Micro-drama startups are vying with Reels, Shorts for screen time

Manisha, a 37-year-old domestic worker, boards a local train every morning from Sion to Dadar in Mumbai—her short 10-minute ride serving as a sanctuary removed from the humdrum and chaos of the day. Like many urban Indians, her wait time is also her watch time. On her smartphone screen, between jostling elbows and station stops, she watches short-form videos—sometimes a quick reel, sometimes a bite-sized soap opera on YouTube.

- Sakshi Sadashiv

Manisha, a 37-year-old domestic worker, boards a local train every morning from Sion to Dadar in Mumbai—her short 10-minute ride serving as a sanctuary removed from the humdrum and chaos of the day. Like many urban Indians, her wait time is also her watch time. On her smartphone screen, between jostling elbows and station stops, she watches short-form videos—sometimes a quick reel, sometimes a bite-sized soap opera on YouTube. While Reels and Shorts dominate screen time during commutes and idle moments, the human pull towards compelling stories remains strong.

"These few minutes are mine, I don't have time for full shows," said Manisha.

This behavior—short bursts of downtime spent snacking content—is precisely what a new wave of Indian startups is trying to tap into. Micro-dramas, 2 to 3-minute serialized episodes packed with plot twists and emotional payoffs, are vying for eyeballs that would otherwise be doomscrolling through Instagram Reels or YouTube Shorts.