iWorld
Netflix’s ‘Sacred Games’ is most in-demand digital original in India
MUMBAI: Sacred Games has turned out to be a divine providence for streaming giant Netflix. Barely two years into its India foray, this single show has helped the US-based OTT platform to increase its subscribers and has even aided its performance in other countries. This was affirmed by a Parrot Analytics study. As per the report, it emerged as the most in-demand digital original in India in the third (July-September) quarter.
The first Indian original of Netflix is not only the most in-demand among Indian digital originals but also among all digital originals available. It had over twice the average demand of 13 Reasons Why which acquired the second place in the list. However, the streaming giant’s second Indian original Ghoul also performed strongly, becoming the 11th most in-demand original in the country despite not being released until halfway through Q3.
“The Indian market was also well served by Amazon Prime Video’s Indian digital original titles like Comicstaan, Inside Edge and Breathe. These series are all in the top 30 digital original series in the market, with Comicstaan the highest at 19th most in-demand,” the study added.
As streaming platforms are increasingly investing in local content globally, the number of digital originals in a variety of languages has increased. Thanks to localisation, local titles are becoming hits according to the top 20 digital original charts for each market.
Netflix’s Orange Is The New Black has emerged as the most in-demand digital original series in most markets this quarter topping the chart in four countries including the United States, Denmark, Finland and Sweden. Stranger Things topped three markets including Chile, Argentina and Singapore.
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.
