iWorld
OML’s The Circuit #SitDown Comedy Festival goes digital with Paytm Insider
MUMBAI: Tickets to OML’s multi-genre comedy festival The Circuit #SitDown Comedy Festival went live with tickets on Paytm Insider yesterday. The festival due to begin in March was called off pre-emptively after the COVID-19 outbreak in India. The festival is now back on in its digital avatar with Paytm Insider powering a seamless experience for the organisers, artists and fans.
Paytm Insider recently announced a roll-out of new features to enable organisers to publish tickets and manage their event online. The platform currently supports Zoom-based event publishing. Customers who purchase tickets get their event access details on the ticket and a reminder when the show is about to go live. This will be the first digital comedy festival of its kind using the platform’s capabilities.
Simply having the ability to perform for a “live” audience changes the experience for the artist. Paytm Insider which ticketed over 6,000 comedy shows in 2019-20 understands and values this.
Paytm Insider CEO Shreyas Srinivasan says: “We went back to the roots of what makes an event special – for an artist and for a fan. Paytm Insider is bridging the distance between the two when events are being run digitally. With our new event self-publishing features, we enable artists and organisers to once again count on ticketing revenue.”
Starting this week, Paytm Insider will also run contests to provide erstwhile IRL “meet and greet” experiences for fans, this time over video. The Circuit Comedy Festival will be on from April 22 – 26, bringing some of the best and new comedy talent straight to your screens, in fresh interactive formats.
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.
