iWorld
Prime Video expands Chandru Lakshminarayanan’s role
UK: Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios have widened Chandru Lakshminarayanan’s mandate, handing the senior executive a cross-border role spanning business, strategy and international programming as the streaming wars intensify.
Lakshminarayanan steps into the role of head of business and strategy for the UK, Nordics and Benelux, alongside head of international programming, previously focused on APAC. The move signals Amazon’s appetite for tighter strategic control and sharper programming bets across markets.
Lakshminarayanan has been with Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios since 2023, most recently as head of programming strategy for EMEA. In that role, he helped shape content direction and commercial priorities across a diverse and fast-growing region.
Before Amazon, Lakshminarayanan built a career at the intersection of content and commerce. At BT and EE, he oversaw TV and sports businesses, handling content profit and loss, propositions and commercial performance across aggregated services featuring Sky, Netflix and public broadcasters. A prior stint at Sky saw him run propositions for Sky Cinema, Sky Sports and Sky Store, focusing on packaging, pricing and transactional video on demand.
Earlier chapters were rooted in content creation and youth brands. At Viacom’s MTV in India, Lakshminarayanan led programming and content profit and loss, steered music and unscripted shows, and executive-produced formats such as Coke Studio and MTV Unplugged. Roles at BBH, Disney and TAM rounded out a profile that blends data, marketing and creative instincts.
The promotion comes as global streamers juggle slowing subscriber growth, rising content costs and fiercer local competition. Amazon, with its mix of commerce and content, is betting that sharper strategy and bolder programming can keep viewers — and wallets — inside its ecosystem.
In streaming, scale is common and noise is cheap. The advantage goes to those who can turn strategy into hits. Amazon has placed its wager; now comes the box-office test.
iWorld
JioHotstar enters micro-drama space with 100 shows under Tadka banner
Short-form push targets 300M users as content meets commerce in new format
MUMBAI: JioStar has made a bold play in India’s fast-growing micro-drama space, rolling out over 100 short-form shows under its new Tadka banner on JioHotstar, timed with the massive viewership surge of the Indian Premier League 2026.
The scale of the launch signals clear intent. Rather than testing the waters, the company has dived in headfirst, releasing a wide slate of content on day one. Each show is designed for quick consumption, with episodes running 60 to 90 seconds in a vertical format tailored for mobile-first audiences.
The move comes as India’s micro-drama market, currently valued at around $300 million, is projected to grow tenfold to over $3 billion by 2030. Globally, the format has already proven its mettle, with China’s micro-drama sector recording explosive growth in recent years.
What sets this rollout apart is its built-in monetisation strategy. The shows are free to watch and ad-supported, with brand integrations woven directly into storylines from the outset. It reflects a broader shift where content and commerce are increasingly intertwined, rather than operating in silos.
The timing is equally strategic. With more than 300 million users already tuning in for IPL action, JioHotstar is effectively turning cricket’s biggest stage into a discovery engine for its new format.
The company is not entering an empty arena. Early movers like Kuku TV, MX Player and platforms backed by Zee Entertainment Enterprises have already laid the groundwork, building audiences and validating demand for snackable storytelling.
Now, with scale, distribution and advertiser interest aligning, the big players are stepping in. For JioStar, Tadka may well serve as a proving ground for the next evolution of digital entertainment, where every minute counts and every second sells.
If the bet pays off, India’s next big content wave might just arrive in under 90 seconds.
