The Indian Over-the-Top (OTT) landscape underwent a significant transformation in 2025, moving away from the era of aggressive expansion to one of strategic reassessment and operational discipline. According to Pratap Jain, Founder and CEO of ChanaJor, the past twelve months served as a decisive turning point where the digital streaming ecosystem prioritized sustainability, audience retention, and sharper brand positioning over blind volume-driven growth.
From Aggressive Scale to Strategic Conviction
The industry-wide pivot in 2025 saw platforms becoming increasingly conscious of content performance and cost-to-value ratios. Jain observed that the market has matured to a stage where discipline now outweighs hype. The focus has shifted from the sheer quantity of show launches to a deeper understanding of viewer behavior. This “course correction” emphasizes growth and relevance, ensuring that content not only attracts subscribers but keeps them engaged through high completion rates.
For ChanaJor, this industry shift translated into a strategy built on conviction-driven storytelling. Rather than expanding across multiple genres or languages, the platform invested thoughtfully in narratives that resonate specifically with Hindi-speaking audiences. Jain noted that 2025 was a year where business decisions were guided by data-backed viewer patterns, ensuring that every piece of content served a clear purpose in the platform’s ecosystem.
The Power of Hyper-Local Depth
A standout feature of 2025 was the success of platforms that maintained a clear cultural identity. ChanaJor’s decision to remain a Hindi-only service emerged as a primary competitive advantage. By focusing on depth within a single language rather than horizontal diversity, the platform successfully penetrated Tier 2, Tier 3, and emerging markets. This hyper-local focus allowed for a more profound connection with audiences who seek rooted and authentic stories that mirror their daily lives.
Marketing Evolution: Efficiency and Digital Discovery
Marketing strategies across the Indian OTT space also evolved toward higher efficiency in 2025. Spending became largely performance-driven, with a heavy emphasis on digital discovery, seamless platform integrations, and content-led promotions with measurable outcomes. Jain expects that while performance discipline will remain, 2026 will see a gradual move toward stronger brand-building efforts to establish long-term trust and recall among viewers.
The Road Ahead: 2026 Outlook
As the industry looks toward 2026, Pratap Jain identifies three key pillars for future success: the rise of short and micro-format storytelling, a relentless focus on viewer engagement, and the necessity for platforms to build distinct cultural identities. ChanaJor’s primary resolution for the coming year is to communicate its identity with greater clarity—moving away from marketing every individual release to reinforcing its standing as the home for authentic Hindi storytelling.
Ultimately, the platforms that thrive in 2026 will be those that avoid trying to cater to everyone and instead double down on understanding their core audience deeply. Consistency in messaging and honesty in storytelling are expected to be the true markers of success in the maturing digital era.
Key Highlights:
- Strategic Maturity: The Indian OTT industry in 2025 shifted focus from aggressive volume-based growth to sustainability and data-driven audience retention.
- ChanaJor’s Niche Success: By maintaining a strict Hindi-only content strategy, ChanaJor successfully captured the Tier 2 and Tier 3 markets through authentic and rooted storytelling.
- Marketing Shift: Advertising spends moved toward a performance-driven model focused on measurable digital discovery and efficient platform integrations.
- 2026 Vision: The industry’s future will be shaped by micro-format content and the development of clear, culturally specific platform identities.