iWorld
ZEE5’s short-form video segment HiPi goes live
KOLKATA: India has closed its booming short-video market for the giant video-sharing platform TikTok for now. The past month saw an explosion of homegrown apps with even established over-the-top (OTT) players expanding into the segment. While ZEE5 had been working for HiPi for more than a year, the latter has finally entered the market on 14 August.
The full-fledged launch will be done in a phased manner following the beta rollout. While the beta version for android went live on Friday, the iOS version would go live in the coming weeks. HiPi has onboarded over 400 influencers along with more than 70 Zee TV celebrities and looks at adding more than 100 by the end of this calendar year. HiPi’s content will be available for users in 12 languages along with display in 11 languages. While the platform is integrated with the ZEE5 app itself, it will be available for free to users.
ZEE5 stated that the platform has been envisioned and created in India for the diversely unique Indian audience after extensive research. With an array of multiple features, it enables users to showcase their talent through various unique filters and effects, also discover, follow and appreciate content that is being created by others. The format and technology that HiPi has integrated with its interface and navigation will allow users to create videos up to 90-seconds.
Earlier, Indiantelevision.com caught up with Rajneel Kumar when he spoke on Hipi. Read the full interaction here.
“The launch of HiPi is a proud moment for us as the short video platform was developed in India keeping with the ethos of Atmanirbhar Bharat. HiPi revolutionised the entertainment experience, by giving a universally accessible platform to unmask the latent talent present inside each of us, taking us from being a fan to fandom! Continuing with a focus on customer centricity, HiPi will help Indians to connect with their millions of fans and stand a chance to step into the real fandom world. A platform which will be the official home of entertainment and entertainers! As we go live today, HiPi takes ZEE5 one step closer to its ambition of becoming India’s Entertainment Super-App!” ZEE5 India CEO Tarun Katial said.
In the past, we have seen user-generated content platforms getting dragged into controversies for sensitive content. Hence, ZEE5 is highly focusing on user experience and brand safety. ZEE5 India expansion projects business head and product head Rajneel Kumar assured that both human and AI intervention will be there to filter content. “Unlike other platforms, no content which is uploaded goes straight and people can see it. Every content which is uploaded goes through a layer of both AI and human moderation,” he said earlier in interaction with Indiantelevision.com.
“The vision for HiPi stemmed from an idea to further grow ZEE5 as a one-stop destination for the new and dynamic India. And a lot of care has been taken to build this platform to enable a creatively charged environment which simultaneously empowers the creators, users, brands and viewers alike. The framework of the platform has been created to encourage more creativity and engagement while also making sure that the security and safety of our users are never compromised. It is a platform truly made in India, made for India,” Kumar said in a statement.
Although TikTok’s absence might be a bliss for Hipi, it already has a number of homegrown, as well as international, rivals. Another leading OTT platform MX Player launched its short-video platform MX TakaTak while Instagram launched Reels to take on this market. However, Hipi differs slightly for its content strategy which can be helpful for it to win the game.
iWorld
JioHotstar to launch micro dramas during IPL
Streaming giant plans free, ad-supported bite-sized stories during IPL to engage mobile-first audiences
JioHotstar is gearing up to launch a wave of micro dramas, eyeing India’s fast-growing appetite for bite-sized storytelling and new revenue opportunities. According to sources close to the matter, the streaming platform is expected to go live with the content during the Indian Premier League, which runs from 28 March to 31 May.
The move comes as the micro-drama market in India surges, with Redseer Strategy Consultants projecting the overall interactive media segment could reach $3.1–3.4 billion by FY2030, with micro dramas leading the growth. The format has already proven commercially viable abroad — China’s micro-drama sector generated $360 million in 2023, up 267 per cent year-on-year.
Micro dramas are designed for rapid consumption on mobile devices. Episodes typically run 60–90 seconds, shot in vertical 9:16 format, and rely on fast-paced plots and cliffhangers to keep viewers glued. Stories tend to revolve around high-stakes drama, from romance and revenge to corporate intrigue, blending social-media immediacy with professional production values.
Sources said the IPL provides the perfect launchpad, with millions tuning in to the platform for live cricket, creating a ready audience for short-form narrative experiments. The content will initially be free and accessible to all.
JioHotstar, which already boasts over 300 million subscribers, plans to roll out more than 100 micro dramas across multiple genres and languages, including Hindi and South Indian languages. The move is expected to strengthen its regional content strategy and appeal to mobile-first viewers, particularly in metro and Tier-1 cities where the format is currently most popular.
“The timing is perfect,” said a source close to the project, requesting anonymity. “With micro dramas on the rise, this is a chance for JioHotstar to experiment with new formats and engage audiences in a way traditional series cannot.”
The platform is not the first in India to test the format. ALTBalaji, StoryTV and Zee Bullet have all dabbled in short episodic storytelling. But JioHotstar’s scale — and its ability to pair content with one of the country’s biggest sporting events — could make it a defining moment for micro dramas in India.
With mobile consumption and vernacular content on the rise, the gamble seems clear: capture attention fast, keep it longer, and turn bite-sized narratives into a robust revenue engine.
Note: The cover image used is AI-generated.
