Sonal Kabi, Director & Head of Marketing at Prime Video, India, spoke about the evolving landscape of streaming at the India Digital Summit 2025 during the panel discussion titled “Amplifying Voices: How India’s Streaming Platforms are Shaping the Future of Entertainment.” The session, moderated by Archita Kashyap, also featured Aloke Majumder, Vice President of Technology at Hoichoi, and Saurabh Srivastava, COO – Digital Business at Shemaroo Entertainment.
Kabi outlined how Prime Video selects stories for its platform, emphasising the importance of originality and passion. She said, “When we are picking a story, we typically ask ourselves, has it been said before? Is there a fresh dimension or a unique take here? So, what we are looking for is the creator’s passion in telling that story. If in a closed room, they are sharing a story with a few of us, without the background score, the music, the actors, and you still get invested in a story, then we know we have a winner at our hand.”
She further explained how evolving viewing habits and an appetite for diverse content are driving decision-making. “Today’s audience has a palate for diversity, with the same viewer watching different kinds of shows and movies within a single day.”
Kabi also discussed Prime Video's approach to marketing. “We’re in the entertainment business. If the campaign is not entertaining, it's not a great campaign. So, with every campaign, what we're trying to look for is something bold, interesting, and something disruptive,” she stated. She added, “The audience needs to feel excited about watching a show or a movie right from the time when they see a hoarding or watch a piece of content on social.”
On the global appeal of Indian content, Kabi highlighted the success of localisation. “With localisation, Indian content has actually gained fans worldwide, and over 25% of the audience for Indian titles on Prime Video comes from outside India,” she said. She pointed to Amazon Originals like Citadel: Honey Bunny, which was the most-watched series worldwide during its launch weekend, and Call Me Bae, which trended in 50+ countries in its launch week.
Kabi concluded with her thoughts on the future of Indian storytelling. “It’s a privilege that we are able to take Indian stories to audiences in over 240 countries and territories. A good story will always find its audience,” she said, reinforcing the potential for global recognition.
