Nearly 25% of Prime Video India’s viewership comes from outside the country

At FICCI FRAMES 2025, Prime Video India revealed that nearly a quarter of its Indian content viewership now comes from international audiences, underscoring the platform’s growing role in taking Indian storytelling global.

Speaking at a session titled “Made in India: I-Dramas — Are Our Stories Ready to Travel Across Borders?”, Shilangi Mukherji, Director and Head of SVOD Business, and Nikhil Madhok, Head of Originals at Prime Video India, discussed how authenticity, localisation, and global distribution are shaping the next phase of India’s content economy.

According to the executives, Indian content trended in Prime Video’s global Top 10 every single week in 2024, reflecting a steady appetite for Indian stories abroad. Madhok said that “nearly 25% of viewership for Indian content on Prime Video comes from outside India,” crediting this to the platform’s focus on originality and local authenticity. “Imitation will not take you far; what travels well is authenticity,” he said.

Mukherji noted that localisation and multilingual accessibility have been key growth levers. “Almost 60% of customers in India stream content in four or more Indian languages, and localisation has also made our stories accessible to international audiences who may not understand Indian languages,” she said.

Prime Video currently has over 100 Originals in different stages of production, development, or negotiation, making India one of its largest content markets outside the U.S. The platform’s multi-pronged approach—spanning Originals, licensed titles, add-on subscriptions, and movie rentals—has deepened its reach. Mukherji said, “We’re seeing rental transactions from 95% of pin codes in India, and nearly 25% of our streamers in the past year were completely new to the service.”

The company has also innovated across pricing and distribution, with products like Prime Lite and Prime Video Mobile Edition, designed to reach India’s mobile-first audience. Prime Video now programs content in 10 Indian languages, supported by subtitling and dubbing for wider accessibility.

Looking ahead, Prime Video is doubling down on its hybrid theatrical-streaming model. Starting 2026, it will premiere three to four local Indian films from Amazon MGM Studios in theatres every year, while continuing to stream major Originals globally. “We believe in the magic of theatres. Depending on the story, we and the creators decide what should release theatrically first,” said Madhok.

When asked how Indian stories could achieve broader global resonance like those from South Korea or Turkey, Mukherji said that the industry must “invest in intentional localisation from the beginning” rather than treating it as an afterthought. Madhok added that global breakthroughs are often unpredictable: “All it takes is one standout story to spark wider recognition. We’ve already seen green shoots across all our Originals.”