iWorld
Budget ’17: OTT players hoping for tax rationalisation to boost growth
MUMBAI: 2016 was indeed a critical year for the over-the-top (OTT) services in India. In an emerging market like India, the potential of more content consumption is certainly a reality. Increasing availability of smart phones, internet penetration, affordable data rates, 4G rollout, availability of good quality content and new entrants have led the OTT industry to bloom in 2016 and the trend is likely to continue. But the segment players are also looking up to the government for a clearer economic roadmap after the shockwaves of demonestisation.
“The entertainment industry has always been on the forefront of economic contribution. Though it is expected that GST rollout (as and when it happens later this year) would bring about more uniformity in the system of paying multiple taxes, it is also expected that finance minister Arun Jaitley will announce reforms, which will help control piracy issues in the country and help boost video on demand market in India,” said Muvizz.com COO and co-founder Abhayanand Singh.
Zee’s business head of digital for India Archana Anand opined that 2016 will go down as the year in which the wheels were set in motion for the growth of OTT. According to her, OTT platforms likely to become the go-to source of entertainment in the coming years, particularly for the millennials, who do not have easy access to a TV set and for whom it’s really about the content and not the size of the screen. But for that economic incentives are also needed from the government.
Echoing similar views, Web Talkies chairman and managing director Virendra Shahaney asserted the government needs to beef up digital infrastructure like Internet and faster implementation of free wi-fi projects. “A relaxed taxation policy for start-ups would be welcome and tax breaks for start-ups should increase to five years with a significant improvement in ease of doing business,” he added.
Pointing out that India downloaded six billion apps in 2016 making service usage the highest globally, Dekkho co-founder Tanay Desai said ,”The BHIM app has been downloaded 10 million times already indicating a healthy potential payment pipeline. GST will aid online payments for users as well as brands by reducing tax barriers across states in India and the industry looks forward to additional (tax) relaxation measures in the upcoming Budget.”
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Budget ’17: Media segments seek succour, digital direction from govt
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.
