iWorld
Viu India plans to expand in Tamil market
MUMBAI: As over-the-top (OTT) service Viu completed its two-year journey, it launched its latest digital series Kaushiki which is set to release on 27 April. Going forward, the platform plans to deliver more than 20 originals this year along with entering the Tamil market very soon.
The platform promises more regional content like this exciting thriller Kaushiki, comedy film High Jack, new seasons of already popular shows like What the Duck and adaptations of popular international entertainment formats such as Tollywood Squares.
For Kaushiki, Viu will release four episodes in a go and then one a week. “When we launched Pelli Gola and PillA in last year in Telugu, we had extremely high number of viewers coming back repeatedly week on week, when we were releasing episodes,” Viu India CMO Shantanu Gangane said.
Viu has already launched seven new originals in Q1 2018 and has lined up 20 originals from now until the end of the year in Hindi, Telugu and Tamil. Viu plans to launch into the Tamil market by this year with the six new originals. For the new content, both syndicated and original content is on offer. Other than Indian content, Korean content also has also got a niche following across India.
“Since day one, Viu has emphasised global expertise coupled with local execution, as you can clearly see from our track record. We’re doubling down on that for 2018, ramping up our offering of quality originals at an exciting pace and engaging viewers in new ways, including bringing fresh content to the Tamil market. I couldn’t be prouder of what our team has accomplished in India and I’m certain that our best years are ahead,” Viu India country head Vishal Maheshwari said.
While cross-platform partnership has been one of the best options to surge users, Viu is not an exception. It has made content available to digital and non-digital audiences through partnerships with TV channels like Gemini, Star Maa and digital platforms such as Dailyhunt. The highly-rated No.1 Yaari is one example of Viu’s cross-platform content association.
In addition to that, Viu has had success with advertising partners such as with Hong Kong tourism for It Happened in Hong Kong, a romantic comedy that redefined wanderlust. It has many other strategic partners including Samsung, Amazon Pay TV, Amazon Fire TV Stick, Daily Hunt and Xiaomi.
While the channel owns IPs of all the originals, syndication has been one of the revenue streams for the platform. To stand out in the crowd, the platform has got tech as a strong backbone. Moreover, the company has massive set up in Pune which after the technical aspect. Along with an in-house team, the company also relies on partners to remain agile.
The OTT platform has some unique strategies to attract consumers. Rather than putting original premium content behind pay-wall, it has kept it in front of the wall. The company wants to go forward in the future with fresh content as well as entering into a new market.
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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.
