MUMBAI: Netflix has announced to release of 41 shows and films in India this year, calling the big move in the world’s second-most populous nation where video streaming services have become more popular.
India, with its 1.3 billion people, is a vast and valuable market for the U.S. streaming service and its rivals Amazon’s Prime Video and Walt Disney Co’s Disney+ Hotstar. The platforms, which are all offering an increasingly broad range of local language content, have been luring users with cheaper billing plans and offers.
Netflix’s new roster of 41 titles includes films with top Bollywood actors, stand-up comedy shows, and original series, the company said in a blog post. Most will be in the Hindi language.
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In its post, Netflix said, “We are taking our next big leap in India”, saying the upcoming lineup “features more variety and diversity than we have seen before”. India, whose Bollywood film industry makes more productions each year than Hollywood, remains a challenging market for streaming services.
Netflix said some of its 41 shows that will be released this year would be produced by India’s Reliance Entertainment, Viacom18, and Bollywood director Karan Johar’s Dharmatic Entertainment.
