iWorld
Shemaroo inks partnership deal with Audible for its podcast series
Mumbai: According to an exclusive partnership deal signed on Wednesday, consumers will now have access to 75+ hours of Shemaroo’s audio content on the Audible service. The deal also includes six diverse podcast series:
1. Indian Food Wisdom by Rujuta Diwekar, which talks about the depths and understanding of a nutritious life that balances your body, along with insights from celebrities.
2. Chanakya Speaks by Dr. Radhakrishnan Pillai, which tells how Chanakya’s teaching is still relevant and pertinent in the current business world.
3 Corporate Chanakya, narrated by the iconic Tom Alter, informs listeners about the age-old formula for success for leaders of the corporate world.
4. Festivals of India, which talks about diverse festivals celebrated in India.
5. Legends of the World, which narrates stories and facts about Swami Vivekananda, Mahatma Gandhi, and Steve Jobs, amongst others.
6. Audio Theatre in Gujarati & Marathi, which gives listeners access to renowned Gujarati and Marathi theatre performances by actors like Ashok Saraf, Siddharth Randeria, and others.
Commenting on this partnership, Shemaroo COO – digital business Zubin Dubash said, “We are delighted to have signed this deal with Audible. At Shemaroo, being 60 years young, we believe in being relevant to every segment and following our customers on every medium of their entertainment consumption.”
Audible offers its customers more than 7,00,000 audiobooks, podcasts, and Audible Originals worldwide, and Shemaroo has a plethora of engaging and entertaining content in its inventory.
The podcasts will be available to listen to on www.audible.in
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.
