After 400 mn users, JioHotstar invests Rs 4,000 cr in South India for the next phase of growth

After expanding to 400 million monthly active users in just 10 months, JioHotstar is turning its attention to South India for its next phase of growth. Under its South Unbound initiative, the platform has announced a Rs 4,000 crore investment over five years to build a South-focused content and creator ecosystem.

A bigger, deeper content push

As part of this strategy, JioHotstar has unveiled an aggressive slate expansion—25 new titles and 1,500 hours of fresh South programming over the next 12 months. But South Unbound is positioned as more than a content rollout; it is also a call to action for producers and creators.

“We want young creators to know that we’re open for business. If you have a great story, we’re eager to work with you,” said Krishnan Kutty, head of entertainment business, South Cluster, JioStar.

 “South Unbound is about celebrating our momentum and showcasing what’s coming next.”

Partnership with Tamil Nadu

Reinforcing its commitment to the region’s creative economy, JioHotstar announced a letter of intent with the Tamil Nadu government, a collaboration aimed at accelerating the state’s production ecosystem. The platform will introduce regional-first formats, spotlight local stories, and invest in skill-building through writing labs, mentoring programmes, and workshops.

Tamil Nadu deputy chief minister Udhayanidhi Stalin said the partnership will create 1,000 direct and 15,000 indirect jobs.

Sushant Sreeram, head of SVOD business & chief marketing officer, added that these efforts will be supported by a dedicated South experience on JioHotstar, showcasing the cultural richness of each southern market.

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Why the South matters

South India has rapidly become one of JioHotstar's strongest growth engines, leading the country in subscription depth, retention and CTV adoption. Since the JioCinema–Disney+ Hotstar merger, viewership and reach of South content have grown 70%, and watch time has risen 170%.

Kutty noted that demand extends far beyond the region; over 80% of Malayalam watch time comes from outside Kerala, reinforcing the decision to double down on South storytelling.

“South content on JioHotstar is watched in 99.96% of India. Out of 19,000 pincodes, only six haven’t streamed South content recently,” said Sreeram while emphasising the national reach.

To sustain this, he said the platform will focus on consistency and serving the entire household, not a single demographic.

Consumer behaviour itself is shifting. Shows intended for young women often resonate equally with older viewers, men or couples. “The challenge and opportunity”, Kutty said, “is to programme for these fluid audience cohorts and let every great story find its full potential.”

Betting on Gen Z

JioHotstar is also investing in Gen Z storytelling. According to Kutty, the industry’s belief that young audiences only want micro-content is misplaced.

“Our long-running series show that attention was not the issue. We just hadn’t told enough stories that truly reflect their lives. Whenever we have, the response has been strong.”

Global ambitions

JioHotstar is currently India-only, but global expansion is firmly on the roadmap. Sreeram believes South Indian stories carry significant international potential, even beyond the diaspora.

“The opportunity isn’t just exporting these stories. It also creates localised versions for international markets. And frankly, Kerala shouldn’t be called the ‘new Korea’. If anything, Korea should be the ‘new Kerala’.”

The rise of Connected TV in the South

Close to 45% of JioHotstar’s southern audience watches on Connected TVs, making it one of India’s earliest CTV-first regions. Strong digital penetration and prosperity have played a role. The cultural behaviours associated with linear TV have also continued. Families who watched linear TV together are now watching OTT together on CTV.

“Our focus is on creating experiences for group viewing while still allowing each person to be a true fan of a show,” Kutty said.

JioStar’s linear TV footprint—Star Vijay, Star Suvarna, Colors Kannada, Colors Tamil, Asianet—also helps build this ecosystem. TV premieres, digital-first launches and cross-promotion now reinforce each other, creating a unified funnel for viewers.

Competing in a crowded South OTT market

With players such as ManoramaMAX (Malayalam), aha (Tamil/Telugu) and NammaFlix (Kannada), the South OTT landscape is highly competitive. But Kutty remains confident: “Some platforms take an event-driven view. Our approach is long-term, consistent and built to serve consumers in a significant way.”

New slate highlights

While the current focus is on scripted content and movies, by early 2026, JioHotstar plans to scale non-scripted content in a big way.

The expanded reality lineup includes Comedy Cooks, Mad for Each Other, Second Love, and—for the first time—Roadies in Telugu.

Returning franchises include Kerala Crime Files S3, Save The Tigers S3, Heartbeat S3, and Good Wife S2.

New long-format originals include Cousins And Kalyanams, Moodu Lantharlu, LBW – Love Beyond Wicket, Resort, Secret Stories: Roslin, Lingam, and Vikram On Duty.

Premium originals include regional adaptations Vishakha (based on Aarya), Kaattaan starring Vijay Sethupathi, and Pharma featuring Nivin Pauly. Feature films such as Lucky The Superstar and Kenatha Kaanom round out the slate.

JioHotstar’s growth trajectory

In the South alone, the platform has seen nearly 60% growth in new advertisers over 10 months. Subscriber numbers have reportedly jumped from 29 million to 300 million in the same period.

“Ten months ago, we wondered how long it would take to reach 200 million subscribers. It happened in under a year,” Sreeram said. “The biggest risk now is aiming too low.”

At the event, he also highlighted that JioHotstar now reaches 100% of India’s pincodes and has built the country’s largest Connected TV universe with more than 85 million devices.