Monika Shergill talks about India’s evolving creative landscape at CII Big Picture Summit 2025

Netflix participated in the 12th CII Big Picture Summit with creator-focused sessions examining how streaming has affected the country’s creative landscape. As the service nears its 10-year milestone in early 2026, Monika Shergill, VP, Content, Netflix India, led a conversation with actor Rajkummar Rao, creator Sudip Sharma and Applause Entertainment MD Sameer Nair on how the media and entertainment space has shifted in recent years.

Talking about Netflix’s past decade in India, Monika Shergill – vice president content, Netflix India said: “I think one of the most defining things streaming has done is open up opportunities for all kinds of talent to participate in the storytelling business, to share in the joy of storytelling, and to entertain our country. We are a large country, and a small pool of people with a small pool of ideas can never satisfy the audience, so programming more, telling more stories, and discovering more talent becomes essential.”

The discussion pointed to how creators may influence the next decade through experimentation, new narrative approaches and stories that engage wider cultural conversations.

The panel examined the role of streaming in widening opportunities for performers. Actor Rajkummar Rao described streaming as “a platform for emerging talent.” He added, “I’ve known so many actor friends of mine who came to the city along with me, and were looking for opportunities. A lot of series and films on streaming platforms have given them that opportunity and now they are doing fabulously well.”

Speaking about streaming as a storytelling format, writer and producer Sudip Sharma said, “I think the biggest change streaming has brought in recent years is the overall elevation of audience taste. Streaming also allows for a lot more immersiveness… Audiences immerse themselves in this world over episodes and over years, which is something unique to streaming.”

Discussing Indian stories travelling beyond domestic audiences, Sameer Nair, Managing Director, Applause Entertainment, said, “Whenever you tell a story, you’re always telling it for your core audience… If it works for the core audience, sometimes you get lucky and it travels and resonates further… And I think it won’t be any particular kind of story or genre, it’s going to be stories that are deeply local, personal, and universal.”