Regional Cinema Now Rules India's Screens
Vernacular content has overtaken English and Hindi programming on Indian streaming platforms, forcing global players to rethink their content strategy
In the past, the streaming platforms in India used to present regional language shows as an add-on product, as an alternative channel to the “mainstream” Hindi and English shows. That order has been reversed, without a word being spoken.
More Than Half of All Viewing, in Languages Other Than Hindi or English
Media analysts say India has just reached the 52 per cent mark in regional language content share in total OTT viewing, a milestone that was long expected. According to market research quoted separately, the consumption of regional language content has grown by 40 per cent year on year up to late 2025 in the region.
There are 22 constitutionally scheduled languages, and more than 1,369 recognised mother tongues – platforms that only catered for a small part of the language reality are in effect catering for just a part of the market.
Regional Platforms Carve Out Loyal Audiences
Smaller but relatively well-established subscriber bases among the dedicated regional players, Hoichoi, Aha, SunNXT (specifically among those who speak South Indian languages) and ManoramaMAX (among those who speak Malayalam) have long been ignored by the larger pan-Indian players.
Analysts credit the success of this model as Hoichoi has expanded it to a global level, appealing to the Bengali community in Southeast Asia and the Middle East, who have a higher purchasing power than the average consumer at home.
Infrastructure is on pace to meet demand
The growth is supported by the increasingly modern digital infrastructure, which is now making its way to smaller cities. By the end of 2024, India had deployed over 462,000 5G base stations in 779 districts and over 615,000 villages were covered by 4G technology.
The growth frontier for Indian streaming will be Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities, which are the ones that will be drawn to regional or Hindi content, not pan-Hindi or English content, according to one industry analysis.
Global Platforms Respond
Amazon Prime Video has added more regional titles with original productions in Tamil, Telugu and Kannada, and SonyLIV has sought to beef up its South Indian portfolio and partnerships with creators. Estimates suggest India's overall video streaming market will be valued at near $7 billion and grow to $27.2 billion by 2033, and it is now clearly a market that is focused on "vernacular content" – ie its true centre of gravity, not a side offering.