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.

- Sakshi Sadashiv

which recently raised $2.3 million in a funding round led by Stellaris Venture Partners. "Storytelling was missing in snackable time. Everyone was consuming reels and shorts, but they weren't remembering them."

A Flick TV series packs 50-60 micro-episodes, each 2-3-minute long—designed to fit into commute windows, tea breaks, or lunch lulls. Inspired by China's 3-7-21 content formula—scene changes every 3 seconds, hook every 7, and emotion shifts every 21—these bite-sized sagas aim to turn passive scrolling into active engagement.