-Drama Edition. The report maps how the vertical, bite-sized format is reshaping content consumption for mobile-first audiences aged 18–44 across 14 states.
Conducted between November 2025 and January 2026 through 50 in-depth interviews and 2,000 personal surveys, the research reveals that 65 per cent of viewers discovered micro-dramas within the last year proof of explosive adoption. Nearly 89 per cent encounter the format through social feeds and recommendations, making algorithm-driven discovery the primary engine rather than active search.
Key viewing patterns show a median of 3.5 hours per week (about 30 minutes daily) spread across 7–8 short sessions. Consumption peaks between 8 pm and midnight, with additional spikes during commutes and work breaks classic “in-between moments” that the format fills perfectly. Around 57 per cent of viewing happens in ambient mode (while doing something else), and 90 per cent is solo, enabling more intimate, personal storytelling.
Romance, family drama and comedy lead genre preferences. Audiences show growing openness to AI-generated content, 47 per cent find it unique and creative, while only 6 per cent say they would avoid it entirely. Regional languages are surging after Hindi and English, Tamil, Telugu and Kannada dominate consumption.
Meta, director, media & entertainment (India) Shweta Bajpai said, “Micro-drama isn’t a passing trend, it’s rewriting the rules of Indian entertainment. In under a year, an entirely new category of platforms has emerged, built audience habits from scratch, and created a business vertical that is scaling fast.”
Ormax Media founder-CEO Shailesh Kapoor added, “Micro-dramas are beginning to show the early signs of becoming a distinct content category in India’s digital entertainment landscape. When a format aligns closely with how audiences naturally engage with their devices, it has the potential to scale very quickly.”
The study proposes ecosystem-wide responsibility, universal signposting of commercial intent, shared accountability among advertisers, platforms, creators, schools and parents, built-in safeguards, and formal media literacy in schools.
In a feed that never sleeps and a day that never stops, micro-dramas have slipped into the cracks of every spare minute turning 30-second stories into the new national pastime, one vertical swipe at a time.
