iWorld
SVOD sees 82% growth in urban India
KOLKATA: Contrary to popular belief that Indians don’t pay for content, Kantar’s ICUBE 2019 report has found that SVOD has seen a significant surge of 82 per cent in India over the last one year. Moreover, smaller towns have driven growth.
While total online video users count rose to 294 million in December 2019, online video usership in urban India grew by 25 per cent over the last one year compared to 11 per cent active internet user growth. Notably, the growth of online video users in urban India is highest among 45 years and above age group. In addition to that, the proportion of this age group watching online video is higher among smaller cities than metros and large cities.
Along with the surge in the number of users, the engagement of users has also gone up as 65 per cent of online video watchers watch video online daily. On-demand video content watchers are on the rise in urban India. Thanks to affordable internet and a wide range of curated content, on-demand video has seen significant growth over the last year.
While SVOD content has witnessed a significant surge over the last one year with users growing to the tune of 82 per cent in urban India over the last one year, AVOD has also marked growth in users by 29 per cent. The growth of social media video users has been slower compared to AVOD or SVOD growth rate. Although there is an increase in the number of social media video viewers by 18 per cent, the proportion of video users accessing social media video has dropped over the last year.
The growth of SVOD is driven by smaller towns (less than five lakh population). SVOD users have witnessed a significant demographic change over the last one year. 37 per cent of SVOD users now belong to small towns compared to 10 per cent of 2018. SVOD users are more mature as the majority of them are already using both social media and AVOD content. 99 per cent of the SVOD users watch either AVOD or social media videos.
The report says that while SVOD has witnessed a huge surge in the last one year, AVOD will continue to be the most-watched video platform for foreseeable future due to its short format videos in comparison to long format videos of SVOD. It has also added that people watch AVOD content more frequently than SVOD content. But video watched on AVOD platforms is shorter than that of SVOD content. The majority of the AVOD content has a duration of lower than 10 minutes whereas the majority of the SVOD content has a duration of 15 minutes to up to one hour.
Music and movies have emerged as the two most-watched online video content in urban India. YouTube dominates on-demand video usage across genre, from music videos to news, except live sports, which is dominated by Disney+ Hotstar.
Kantar Insights Division executive vice president Biswapriya Bhattacharjee said, "The one line verdict on digital entertainment for the year is that of uninterrupted growth. There is good news, for both platforms and marketers. The digital medium is way younger than its offline counter parts but we already see a very discerning audience base. The concept of specialisation is already in place and the platform allows the content creators to bring out their creative best on this platform.”
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.
