Indian diaspora drives overseas growth for local OTTs

Local video streaming platforms focused on regional languages and niche target audiences are increasingly getting a substantial chunk of their revenue from overseas Indian viewers, in some cases up to 40%.

- Lata Jha

NEW DELHI:

Not only do these users in countries including the US, the UK, Canada and Malaysia have the ability to pay for subscriptions, they also relate deeply to stories that resonate with their cultural identities.

Platform executives said Indian viewers overseas have a strong preference for deeply rooted narratives, especially those centered on rural life and cultural traditions, while older Bollywood and regional language classic movies also remain a big draw.

"Growing our international digital business is a critical part of our growth strategy, given the large Indian and South Asian diaspora across markets that are avid consumers of Indian content including Bollywood films," a ZEE5 spokesperson said. "While content preferences among diaspora audiences largely mirror those in India, there's a noticeable leaning toward culturally rooted narratives and nostalgic, family-centric content."