India's OTT market continues to grow with new platforms targeting niche demographics and unique content offerings
Mumbai: India's crowded over-the-top (OTT) market continues to attract new entrants, with platforms betting on the growth of connected TV (CTV) and differentiated content, though monetisation remains a challenge amid low average revenue per user (ARPU) and intensifying competition.
The latest entrants include Tiger TV, launched by Lionsgate Play founder Rohit Jain, targeting Hindi- and Punjabi-speaking audiences, and Brew TV, founded by filmmaker Ankur Singla, which aims to help independent filmmakers distribute their work. Regional platforms AVR Cine-Max and Vihari OTT are also targeting specialised audiences through Kannada cinema and Telugu travel and cultural content, respectively.
Also Read: India’s OTT market expands to 1.45 billion monthly active users driven by data, smartphones
The launches come as broadcasters, streaming platforms, social media services and microdrama apps compete for viewers' attention and spending amid increasing fragmentation in content formats and distribution.
India's OTT audience stood at 665 million in 2026, while its CTV base reached 207 million, according to Ormax Media. The OTT market generated more than ₹27,000 crore in revenue in 2025, according to FICCI-EY estimates. Media Partners Asia estimated India's online video spending at $5 billion in 2025, with online video accounting for 46% of total content spending, overtaking traditional television's 42% share for the first time.
However, audience scale does not necessarily translate into paying subscribers or sustainable revenues.
Jain said Tiger TV is targeting 10 million subscribers and ₹500 crore in annual recurring revenue (ARR) in three years. The platform has launched across 12 markets, including India, the US, the UK, Canada, New Zealand and Australia, with subscriptions priced at ₹799/year in India and 5.99 in local currency in international markets.
"The beauty of a market of our size is that there is a market for everyone who is focused and clear about what they are trying to build," Jain said. Brew TV is focused on independent feature films, shorts and other formats. "After experience of releasing Ghich Pich in theatres, I realised how broken film distribution is. So, Brew TV's mission is to help filmmakers globally to distribute their films, shows, shorts, vertical cinema," Singla, founder and chief executive of Brew TV, said in a LinkedIn post.
Also Read: India's ₹60,000 crore TV business faces a new reality: Fewer viewers, old rules
An industry analyst, who requested anonymity, said the growth of CTV and the opportunity to tap niche audiences were attracting new players. "Internationally, a lot of niche apps are launching but the ARPUs in those markets are good. In India, the ARPU is a big challenge even though the market has scale," the analyst said.
India's OTT market has over 50 players, including JioHotstar, Netflix and Prime Video. For new entrants, the challenge will be to convert audience reach into recurring revenue in a market where differentiated content and a large potential audience may not, by themselves, guarantee profitability.
The latest entrants include Tiger TV, launched by Lionsgate Play founder Rohit Jain, targeting Hindi- and Punjabi-speaking audiences, and Brew TV, founded by filmmaker Ankur Singla, which aims to help independent filmmakers distribute their work. Regional platforms AVR Cine-Max and Vihari OTT are also targeting specialised audiences through Kannada cinema and Telugu travel and cultural content, respectively.
Also Read: India’s OTT market expands to 1.45 billion monthly active users driven by data, smartphones
The launches come as broadcasters, streaming platforms, social media services and microdrama apps compete for viewers' attention and spending amid increasing fragmentation in content formats and distribution.
India's OTT audience stood at 665 million in 2026, while its CTV base reached 207 million, according to Ormax Media. The OTT market generated more than ₹27,000 crore in revenue in 2025, according to FICCI-EY estimates. Media Partners Asia estimated India's online video spending at $5 billion in 2025, with online video accounting for 46% of total content spending, overtaking traditional television's 42% share for the first time.
However, audience scale does not necessarily translate into paying subscribers or sustainable revenues.
Scene stealer
"The beauty of a market of our size is that there is a market for everyone who is focused and clear about what they are trying to build," Jain said. Brew TV is focused on independent feature films, shorts and other formats. "After experience of releasing Ghich Pich in theatres, I realised how broken film distribution is. So, Brew TV's mission is to help filmmakers globally to distribute their films, shows, shorts, vertical cinema," Singla, founder and chief executive of Brew TV, said in a LinkedIn post.
Also Read: India's ₹60,000 crore TV business faces a new reality: Fewer viewers, old rules
An industry analyst, who requested anonymity, said the growth of CTV and the opportunity to tap niche audiences were attracting new players. "Internationally, a lot of niche apps are launching but the ARPUs in those markets are good. In India, the ARPU is a big challenge even though the market has scale," the analyst said.
India's OTT market has over 50 players, including JioHotstar, Netflix and Prime Video. For new entrants, the challenge will be to convert audience reach into recurring revenue in a market where differentiated content and a large potential audience may not, by themselves, guarantee profitability.