It is well-known that the global streaming giant, Netflix, has attempted various strategies to increase its subscriptions in India, but none have come close to rivaling its competitors.
According to an AllianceBernstein report, Netflix India’s failure is primarily attributed to its content not catering to local viewers. They suggest that only 12% of Netflix’s content appeals to local customers, while Prime Video offers approximately 60% of content that resonates with Indian audiences, marking a substantial difference.
Since its inception in India, Netflix has seemingly neglected to understand the viewing tastes and habits of Indian audiences. They have consistently provided the same content targeted at customers in the United States and other foreign countries where Netflix has found success. This oversight is a significant miss.
Furthermore, Netflix India has shown little interest in the South Indian market. Their focus has primarily been on the North and Hindi content, despite the availability of numerous OTT options for Hindi audiences such as Zee5, SonyLIV, Hotstar, and others.
Without support from the South Indian customer base, Netflix is unlikely to experience growth in the Indian market, which explains why it continues to lag behind Prime Video. Currently, Hotstar is the leading streaming platform in India, boasting a substantial subscription base.
Hotstar consistently offers content in various languages and benefits from its cricket streaming, which significantly boosts subscriptions.
