India's microdrama market is growing rapidly, with viewership reaching approximately 50 million and projected to expand to 150 million–200 million over the next 1–2 years. Current annual revenue is approximately $500 million and could rise to $1.2 billion–$1.9 billion in the future.
According to an analysis by Chinese media, India’s microdrama market is growing rapidly. The audience currently numbers approximately 50 million and is expected to reach between 150 million and 200 million over the next 1–2 years. Future revenue was reported as potentially reaching approximately $4.5 billion by 2030.
The study found that viewers watch microdramas for an average of approximately 30 minutes per day. Low data costs and young people’s habit of watching short-form videos are providing the foundation for market expansion. Production costs can be kept as low as approximately 1 million–2 million rupees per episode.
Drawing on successful examples in China, major Bollywood media companies have entered the microdrama market. KukuTV, JioStar’s Tadka, and the partnership between Zee Entertainment and Balaji Telefilms have been reported, creating new employment opportunities for many actors, technicians and producers.
Experts, however, have questioned whether the growth can be sustained. They point to the risk that repackaging television-style productions could lead to viewer fatigue, as well as pressure on the profitability of small and midsize production companies and constraints arising from India’s distinctive multilingual market.