iWorld
Is VoD biz making money or it’s still investing?
MUMBAI: Beyond the hype, what are the ground realities of earning revenue? Or, is it still all about investing in content and infrastructure? When’s the likely inflection point when businesses could start to look at break-even?
Trying to answer these questions at the CASBAA OTT Summit 2017 were — AltDigital CEO Nachiket Pantvaidya, SonyLiv EVP and digital head Uday Sodhi and GroupM South Asia chief growth officer Lakshmi Narasimhan.
Evaluating the OTT space and enumerating on the best business model, the moderator for the evening — Provocateur Advisory principal Paritosh Joshi — asked the head of the recently launched (soft) AltBalaji app about the mantra to grab maximum eyeballs in the OTT space.
Answering the doubt, Pantvaidya said, “India is a large market and the idea with AltBalaji is to connect with the 50-70 million people which correspond to e-commerce or functional 3G. There is also a market outside India of approximately 70 million people who want content. I think it is a library game. For SVoD to take off, content and habit formation among the people is crucial — our platform has content ranging from sublime to ridiculous. As Sameer (Nair, Balaji Telefims CEO) said, we are here to capture the market space between Narcos and Naagin.”
Taking cue from Pantvaidya’s point, Sodhi added, “The consumer is sorted in its head about what he wants. There is a clear habit formation. They are consuming on the go. There is a difference in the watch-time and they are coming back to watch linearly same shows. Habit formation is happening.”
India’s online video space will predominantly be an advertising led video-on-demand (AVOD) market even though subscription led VoD shows higher growth on a low base. If the digital eco-system becomes a SVoD dominated market, will that mean no business or loss for the advertising agencies? “There has been a pricing mistake in the last three years. The platforms come with a point of view that it will surpass television. The consumers think of these platforms as channels providing content. The players have to price it that way. In the US, OTT outstrips payTV in terms of subscribers but its annual revenues are lower,” added Narasimhan.
Pantvaidya added, “There is lack of development in the appreciable distribution system. It can survive when there is subscription. You can share profits with them if you are a SVoD. With free content comes carriage fees.
Further, Sodhi believes that its early days for everyone and there is no model which has been cast and stoned yet. He segregated the entire process into three phases. The phase one is when you throw content. In the second phase, people start coming to your platform and your focus is o retain them. Money making only comes in the third level. Citing examples of the three existing models in the world, YouTube, which is 100 per cent advertising, Netflix, SVoD based platform and Apple which is transnational pay-per-view platform. “All these platforms are fairly growing, and have reached this point after 15 years. They have come out of their strengths to build a model,” said Sodhi.
Narasimhan opined that the AVoD services in the OTT space have not been explored yet. He also said that data from servers indicate that kids,youth and top-end consumers are moving to digital from TV which clearly shows that the eco-system is evolving in India.
Joshi posted a question at the panelists asking whether they are underestimating the willingness of the consumers to pay for content. Pantvaidya agreed to his point, and said, “Scale and volume is necessary for spending. One should have faith in their content for it to sell.”
Sodhi added, “There is room for so many things. Everything is falling into its right place. The run-away is getting shorter before the take-off.”
OTT services are exploding in India and the business is more likely to be advertising-led in the short term. The OTT sector has clearly become a space to watch out for as the infrastructure continues to improve, devices get smarter and data prices fall. Let’s see what the future holds for these players.
iWorld
Prime Video bets big on India with global originals, films and franchise expansion
Execs highlight scale, travelability and new IP bets as India anchors global strategy
MUMBAI: At Prime Video Presents 2026, the message was clear and confident. India is not just part of the plan, it is central to it.
In a lively fireside chat hosted by filmmaker Karan Johar, Kelly Day, vice president of prime video and amazon mgm studios international, Nicole Clemens, vice president of international originals, and Gaurav Gandhi, vice president for Apac and Anz, laid out an ambitious roadmap. Think bigger stories, wider reach and a sharper focus on building franchises that travel.
Kelly Day, a regular visitor to India, set the tone early. Calling the country “one of the most important markets globally”, she pointed to the sheer scale and diversity of audiences as a driving force behind Prime Video’s growth. Indian Originals, she said, are not just local hits but global engines powering subscriptions and engagement.
That global appeal is already visible. According to Clemens, around 25 percent of viewership for Indian content now comes from outside the country. Shows rooted deeply in local culture are finding fans worldwide, proving that specificity, when paired with universal themes, travels well. From gritty dramas to sharp thrillers, Indian storytelling is increasingly crossing borders with ease.
Clemens, who joined recently to lead international originals, was particularly upbeat about India’s creative range. She highlighted a growing slate of over 100 shows in development and production, with more than 60 percent returning for multiple seasons. For her, the formula is simple. Authentic stories, told well, resonate everywhere.
Adding to the buzz, she teased new and returning titles, alongside a fresh superhero universe, the Kalyug Warriors. It signals a push into new genres while doubling down on familiar fan favourites.
If content is king, distribution is the clever courtier. Day outlined Prime Video’s layered business model in India, which blends subscription, rentals, add on channels and ad supported viewing through Amazon MX Player. The idea is straightforward. Give viewers choice, whether they want premium, free or pay per view.
India, she noted, has also become a testing ground for innovation. Tiered pricing, mobile only plans and language diversity have all been sharpened here before being exported to other markets. In many ways, the India playbook is now influencing global strategy.
For Gaurav Gandhi, the next chapter is about scale with intent. He outlined four priorities. Making Prime Video more accessible, pushing Indian content globally, building stronger franchises and supercharging the films business.
On films, the platform is moving beyond licensing into co productions and now theatrical releases in partnership with amazon mgm studios. These films will eventually stream on Prime Video, creating a full circle from cinema halls to living rooms across 240 countries.
Franchise building remains another key pillar. With hits like The Family Man, Mirzapur and Panchayat already enjoying multi season success, the focus is now on creating the next wave of enduring IP. Newer titles are already lining up for second seasons, signalling a steady pipeline.
What stood out through the conversation was a shared belief. Streaming in India is still in its early innings, and the runway is long. With a mix of local flavour and global ambition, Prime Video is betting that stories from India will not just stay at home, but travel far and wide.
Or as the executives seemed to suggest, the world is watching and India has plenty more to show.
