Microdramas: India's next big entertainment industry, already worth $500 million
India's microdrama industry, barely a year old, is already pulling in $500 million a year as of October 2025.
With over 550 microdramas being shot in Mumbai, these vertical, bite-sized stories (about 90 seconds per episode) are made for mobile users who want quick, engaging content.
Explosive growth in downloads and viewership
Downloads for microdrama apps shot up by 113% this year, mostly from Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities where people want low-data, easy-to-watch shows.
Nearly 40% of viewers on Story TV are women—a big shift—and regional languages like Hindi are helping these stories reach deeper into states like Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra, while Tamil and Telugu are expansion targets for other regions.
Major platforms and production houses are getting involved
Platforms like Story TV, Bullet, Kuku TV, and ReelSaga lead the pack, using freemium and pay-per-view models instead of subscriptions.
Production costs are kept low (₹5-30 lakh per title) with help from generative AI.
Looking ahead, Story TV wants to hit 1,000 titles by FY26 and sees the market growing to $3 billion by 2028, with big names like Balaji Telefilms jumping on board.