REPORT SUMMARY

Capturing US$6billion in potentially unrealised value – the opportunity for Indian entertainment through global partnerships, technology and content strategy

As part of the Content India Summit held in March, industry delegates addressed a wide array of pressing issues shaping the future of the Indian entertainment landscape.

This chapter is a distillation of insights from 150 senior executives, providing both a snapshot of the current state of the industry and a framework for future discourse.

The findings from the Content India Survey, coupled with ongoing editorial efforts, will help shape the agenda for Content India 2026, which is set to take place next March.

Report editor: David Jenkinson
Introduction by Jamie Crick, MD, APAC, Allied Global Marketing
Contributors: The Content India Summit 2025 delegates

India is already one of the largest entertainment markets globally, but it dramatically underperforms relative to its full potential. Today, India’s 551 million OTT users generate only US$2.1bn in revenues, while comparably sized or smaller markets like South Korea export billions worth of content globally.

According to Allied Global Marketing research, if India stays on its current course, it could build a respectable US$5bn OTT market. Local optimisation efforts could stretch that to US$9bn.But by embracing a bold strategy – repositioning globally, adopting cutting-edge technology and realigning content strategies – India could unlock a US$15bn-plus entertainment economy, becoming a major global soft power in the content business.

The Report concludes priorities for change are:

• Creating new international partnerships around authentic Indian storytelling.
• Inviting major studios to back a series of Indian pilots to define new global ambition.
• To reconcile Indian audience demand with content creation.
• To support and nurture the creator economy.
• To ensure India is at the heart of a new production revolution driven by technology – including AI.
• Recognise a new hybrid content economy is emerging and position the market to take full advantage.
• Define local content with distinct Indian flavour that can also export to the world.

The Content India Summit defined and discussed the issues and strategies that could make this possible.

A summary of the report the summit informed is below and in the chapters that follow we open the door to a raft of partnership initiatives and strategic possibilities that could make this a reality.

Chart courtesy of Allied Global Marketing

Three Strategic Gaps Blocking India’s Full Potential:

1. Mismatch Between Audience Demand and Content Production

• Comedy is the most preferred genre (nearly 30% of audience preference) but only 10% of premium content produced is comedy.
• Drama, crime and thrillers dominate production (60% of new releases), misaligned with what audiences want.
• Local, culturally authentic content is overwhelmingly preferred (86% of premium OTT viewership).
• Learning: Produce more authentic, relatable, lighter content aligned to mass tastes – not just prestige dramas.
• Authenticity drives both domestic success and international breakout hits like RRR.

2. Misunderstanding the Dominant Viewing Experience

• Despite perceptions of India as mobile-first, connected TV viewing is surging:
  • YouTube connected TV usage quadrupled from 2022 to 2024.
  • Family co-viewing at dinner time is normal
  • Content still heavily targets urban, individualistic mobile users, leaving rural and family viewers underserved.
  • Ninety-two percent of India’s online video minutes are spent on YouTube, not premium OTT.
  • YouTube’s strength:
    • Creator-driven
    • Shortform
    • Hyper-relevant
    • Learning: Indian entertainment needs to embrace family-friendly co-viewing formats and leverage creator ecosystems and snackable content styles for OTT platforms.

3. The Global Opportunity Gap

• Success stories like South Korea (Hallyu wave) and Spain (Money Heist) show that local authenticity and universal themes drive massive global success.
• Indian success stories (RRR, Pathaan, Kantara, KGF 2) show this works domestically and internationally.
• But most Indian content exports are exceptions, not the rule.
• Global streamers are recalibrating: profitability over subscriber growth.
• Netflix invested ₹5,700 crore over four years but earned only ₹35 crore in India in 2023.
• Learning: Global partnerships must focus on profitable, authentic Indian stories, not just raw volume.

New Growth Drivers for the Next Decade:

1. Become the Global Production Partner of Choice

• Cost Advantage:
  • Indian premium series = US$1m-2m/episode.
  • US/UK = US$5m-15m/episode.
• Global slowdown:
  • South Korea’s entertainment industry is contracting.
  • US and global studios need affordable production hubs.
• AI-driven cost reductions:
  • OpenAI API costs fell 80% in two years.
  • Virtual production can cut costs by over 30%.
• Learning: Position India as the most cost-effective, tech-savvy content production partner.

2. Harness the Diaspora

• Thirty-five million affluent Indian diaspora consumers abroad – a vastly underleveraged audience.
• Until now, diaspora-focused content was mostly nostalgic.
• Opportunity: Broaden genres – action, thrillers, sci-fi – to appeal both to diaspora and mainstream global audiences.
• Learning: Use diaspora as a strategic bridge to mainstream global success.

3. Leverage Advanced Technology

• Only 24% of Indian studios use AI tools, vs. 76% of US studios.
• Virtual production, AI workflows, automated localisation (dubbed/subbed faster) are essential to compete.
• Example:
  • Digikore Studios cuts post-production time by 40% using AI.
  • IPL innovations (Hype Feed, Watch Parties) show India’s tech capabilities when strategically deployed.
• Learning: Marry India’s creative storytelling strengths with aggressive tech adoption to gain a global edge.

Strategic Framework for Growth:

Mapping Content Opportunities:

• Comedy:
  • Strong local appeal but harder to export – double down domestically.
• Action-Adventure:
  • Universally resonant – invest heavily for local/global crossover (RRR model).
• Family Dramas:
  • Potential for both local and international success.
• Devotional/Regional Dramas:
  • Serve loyal local audiences.
• Sci-Fi/Fantasy:
  • Experiment selectively for future global breakout potential.

Collaboration Models:

• Creative-Led Model:
  • Indian vision, global quality, distributed internationally.
  • (Example: Delhi Crime).
• Adaptation Model:
  • Universal stories localised to India.
  • (Example: Criminal Justice).
• Service Model:
  • India as the affordable production destination for global studios.
  • (Example: Foundation partially shot in India).

Learning: Adopt a diversified portfolio approach across these models.

Global Headwinds Demand Urgency:

• Streaming consolidation:
  • Fewer platforms, bigger stakes.
• Capital tightening:
  • Rising interest rates make entertainment funding more selective.
• Shift to profitability focus:
  • No more ‘growth at all costs’ – results must follow investments.

Learning: India must act fast, with a clear value proposition and strategic clarity.

Conclusion: India’s Moment Is Now

Three Key Imperatives:

1. Rebalance Content Portfolios:
   Align output with audience preferences (more comedy, family co-viewing, lighter formats).
2. Global Positioning:
   Tell proudly Indian stories but with universal emotional cores.
3. Technology Integration:
   Transform production workflows using AI, virtual production and real-time feedback loops.

India has the creativity, technical talent, cost advantage and audience size to become one of the top three global entertainment powerhouses in the next decade. But execution – not just ambition – will determine whether it captures the US$6bn in unrealised value sitting on the table.

Content India 2026 and related initiatives must push toward:

• Urgent action
• Strategic partnerships (local and global)
• Smart technology adoption
• Authentic, emotionally resonant storytelling
• Institutional and regulatory support for long-term global expansion.

The future of Indian entertainment will not be gifted. It must be built.

The report findings will be used as a framework to build the agenda and format of Content India 2026, which takes place in March in Mumbai.

The Future Of The Indian Entertainment Business In Partnership With The World is published by DishTV and C21Media and is a Content India initiative. The report also includes The Content India Summit session videos which contributed to the report findings.

You can see the list of contributors by CLICKING HERE.