Mogi I/O : OTT/Podcast/Short Video Apps for you

Yesterday, I noticed my son and his 2 friends were passionately debating whether Solo Leveling is better than Demon Slayer. The surprise? Two of them were discussing it in Hindi dubs. That’s when it clicked — something massive is happening. India is becoming the NEXT global anime powerhouse — and the numbers don’t lie. India is now the 2nd largest anime-viewing country after China. According to the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, India’s anime market hit $1.64Bn in 2025 India currently has over 180 million anime fans  83% of Indians prefer anime over other animated content (JetSynthesys). Fans spend 1 hour+ per day watching anime — a big slice of total streaming time. Anime viewership in India is growing at 13% CAGR through 2028. Crunchyroll says 60% of its future growth will come from India. OTT platforms have started to notice — and the race is ON. Here’s how the landscape is shifting: • Crunchyroll launched in India (Jan 2024) → 800+ titles → 80+ dubs in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu • Prime Video introduced “Anime Times” • Netflix India is releasing anime films with Indian subtitles • Disney, Sony, JioCinema, MX — all increasing anime content slices • 73% of Indians watched anime in 2020 — and that number is even higher today Crunchyroll’s APAC Director Akshat Sahu said it best: “Anime’s popularity in India has skyrocketed… especially among Gen Z and millennials.” Localization Is the Game-Changer What unlocked India’s anime boom? Dubbing. Local languages. Familiar faces. Anime drives longer watch sessions than local short videos Dubbing (Hindi, Tamil, Telugu) is unlocking Tier-2/3 adoption The real incident that opened my eyes… An anime merchandise shop owner recently joked: “People think anime is new. But everyone grew up on Pokémon, DBZ, Naruto, Shinchan…They just didn’t know it was anime.” BUT there’s a huge gap: India doesn’t yet have a strong ecosystem to support anime-inspired OTT platforms, micro-studios, and indie creators. And that’s where the next billion-dollar opportunity lies. Opportunity for OTT, Production house, tech & media content companies: India needs: • Affordable anime-first OTT platforms • Short-form anime (like micro-dramas) will explode next. India’s 500-million OTT audience is only partially tapped. Anime is converting the next 200–300 million users — especially from Tier 2 & Tier 3 markets. AI animation pipelines can reduce costs by 40–70%, Anime is cheaper to produce than big-budget series, What’s missing is the infrastructure to deliver Whoever builds that — wins the next decade Platforms that wait will pay 3x later And with the right tech stack — Mogi IO can help OTT players lead it. My Take OTT in India won’t just be Bollywood vs. Hollywood. It will be Bollywood vs. Anime. If you want to build an anime-based OTT Platform, let's talk - Call: +91 9818399142 Visit: https://mogiio.com Sunil Gupta Anindya Poddar Sunando Bhattacharya #Anime #MicrodramaOTT #OTT #ShortVideo #VernacularOTT

Four years ago, the microdrama industry didn’t exist. This week, something happened that made me realize—we’re officially past the tipping point. On the train, I watched a group of teens huddled around a phone—not on TikTok or Netflix, but bingeing a 90-second vertical microdrama. They argued about villains, cliffhangers, and which episodes to pay for. That moment said everything: the vertical storytelling era isn’t coming. It’s here. And the numbers prove it: ➡️ China: $500M (2021) → $7B in 2024 ➡️ Global: $26B by 2030 ➡️ U.S.: $819M (2024) → $3.8B by 2030 ➡️ 830M Chinese viewers; 60% pay ➡️ Premium vertical dramas now cost $400K–$600K to produce Hollywood tried this first—Quibi spent $1B+ before collapsing. China succeeded by combining algorithmic discovery, integrated payments, and fast IP pipelines from web novels. Now that model is spreading worldwide. How it started: Microdramas were born out of China’s mobile ecosystem—vertical video + frictionless payments + recommendation engines. The result: a format that grew from zero to billions almost overnight. What worked: Ultra-short, addictive episodes Rapid production cycles Data-led creative testing Monetization through unlocks, ads, subscriptions Platform integration (WeChat, ByteDance, Kuaishou) Repeatable storytelling tropes that travel globally Why it’s an ROI magnet: Low production risk Fast payback windows High output velocity Global portability (romance + revenge works everywhere) AI is reducing costs in scripting, dubbing, and testing Microdramas behave more like digital products than traditional entertainment. The 3 Growth Phases Phase 1: China → $7B in four years Phase 2: Global expansion → $4B in 2.5 years Phase 3 (now): Local ecosystems emerge Korea’s Vigloo blending K-drama DNA with vertical storytelling Japan forecast to reach $1.2B by 2030 Southeast Asia scaling through OTT + telcos Latin America accelerating; India entering exploration India’s Microdrama Boom ✅ Microdramas are already hitting a $500M run rate in India — in just one year. ✅ 550+ microdramas will be produced this month — 5× India’s usual film output. ✅ Only 6–8 screens per million people, but 850M+ smartphones. Distribution always wins. Breakouts: • Flick TV raised $2.3M. • StoryTV hit massive views with 400+ micro-series at 10× lower cost. India is moving fast on vertical storytelling. The U.S. is now the most profitable market outside China. DramaBox proves profitability is possible; ReelShort proves scale is possible. Both confirm: customer acquisition is the real moat. AI: The Accelerant Studios like Holywater, Crisp, and Vigloo use AI for localization, creative testing, genre prediction, and workflow acceleration. We’re witnessing a new entertainment layer—one designed for mobile habits and micro-moments. Want to build or launch your own microdrama OTT platform? Let’s talk Call: +91 7017235483 Visit: https://mogiio.com #ShortVideo #VernacularOTT #OTTPlatforms #MicroDramaOTT

Four years back, the global entertainment world laughed at microdramas. Hollywood tried first and failed spectacularly. Quibi raised $1.75 billion, hired Spielberg & Del Toro… and shut down in 6 months, burning over $1 billion in the process. Everyone said: “Short-form premium video will NEVER work.” “People won’t pay for vertical content.” “TikTok and YouTube already won.” But something unexpected was happening — in another part of the world. China quietly built the exact version of microdramas that Hollywood couldn’t. Not celebrity-driven. Not prestige-driven. But data-driven, mobile-native, IP-powered, addictive storytelling under 2 minutes per episode. And the numbers are unbelievable: Revenues jumped from $500M (2021) to $7B (2024) 830M+ viewers in China alone Nearly 60% pay or transact Global market outside China: $1.4B (2024) → $9.5B (2030) Entire category heading to $26B by 2030 This is not entertainment evolution. This is entertainment disruption. The Three-Phase Explosion (We are entering Phase 3) Phase 1 (2021–2024): China goes from zero → $7B in 4 years. Phase 2 (2022–2024): North America jumps from zero → $4B in 2.5 years. Platforms like DramaBox and ReelShort dominate the charts. Phase 3 (2025→): Local ecosystems around the world — Korea, Japan, Thailand, LATAM — building their own microdrama industries. This is the phase where India can lead, if we move fast. Why Microdramas Work (and Hollywood got it wrong) The format seems simple: Episodes under 2 minutes Vertical Emotional cliffhangers Adapted from viral web novels Built into seamless social + payments ecosystems But behind it? A system more advanced than traditional OTT: AI-powered testing Algorithmic discovery Fast iteration Multi-monetization: ads + unlocks + subs Data-led content decisions Low-cost, high-scale production Storytelling optimized for dopamine cycles This is not “short content”. This is a new entertainment category between OTT & social media. The Incident No One Talks About… When Quibi failed in 2020, global investors assumed the category was dead. That one failure delayed the West by 3–4 years, while China quietly built a multi-billion-dollar empire. Today, Hollywood is again behind. China, Korea, Japan, Thailand are moving ahead at insane speed. And India? India is still “exploring”. The next Netflix competitor may not be long-form. It might be a vertical microdrama app born from AI + web novel IP. The Real Question for 2025–2030 Microdramas are no longer an experiment. Big tech, VCs, media giants, and creators are all entering. The question now is: Who will build the India-first microdrama ecosystem? The one that uses local culture, Hinglish storytelling, regional IP, and mobile-first distribution to dominate? Want to build or launch your own microdrama OTT platform? Let’s talk Call: +91 7017235483 Visit: https://mogiio.com #ShortVideo #VernacularOTT #OTTPlatforms #MicroDramaOTT

A Hollywood Producer Walked Into a Tiny Studio in Kyiv and couldn’t believe what he saw. Three unknown actors. One phone camera. A two-room apartment. Yet, within two weeks, their 90-episode vertical drama had 20 million views — and earned more than what some indie films make in a year. Welcome to the microdrama revolution. Microdramas — short, smartphone-first series filmed vertically — started quietly in China during the pandemic. But in 2025, they’re redefining how stories are told and watched globally. Once dismissed as “low-budget soap operas,” these bite-sized shows are now attracting major Hollywood money and muscle. Fox Entertainment has taken an equity stake in Holywater, a Ukrainian vertical drama platform, committing to produce 200 new series in just two years. Former Miramax CEO Bill Block has launched GammaTime, backed by Kim Kardashian, Kris Jenner, and Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, raising $14 million to bring star-studded storytelling to mobile screens. And a new startup, MicroCo — founded by ex-executives from Showtime, WME, and NBCUniversal — aims to bring studio-grade quality to the vertical format. Their belief? That the next “Netflix” won’t be horizontal — it’ll be vertical. Budgets are tiny — just $100K to $300K per series — but returns are massive. According to Owl & Co, vertical dramas will generate over $3 billion outside China this year. In the U.S. alone, apps like ReelShort and DramaBox brought in nearly $350 million in Q1 2025. And unlike traditional TV or OTT, microdramas are created, shot, and released in weeks — not years. It’s fast, agile storytelling — built for the scroll generation. Of course, the question remains: Will these Hollywood-backed vertical apps keep audiences loyal, or will they become another Quibi — a billion-dollar flop that arrived too early? Yet, one thing is clear — attention has gone vertical, and where attention flows, opportunity follows. Just as Netflix redefined the streaming era, the next wave of growth lies in micro-budget, mobile-first video experiences. Vertical drama apps like ReelShort and DramaBox generated over $350 million from U.S. audiences in Q1 2025 — and globally, the format is on track to cross $3 billion this year. But here’s the real twist — India is already in the game. 🇮🇳 India makes $2B in films a year. Microdramas? Already hitting $500M. This November alone — 550+ new ones. When we’ve got 850M smartphones but barely 8 cinema screens per million people… For creators, studios, and brands, this is a gold rush — a chance to own IP, reach Gen Z, and build content where audiences already live: on their phones. At Mogi I/O, we make it easy to launch vertical-video platforms — fast, scalable, and global. The next blockbuster won’t need a big screen. It’ll need a big idea — and a small camera. Call: +91 7017235483 Visit: https://mogiio.com #MicrodramaOTT #OTT #MogiIO #ShortVideo #VernacularOTT

Last week, while waiting at a café, I noticed something that perfectly captures how entertainment has changed. Three college students were huddled around one phone, completely hooked on a mini-drama — two-minute episodes, plot twists every 30 seconds, and binge-level obsession. One of them shouted — “Episode 8 just dropped!” No Netflix. No Prime. No PVR. Just pure storytelling — on a smartphone, during a coffee break. That’s not just content. That’s a $11 billion global revolution in the making. The Rise of Microdramas According to new research by Omdia presented at MIPCOM, microdramas are set to generate $11 billion in global revenues by 2025, nearly twice the size of the FAST (Free Ad-Supported TV) market. These 2-3 minute scripted stories have become the sweet spot between TikTok and Netflix — delivering emotional depth in scroll-sized bites. They’re not “short videos” anymore. They’re short stories — reimagined for the mobile generation. Why It Works Low cost, high emotion: Shot in days, not months. Perfect for binge habits: Each episode is 2 minutes of instant engagement. Massive monetization: ARPU as high as $80/month. Creator-first format: No middlemen, no theatrical pressure — direct-to-audience storytelling. And yes — China currently leads the charge, with 83% of global revenue, but the next wave is definitely Made in India. India’s Microdrama Boom Here’s where it gets exciting: ✅ The entire Indian film industry is roughly a $2 billion market, but in just one year, microdramas are already trending at a $500 million annual run rate. ✅ This November alone, over 550 independent microdramas will be produced in India - that’s 5× the number of films produced monthly. ✅ India has only 6–8 cinema screens per million people, but over 850 million smartphone users. No prizes for guessing — distribution wins. Always. Indian Success Stories: Flick TV & StoryTV Flick TV raised $2.3M to build India’s leading microdrama OTT platform. StoryTV hit tens of millions of views with 400+ bite-sized 2-minute series — earning through subs, ads & pay-per-episode, at 10× lower cost than music videos. The Bigger Picture Microdramas are redefining “premium storytelling” in the digital era. They’re merging the immediacy of social media with the emotional pull of traditional cinema. For filmmakers and creators, it’s a once-in-a-decade opportunity — a chance to build direct relationships with audiences and own the entire value chain, powered by OTT innovation and AI-driven production tools. My Take OTT isn’t shrinking cinema. It’s reshaping it — from PVR screens to pocket screens, from 4K to 9:16 frames. Microdramas are not the end of storytelling. They’re the new beginning — short, emotional, monetizable, and built for Bharat. Want to build or launch your own microdrama OTT platform? Let’s talk Call: +91 7017235483 Visit: https://mogiio.com #ShortVideo #VernacularOTT #OTTPlatforms #MicroDramaOTT

Last week, I sat with a young producer and a debut director at a café in Andheri. Not star-struck. Not chasing fame. Just two creators — tired, determined, and quietly hopeful. One of them said something that stayed with me: “We don’t want to gamble crores on the first film… we just want a fair chance to be seen.” And that one sentence perfectly captures the shift in the entertainment industry today. A few years ago, launching in Bollywood meant glittering premieres, red carpets, and box-office battles. But today, even Aryan Khan — son of Bollywood Superstar Shah Rukh Khan — chose to skip theatres and make his directorial debut on Netflix with The Ba*ds of Bollywood web-series Earlier, a newcomer’s success was measured by ticket sales and theatre footfalls. Now, it’s about global reach, digital impact, and storytelling freedom. According to an insightful India Today report featuring Girish Johar and Pankaj Tripathi, OTT has completely reshaped the rules of a successful debut. Why newcomers are choosing OTT over theatres Let’s face it — the economics, audience behavior, and creative freedom all point in one direction. 1. Global reach, instant visibility As Pankaj Tripathi said, “We can’t release our films in 200 countries through theatres. OTT has made that possible.” Platforms like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Disney+ Hotstar give creators instant access to a worldwide audience. That’s something traditional cinemas can’t match. 2. Creative freedom & safer experimentation For newcomers, OTT acts as a “training ground.” “Actors, writers, and directors are gaining experience on OTT first,” says Karan Johar. “They want to brush up their skills, take risks, and perform without box office pressure.” 3. Lower financial risk for producers Launching new talent theatrically means heavy marketing, distribution, and P&A costs. But OTT platforms cover up to 70–80% of a project’s cost, making it easier for producers to experiment. 4. Audience preference is shifting India’s digital audience is massive — over 500 million active OTT users, growing at ~13% YoY. This young, mobile-first audience consumes content on demand — choosing creativity and convenience over cinema halls. OTT: A Launchpad, Not Just a Platform From The Archies to Mirzapur — OTT has become the first step for many new-age creators to gain experience, build audiences, and tell original stories. Theatres may still be the litmus test of stardom, but OTT is where stories are discovered and content reaches millions — instantly Opportunity Ahead — Powered by Mogi I/O Mogi I/O helps filmmakers, production houses & media studios build their own OTT platforms (no Netflix & Hotstar dependency), stream globally & keep 100% of the earnings — hassle-free. Because the future of stardom won’t be released in theatres… It’ll be streamed to the world Call: +91 7017235483 Visit: https://mogiio.com #OTT #EntertainmentIndustry #FilmProducers #Filmmaking #ContentCreators #Cinema

Last Friday, while sitting at a film festival in Mumbai, I overheard a group of young filmmakers discussing distribution. One said — “Bhai, film toh bana lenge, par dikhayenge kahan?” That hit hard. Because just a few minutes later, Kiran Rao echoed the same truth on stage at the Jagran Film Festival — “The world has changed dramatically with OTTs and younger audiences, but for small films, the fundamental challenge of distribution remains the same.” And she’s absolutely right. The Harsh Reality: Great Films, No Screens India produces over 2,000+ films every year, but only a fraction get meaningful theatrical releases. After COVID, theatre audiences have shrunk — especially viewers over 30, who once loved slow, reflective cinema. Meanwhile, the 18–28 age group — the “scroll generation” — consumes everything on OTT or mobile. Rao’s words remind us that the real battle is no longer about production — it’s about distribution. OTT: The New Distribution Highway ✅ India has only 6–8 cinema screens per million people, but over 850 million smartphones. ✅ The entire Indian film industry is worth $2Bn, while micro dramas are already touching a $500Mn annual run rate. ✅ This November alone, nearly 550 micro dramas will be produced — 5x the monthly theatrical output. Distribution has shifted — from PVR to your pocket screen. AI + OTT: The Perfect Storytelling Duo Small films no longer need to wait for a distributor’s call. They can reach their audience — directly, digitally, globally. And now, with AI + OTT convergence, even the economics are transforming: Story ideation to dubbing — powered by GenAI Production costs down by 60% Personalized feed delivery for micro audiences In fact, micro-dramas and independent OTT originals are now being produced at a 5x higher rate than theatrical films. Creators are discovering what studios ignored — scale doesn’t come from multiplexes anymore, it comes from streams. Cinema doesn’t need more screens. It needs smarter distribution. And that’s where Mogi I/O steps in — enabling filmmakers, production houses, and media brands to launch their own OTT platforms, monetize their content globally, and take control of their audience. Call: +91 7017235483 Visit: https://mogiio.com #OTT #Filmmaking #AI #ContentCreators #Cinema #MicroDrama

Last Friday, I walked past Liberty Cinema in Mumbai. The posters still gleamed under yellow lights. But the crowd was missing. No black-ticket whispers, no “Bhai, 2nd show mil jayega kya?” energy. The red HOUSEFULL board that once defined success — is now replaced by another kind of board. The “Now Streaming” banner on OTT apps. The Shift India’s film industry is going through its biggest reset since multiplexes arrived. Audiences haven’t vanished — they’ve moved screens. OTT viewership in India grew 25% YoY, crossing 750M monthly active users. But footfalls in single-screens? Down 40% post-pandemic. It’s not that cinema lost its charm — it lost its context. Today’s moviegoer doesn’t wait for Friday. They wait for what’s worth watching. Because the theatre experience costs ₹2,000+ for a family. Meanwhile, a ₹199/month subscription gives unlimited global content. The equation flipped. Why It’s Happening India is now a mobile-first cinema nation. Half of Gen Z watches movies on phones, not 70mm. Lockdowns reprogrammed habits — “pause, rewind, skip” became natural. Algorithms replaced star power — the story is the new superstar. AI & data now predict what works before the first shot is filmed. This isn’t the death of cinema. It’s its second birth. The New Economics For producers, the OTT shift isn’t just creative — it’s financial survival. A mid-budget film can make 2–3x ROI via direct OTT licensing. AI dubbing cuts localization costs by 70%. Tier-2 & Tier-3 viewership drives 45% of India’s OTT consumption. What used to be “Bollywood vs Hollywood” is now “Who owns the screen in your hand?” The New Players PVR Inox exploring hybrid premieres. Netflix and JioCinema racing for Indian originals. Platforms like Mogi I/O are helping movie creators launch their own OTTs — without losing creative control or revenue share. For filmmakers, this means one thing: Own your screen. Own your audience. Platforms like Mogi I/O make it possible to: Launch your own OTT in weeks Stream globally across mobile, web & TV Monetize directly through ads or subscriptions Analyze & build audience data It’s the power shift creators always wanted — from studio gatekeepers to digital ownership. The Bigger Picture Cinema hasn’t died. It’s simply changed its address. From the theatre balcony to the phone screen. From “Friday release” to “Anytime premiere.” From “box office” to “buffering icon.” The emotion is still the same — just the medium evolved. My Take The next Housefull moment won’t happen in a theatre. It’ll happen on a filmmaker’s own OTT platform. Cinema was always about community. Now, it’s about connection — powered by data, technology, and storytelling that travels beyond one screen. The future of cinema isn’t about where it’s watched. It’s about how far it travels. Let’s build that future. Call: +91 7017235483 Visit: https://mogiio.com #OTT #Filmmakers #Producers #FilmDistribution #EntertainmentFuture

Last weekend, I visited my cousin’s home. Their new Smart TV had just arrived, and I noticed something striking — My cousin wasn’t flipping through cable channels. She was binge-watching a Netflix series, her younger brother switched between YouTube Shorts and Prime Video, and their parents were catching the latest regional drama on a local OTT app. That one living room tells the story of a national transformation. India is officially OTT-first. Numbers Speak Louder Than Words According to Ormax Media Audience Report 2025: CTV users surged 87% in just one year — 129M users across 40M homes OTT users crossed 600M, touching 41% of India’s population Paid subscriptions hit 148M, including telecom bundles and aggregators From watching IPL live on Hotstar to streaming Marathi movies on regional platforms, homes are becoming mini multiplexes, and every screen — TV, tablet, or phone — is part of India’s entertainment ecosystem. 🎯 Why OTT Wins Every Metric The stats tell a clear story: ✅ CTV adoption is skyrocketing — living rooms are now the biggest entertainment hubs ✅ OTT penetration keeps expanding — hundreds of millions of viewers, urban and rural ✅ Paid subscriptions are booming — users are not just consuming, they’re investing ✅ Platforms are innovating rapidly with hybrid models, ads, and bundles — turning growth into revenue The verdict is clear: OTT is not just growing — it is dominating. 💡 A Billion-Dollar Opportunity The surge is creating massive opportunities: Filmmakers & studios reach millions of homes instantly Brands & advertisers tell immersive, memorable stories The winners will be the platforms that combine content, technology, and monetization seamlessly. Powered by Mogi I/O At Mogi I/O, we help OTT platforms launch, scale, and monetize across Connected TV, mobile, and hybrid models. We build the technology backbone powering India’s streaming champions. Because in this OTT-first era, real victory isn’t just reaching users — it’s converting attention into engagement, subscriptions, and revenue. The Verdict OTT is the winner. Every home connected, every screen activated, every subscription bought — proves it. If you’re a filmmaker, media house, or brand, this is the moment to embrace hybrid, connected, and monetized streaming and ride India’s biggest entertainment wave yet. DM me or call now at +91 7017235483, or visit us at www.mogiio.com #OTT #ConnectedTV #StreamingIndia #MediaInnovation #DigitalTransformation #MogiIO