A new industry report titled The Future Of The Indian Entertainment Business In Partnership With The World has revealed how India’s entertainment industry could unlock US$6 billion in unrealised value by 2030 through global partnerships, technology integration, and a shift in content strategy.
The report, published by DishTV and C21Media based on insights from the April 2025 Content India Summit in Mumbai, underlines that India, despite being one of the largest entertainment markets globally, underperforms significantly. Currently, its 551 million OTT users generate just US$2.1 billion, in contrast to smaller markets like South Korea.
“If India stays on its current course, it could build a respectable US$5bn OTT market,” the report notes. “Local optimisation efforts could stretch that to US$9bn. But a bolder approach could unlock a US$15bn-plus entertainment economy by 2030.”
Jamie Crick of Allied Global Marketing, who opened the summit, stressed the need for global partnerships to stimulate growth, a theme echoed throughout the event.
View full report here.
The report outlines seven strategic priorities:
- International partnerships around authentic Indian storytelling
- Global studio support for Indian pilot projects
- Aligning content creation with audience demand
- Supporting the creator economy
- Embracing technology including AI in production
- Positioning for a hybrid content economy
- Creating globally exportable Indian-flavoured content
Identifying Key Gaps
The report highlights several obstacles holding back India’s potential. A major one is a disconnect between content production and audience preference. While nearly 30% of viewers favour comedy, only 10% of premium content is comedic. Most content remains heavily skewed towards crime and drama.
It also addresses the misunderstanding of India’s dominant viewing habits. Despite being considered mobile-first, connected TV usage is growing rapidly, especially for family co-viewing, with YouTube leading the way.
Furthermore, India has yet to capitalise on its global potential, with only a few international breakout hits like RRR and Pathaan.
New Growth Drivers
The report suggests India can become the global production partner of choice due to its cost advantage and technical expertise. Indian series typically cost US$1m–2m per episode versus US/UK rates of US$5m–15m.
There is also a strong opportunity in targeting the 35 million-strong Indian diaspora with broader genre offerings, as well as in adopting AI and virtual production, where India currently lags behind countries like the US.
Commenting on the report, Manoj Dobhal, DishTV CEO & Executive Director, said, “It is clear that the Indian entertainment business is a force to be reckoned with on the global stage. But it has the opportunity to make an even bigger impact globally by partnering with international players on its own terms. It is also ideally positioned to become a central hub for global production, with unrivalled resources, skills and locations.”
David Jenkinson, C21Media founder and report editor, added, “The world is changing fast. The emerging creator economy, the rise of AI tech, and the opportunity to work together across borders is set to reshape the global entertainment business. As this report shows, India can be at the heart of that. Of course, there are many challenges. But they are all addressable and the upside is significant for all.”
The findings will guide the agenda for the three-day Content India 2026 event in Mumbai next March. “The future of Indian entertainment will not be gifted. It must be built,” the report concludes.
