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Micro drama—a new challenger in digital entertainment space

Micro dramas, having already gained traction in markets such as China and the US, are now making their mark in India. These short-form, vertically shot videos cater to audiences with limited time, a preference for fragmented content consumption and a desire for instant gratification. The rise of Kuku TV (India’s leading platform for micro dramas) underscores India’s readiness to embrace this format. While long-form OTT and user-generated content platforms are dominated by global players, micro dramas present a unique opportunity for domestic platforms to capture a growing share of viewership

Micro dramas—short vertically shot videos for on-the-go consumption

Micro dramas are short vertically shot video series, typically comprising 60-90 episodes of 1-2 minutes each, designed for viewing on mobile phones. These videos have captivating storylines (but without the lengthy introductions or complex character development) to grab audience attention within short bursts of time, leveraging the behavior of instant gratification. Each episode usually ends with a cliffhanger, designed to keep viewers watching one episode after another. Since micro dramas feature fast-paced narratives with many plot twists, they are suitable for fragmented consumption.

After flourishing in China and US, micro dramas are now gaining traction in India

The Chinese micro-drama market size has soared to US$6.9 bn in 2024, with the format reaching 52% penetration among its internet users. Even in the US, micro dramas have seen exponential growth, with the monthly micro-drama app downloads crossing 10 mn early this year. The Indian micro-drama market is led by Kuku TV, which has seen over 100 mn app downloads in its maiden year. Other Indian micro-drama apps include Zee’s Bullet, Flick TV, ShareChat’s Quick TV, Eloelo’s Story TV, Amazon’s MX Fatafat, Balaji’s Kutingg, Dashverse’s Dashreels, among others. Four of these apps hold the top-4 ranks in the entertainment category (free apps) on Google Play.

Micro dramas have the potential to succeed in India

Micro dramas have the potential to succeed in India, considering (1) India is a mobile-first market (>85% of viewing time on YouTube in India is mobile-driven, according to Comscore), with digital entertainment being the dominant leisure activity, (2) growing screen fatigue from long-form content, (3) high popularity of short-form content (Reels account for >65% of all user action on Instagram, as per Comscore), (4) strong adoption of vernacular content, (5) ease of payments, with growing UPI penetration and (6) micro dramas offer producers a low-cost high-reward format (made within 1-2 months with up-and-coming actors).

User-generated short-form videos could see the highest impact

Micro dramas would compete directly with the screen time (Indians spend 2.5 hours/day on social media, according to Meltwater) of UGC short-form videos. In terms of monetization, micro dramas initially would rely more on subscriptions and thus, may not be an immediate threat to the ad revenues of incumbents.

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