Latest news with #AsiaPacificVideoOperatorsSummit
Time of India
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
'Bold, Culturally Rooted, and Scalable Storytelling for a Young, Diverse India'
Asia Pacific Video Operators Summit At the Asia Pacific Video Operators Summit (APOS) 2025, hosted by Media Partners Asia (MPA), JioStar Entertainment leaders Alok Jain and Krishnan Kutty laid out a compelling blueprint for the future of Indian storytelling — one that's bold, emotionally resonant, culturally rooted, and built for scale. In a fireside session titled 'Inside the Next Wave of Indian Storytelling', moderated by Vivek Couto, Executive Director and Co-Founder of MPA, Jain and Kutty outlined JioStar's ambitions to champion local voices, innovate across formats, and program for India's young, diverse, and multilingual audiences. Redefining the Role of the Platform 'In a country as creatively diverse as India, it's no longer about scaling content — it's about resetting the creative ecosystem,' said Alok Jain, Chief of Content at JioStar. 'At JioStar, we're committed to ensuring creators are not boxed in by platforms, formats, or legacy structures. Today's storytellers move seamlessly — from short-form to long-form, social to television, digital to streaming. Our role is not to act as gatekeepers, but as collaborators.' He added that JioStar is building infrastructure that allows storytellers to move fluidly across mediums, giving them room to evolve while staying authentic. 'That's how we grow the ecosystem — by empowering creators, not restricting them. That's also how we expand its impact.' Boldness, Redefined: From Spectacle to Substance 'What was considered bold five or six years ago is not what's considered bold now,' said Krishnan Kutty, CEO of JioStar. 'Back then, it was about scale and visual spectacle. Today, boldness is about pushing societal norms, asking deeper questions, and doing it within the Indian context. We're not in California; we're in India. Our job is to push boundaries, but also to carry our audience with us.' This ethos is reflected in JioStar's programming — where boldness is not a matter of provocation, but of emotional depth, authenticity, and local resonance. Programming for a Young, Demanding India Jain emphasized that Indian consumers are evolving rapidly, and with them, so must formats and strategies. 'It's a young country. People are exposed to new things and they're demanding and unforgiving. If the story isn't great, they won't watch — regardless of who stars in it.' He cited Thukra Ke Mera Pyaar, a 19-episode show with 50-minute episodes, a debut director, and a debut cast, which turned into a hit from day one. 'That's proof the audience will embrace newness if the content speaks to them.' JioStar is also experimenting with non-fiction, micro-dramas, and hybrid formats. 'Innovation isn't a tactic for us — it's the baseline,' Jain said. The Untapped Youth Opportunity — Especially in the South While platforms like MTV have made inroads with younger audiences, Kutty pointed out that broadcasters and streamers have largely under-programmed for Gen Z. That's about to change. 'For the South, we are committed to increasing our programming volume for that audience by 7 to 10 times.' Jain echoed that youth-focused storytelling is both a creative and business imperative. 'If the industry is to run in a sustainable manner, we must drive content profitably — and focusing on youth is a big one for us.' Embracing the Multilingual, Multi-India Landscape Krishnan Kutty highlighted India's unique advantage: a multilingual, culturally rich ecosystem that fosters endless creative possibilities. 'The diversity of India is a gift from a content creator perspective — every state, every region is a source of different perspectives. What's remarkable is how audiences embrace content beyond their own language or state.' He gave the example of Kerala,"A small state like Kerala creates stories that travel nationwide. 80% of the consumption on JioHotstar for Malayalam content is outside the state. Great stories truly transcend borders.' India's digital video ecosystem is also vast — with 500–600 million users consuming 4–5 hours of content daily. 'The real challenge isn't what to do — but what not to do. There's significant headroom for both subscription and ad growth. And between premium long-form dramas and social storytelling lies a massive untapped space.' Resetting the Economics of Storytelling Kutty was candid about the systemic challenges facing the streaming industry: 'In streaming, we've escalated prices to a point where producers have become B2B entities, creating primarily for the platform, not the end consumer. That has led to a disconnect. Unless the model is reset, I believe it's deeply broken.' Reflecting on the state of theatrical entertainment in India, Alok Jain observed -'We've been in a difficult period where people aren't coming to theatres unless the movie is really, really good. Watching a film now is a three-hour commitment — and that's a big ask.' He argued that both storytellers and exhibitors must reinvent. 'Creators need to tell more authentic stories. Theatre owners must rethink pricing, experience, and value delivery. Theatrical viewing must feel like an experience - not just a screening.' The Great Reset — and the Great Opportunity Jain believes Indian content is poised for a reset — but one filled with possibility. 'Consumers are adapting to multiple formats, and I believe the space will settle. The industry is very cognizant of that. This reset is happening across content types — theatrical films, television, digital-first. And with that comes the opportunity to rethink, reformat, and rebuild.' With 320,000 hours of content across JioStar's network, the common thread, he said, is human emotion and shared experience. 'Our focus is to tell authentic stories from every corner of the country — stories that resonate universally. That emotional truth is what allows Indian content to scale and even travel globally.' India: A Strategic, Youth-Driven Market India remains one of the most strategic markets globally, said Jain. 'With a billion young people, 22 languages, and a thriving economy, India is unmatched in scale and diversity. What makes it exciting is not just its size — it's the scale, youth, and openness to change.'
Mint
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Mint
Inside JioStar's bet on bold stories, Gen Z, and the future of Indian entertainment
Mumbai: In a world of 15-second videos and fractured attention spans, getting an audience to commit to a three-hour film is, in the words of JioStar Entertainment's Alok Jain, 'a big ask.' But rather than chase scale for its own sake, India's newest content powerhouse is betting on something more enduring: bold, emotionally resonant storytelling—and its youngest viewers. At the Asia Pacific Video Operators Summit (APOS) 2025 in Bali, Jain, who heads entertainment at JioStar, and Krishnan Kutty, the firm's head of cluster, Entertainment (South), laid out a vision for India's next phase of content growth—one that places creators, not platforms, at the centre of a rapidly evolving media ecosystem. 'In a country as creatively diverse as India, it's no longer just about scaling content. It's about resetting the creative ecosystem,' Jain said during a fireside chat with Media Partners Asia's Vivek Couto. 'Our role is not to act as gatekeepers but as collaborators.' And bold, in JioStar's vocabulary, doesn't mean flashy sets or big budgets. It means challenging societal norms, amplifying underrepresented voices, and telling stories that resonate deeply across India's varied but emotionally unified audience. As Kutty put it, 'We're not in California. Our job is to take the audience along with us, even as we challenge convention.' The executives emphasized that today's creators aren't bound by traditional formats or distribution mediums. From short-form video to long-form streaming dramas, from social-first storytelling to network television, creators are increasingly moving seamlessly across platforms. JioStar, they said, is working to build structures that support this creative mobility. 'We're building mechanisms that allow creators to evolve with their voice and cross over across mediums,' Jain noted. Backed by the heft of Reliance's media infrastructure, JioStar boasts a massive distribution footprint—over 800 million viewers on television and another 400 million streaming users on JioHotstar. That reach is now being aligned with a strategy that emphasizes flexibility, emotional depth, and regional storytelling. According to Kutty, India's digital video landscape now comprises between 500–600 million users, each consuming four to five hours of content daily. That diversity, he added, is not a constraint—but a creative edge. 'Every state, every region is a source of new perspectives and storytelling potential,' he said. 'A small state like Kerala, for example, creates stories that travel across the country—80% of Malayalam content consumption on our platform comes from outside the state.' JioStar's model is rooted in the belief that while formats, languages, and geographies may differ, emotional resonance binds Indian audiences. Jain pointed to Thukra Ke Mera Pyaar, a 19-episode digital drama featuring a debut director and cast, as a recent breakout success. 'It worked because the story worked. We must go back to first principles—not just to innovate in stories but also in formats,' he said, adding that the company is exploring micro-dramas, non-fiction formats, and other experimental structures. Kutty noted that bold storytelling today means addressing social complexity within the Indian context—not relying on spectacle. He cited a recent show featuring a flawed, short-tempered protagonist grappling with post-Covid identity issues. The series has since climbed to the top of the platform's charts and is being adapted in multiple Indian languages. Looking ahead, JioStar is placing a deliberate bet on India's youth. While acknowledging that MTV has led the way in Gen Z programming in recent years, Kutty said the broader industry has failed to cater to this cohort adequately. 'For the South, we are committed to increasing our Gen Z programming volume by 7 to 10 times,' he said. Jain agreed, but added that chasing youth audiences must also be economically viable. 'If the industry is to run sustainably, we must drive innovation profitably—and focusing on youth is central to that.' The executives were candid about the broader economic challenges facing India's content industry. Streaming, Kutty said, is locked in a 'broken model.' 'We've escalated prices and seen production costs spike, but consumer demand hasn't kept pace. Producers have become B2B players—serving platforms, not viewers. That disconnect needs to be addressed.' Jain expressed similar concerns about theatrical content. 'People won't go to theatres unless the content is exceptional. Watching a film is a three-hour commitment in an era of 15-second entertainment. That's a big ask,' he said. 'Theatres need to evolve—through pricing, experience, and value delivery.' Despite structural headwinds, both executives remained optimistic about the long-term outlook for Indian content. With a young population, 22 official languages, and what Jain called an 'openness to change,' India remains a high-potential market for both domestic and global media players. 'Authentic storytelling, powered by local emotion but built to scale—that's what we believe will carry Indian content forward,' said Jain. 'And we have barely scratched the surface.'
Mint
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Mint
Split screen: Why Amazon has a twin-track streaming play in India
MUMBAI: While global streamers consolidate into super apps, Amazon is doing the opposite in India. It is running two distinct platforms, Prime Video and MX Player, each catering to sharply different user bases. 'India is a highly heterogeneous market. Prime Video serves customers who are subscription-ready and have adopted streaming as their primary entertainment option,' Gaurav Gandhi, vice president – Asia Pacific & MENA, Prime Video, said while speaking at the Asia Pacific Video Operators Summit (APOS) 2025 in Bali on Thursday. 'MX Player, on the other hand, targets a more transitional audience — mobile-first users who are still anchored in traditional media but seeking quality content without the barrier of a paywall.' Amazon acquired MX Player from Times Internet in 2023 and has since integrated it as an ad-supported service under the Amazon umbrella, while continuing to scale its subscription-led flagship, Prime Video. Prime Video positions itself as a full-fledged entertainment hub, offering premium originals, global content, movie rentals, and third-party channels. MX Player operates in the ad-supported space, targeting scale and reach across Bharat, with a reported 250 million monthly users. This separation, Gandhi said, enables Amazon to serve both ends of India's digital consumption spectrum — from immersive cinematic storytelling to daily on-the-go escapes. Nikhil Madhok, head of originals at Prime Video India, who oversees Prime Video's local original content, said the company has always focused on delivering content that is not just localised but also deeply differentiated from what's on television. 'Our investment levels are closer to cinema than TV. The idea was always to create content that could hold its own alongside global shows like Fallout or The Boys,' he said while speaking at the event. Series like Made in Heaven, The Family Man, Paatal Lok, and Call Me Bae have become multi-season franchises, building loyalty and scale over time. On the film front, Prime Video's model spans licensing, direct-to-streaming, co-productions and, most recently, theatrical releases. 'We started with licensing post-theatrical releases, then direct-to-streaming during the pandemic, and later co-productions,' Madhok said. 'Now, through Amazon MGM Studios, we've entered the theatrical space directly. Starting 2026, we will release four to six Amazon-produced films in theatres each year, beginning with Nishaanchi by Anurag Kashyap this September.' For MX Player, the content strategy is driven by deep consumer insights from a vast and socio-culturally diverse base, said Amogh Dusad, head of content at Amazon MX Player. The biggest upcoming bet from MX Player is MX Fatafat — a micro-drama vertical format series aimed squarely at India's mobile-first audience. With episodes clocking in at 1–2 minutes and designed to be consumed in short bursts across 80–100 episodes per story, the new format is built for scroll-happy viewers. Despite differences in platform logic, Gandhi emphasised that both services share a common creator-first philosophy. 'We've been very deliberate in bringing new voices to the fore — more than 50% of Prime Video's projects have first-time creators involved,' he said. 'With MX Fatafat, we're co-creating with emerging talent. This kind of intentionality helps grow the creative economy and expand the total addressable market for storytellers.' Amazon has also added an ad-supported tier to Prime Video in India and Japan — a move Gandhi said allows the platform to reinvest more into content while giving consumers choice. Early signs show traction with both consumers and advertisers, especially when combined with Amazon's wider full-funnel ad solutions across e-commerce and video. While most rivals consolidate, Amazon is choosing fragmentation and this may be its edge in a crowded and noisy market. Even as global content budgets shrink, Amazon is doubling down on India. 'We feel optimistic about the streaming landscape,' Gandhi said. 'It's still early days. Whether it's theatrical releases, multi-language originals, or short-form innovations — there's significant headroom for growth.' Globally, Prime Video has around 200 million paid memberships as of February 2025, and while the company doesn't disclose geographical data, various industry sources put India subscriber base between 11 million and 13 million. Amazon MX Player, reaches over 250 million monthly unique users, securing its place among the largest AVOD players in the country. India's OTT market, valued at approximately $3.5 billion in 2024, is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of over 17% for the rest of the decade.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
JioStar's Alok Jain, Krishnan Kutty call for creative, commercial reset in Indian entertainment
JioStar Entertainment leaders Alok Jain and Krishnan Kutty have called for a reset of the Indian entertainment industry's business model, emphasizing the need for profitability and a sharper focus on youth to ensure long-term sustainability. Speaking at the Asia Pacific Video Operators Summit (APOS) 2025 in Bali, hosted by Media Partners Asia (MPA), Jain, President – Entertainment at JioStar, and Kutty, Head of Cluster, Entertainment – South, shared their views during a session titled 'Inside the Next Wave of Indian Storytelling', moderated by MPA Co-Founder Vivek Couto. Jain underlined the need to rebuild the creative ecosystem. 'In a country as creatively diverse as India, it's no longer about scaling content. It's about resetting the creative ecosystem,' he said. 'If the industry is to run in a sustainable manner, we must drive content profitably, and focusing on youth is a big part of that.' He added that JioStar is committed to ensuring creators are not confined by platforms, formats, or legacy structures. 'Our role is not to act as gatekeepers, but as collaborators. That's how we grow the ecosystem and expand its impact.' Kutty spoke about how the definition of bold content has evolved over time. 'What was considered bold five or six years ago is not what's considered bold now. Today, boldness is about pushing societal norms, asking deeper questions, and doing it within the Indian context. We're not in California. We're in India, and we need to be rooted in our cultural values.' Addressing changing audience expectations, Jain said, 'If the story isn't great, they won't watch, regardless of who stars in it.' He cited the success of 'Thukra Ke Mera Pyaar', a show with a debut director and cast, to illustrate how strong storytelling can drive engagement. 'Innovation isn't a tactic for us. It's the baseline.' On attracting Gen Z audiences, Kutty pointed to a gap in current programming. 'Broadcasters and streamers have not done enough for Gen Z. In the South, we are committed to increasing our programming volume for that audience by seven to ten times.' He also highlighted India's regional diversity as a creative strength. 'Every region offers a wealth of stories. Eighty percent of Malayalam content consumption on JioHotstar comes from outside Kerala. Great stories truly transcend borders.' Kutty expanded on the vast scale of India's digital video market. 'India has 500 to 600 million users consuming four to five hours of content daily across all formats. The real challenge isn't what to do, but what not to do. There's significant headroom for both subscription and ad growth.' JioStar, he added, is backing stories rooted in universal human themes. 'Identity, aspiration, family, and justice. These are the kinds of narratives that connect deeply and scale widely.' Kutty also raised concerns about the current streaming economics. 'Producers have become B2B entities, creating for platforms instead of consumers. That has led to a disconnect. Unless the model is reset, I believe it's deeply broken.' Turning to the theatrical business, Jain spoke about shifting audience behavior. 'Every industry goes through phases of change, and the theatrical space is no different. We've been in a difficult period where people aren't coming to theatres unless the movie is really, really good.' He continued, 'Creators need to tell more authentic stories, and theatre owners must reinvent, whether through pricing, experience, or value delivery. Watching a film today means a three-hour commitment, and that's a big ask. Theatrical viewing needs to feel like an experience, not just a screening.' Jain also commented on the scale of India's content ecosystem. 'TV and digital coexist, with 800 million viewers on the JioStar network and 400 million on JioHotstar.' With more than 320,000 hours of content across multiple languages, Jain said the common thread is human emotion and shared experience. 'That emotional truth is what allows Indian content to scale and even travel globally.'
Time of India
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Korean Drama 'Taxi Driver 3' announced, actor Lee Je-hoon returns as vigilante driver
(Picture Courtesy: Facebook) Actor Lee Je-hoon is set to return for another ride as the vigilante taxi driver Kim Do-gi in ' Taxi Driver 3 ,' after the makers announced the third season of the global hit series at the ongoing Asia Pacific Video Operators Summit conference in Indonesia, reported Variety. The series is expected to premiere in Q4 2025. The streaming platform revealed that the latest instalment will debut as a Viu original worldwide, excluding South Korea and mainland China, following the record-breaking performance of Season 2, reported the outlet. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 2025 Top Trending local enterprise accounting software [Click Here] Esseps Learn More Undo The actor Je-hoon will return alongside fan favourites Kim Eui-sung, Pyo Ye-jin, Jang Hyuk-jin and Bae Yoo-ram for what promises to be the Rainbow Taxi team's most dangerous missions yet, reported Variety. Adding international flavour to the Korean production, Hong Kong boy band 'Mirror' member Edan Lui will make his Korean drama debut as a character who forms an unpredictable alliance with Kim Do-gi. Writer Oh Sang-ho and director Kang Bo-seung return to helm the series, which centres on Je-hoon's brilliant yet tormented vigilante. "We are delighted to introduce 'Taxi Driver 3' through our trusted and long-standing partnership with Viu, a platform with strong global influence and reach. Our production team is working diligently to create a high-quality drama that lives up to the legacy of Seasons 1 and 2, striving to meet and exceed the expectations of viewers," said Park Jeong-hoon, CEO of Studio S, the in-house production arm of SBS Media Group, as quoted by Variety. The announcement comes as part of Viu's expanded 2025 content slate. The platform's Q3 2025 highlights include "My Youth," starring Song Joong-ki as a reclusive ex-child actor reunited with his first love, and 'My Girlfriend Is a Man!,' a gender-bending romantic comedy adapted from a hit webtoon featuring 'Astro''s Yoon San-ha and 'Oh My Girl's Arin, reported Variety.
