JioHotstar, Amazon MX Player, Kuku TV scale microdramas as mobile-first India rewires entertainment retail

India's streaming giants are turning microdramas into low-cost IP labs, with JioHotstar's Tadka, Amazon's Fatafat and Kuku TV racing for attention across 584M smartphone users. EY pegs microdrama revenue at Rs 23 billion by 2028, with 89% of discovery happening via social feeds.

— Source publishedThu, 28 May, 2026, 11:29 IST·First seen Thu, 28 May, 2026, 11:42 IST·Source ET Small Business

What happened

Indian streaming platforms JioHotstar (Tadka), Amazon MX Player (Fatafat) and Kuku TV are scaling microdramas as low-cost IP labs. EY projects Rs 23 billion

Key facts

  • 100+ microdrama titles
  • 1.2 trillion phone hours 2025
  • 584 million smartphone users
  • 670 million by 2028
  • 78% screens smartphones by 2030
  • M&E sector Rs 2.78 trillion, +9.1%
  • microdrama revenue Rs 23 billion by 2028
  • 89% discovery via social

Why this matters

Scout vernacular microdrama studios and creator networks for tuck-ins before JioHotstar, Amazon MX and Kuku TV consolidate supply—89% social-feed discovery means the moat is talent and hooks, not shelf space.