In less than eight minutes, roughly the length of a casual smoking break, the micro-drama My Arabpati Mechanic BF delivers a secret inheritance, a blossoming romance, and a family conspiracy. By episode 12, the protagonist, Reyansh, a mechanic, is revealed to be the heir of a massive fortune. His college friend Anika, an NGO worker, has already stepped into the role of his love interest, while elsewhere, his foster uncle is searching for him, hoping to seize the fortune before the truth emerges. A popular title in JioHotstar’s recently launched Tadka, the show currently stretches to 47 episodes, its interface designed like Instagram Reels: vertical, engaging, and made up of 1-2 minute episodes.
Often following the exaggerated acting styles and storytelling of Indian soap operas, micro-dramas are rapidly gaining popularity in India, especially in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, with mainstream OTT platforms such as JioHotstar beginning to tap into the format’s potential. The industry in India is currently valued at $300 million and is projected to touch $4.5 billion by 2030, as per the investment firm Lumikai, making it the country’s “fastest-growing entertainment format”. Seen as “snackable” content, these dramas thrive on platforms such as Kuku TV, Moj, QuickTV, and Reelies.
Consumption is increasingly happening across commutes, breaks, and between daily routines, and that naturally changes both storytelling formats and product designs.
Bharath Ram, CPO, JioHotstar
Bharath Ram, Chief Product Officer, JioHotstar, says that Tadka was launched because OTT consumption is increasingly becoming fragmented. “Consumption is happening across commutes, breaks, and between daily routines, and that changes both storytelling formats and product designs,” he says. The same viewer who watches micro-dramas during the week, he adds, often returns to long-form content on weekends.
If long-form shows build worlds and characters over time, micro-dramas aim for emotions. Revenge, romance, ambition, and sports are among the format’s most popular genres, often unfolding through predictable but emotionally charged plotlines. “The medium is not genre-specific. It works as long as it caters to an emotion that feels personal to the audience,” says director Abir Sengupta, who created the drama Speed Breaker. “Emotions such as greed, passion, humiliation, as well as aspirational characters that are culturally rooted always work best,” he says. For Vandana Khatri, a content writer from Jaisalmer, the appeal lies in the excess. She began watching the dramas out of curiosity, but now finds herself returning to them throughout the day. “They become addictive once you develop a taste,” she says.
Before arriving in India, micro-dramas were already popular in China, South Korea, and the US. Many platforms look at the trend in other countries and ‘localise’ the content, adapting stories and emotions for the Indian audience. “It’s a creative process,” says Akira Rajeev Agarwal, Creative Producer, Kuku TV, “We study what exactly made that show work: the emotional traits, audience behaviour, storytelling, genre, and engagement points.” The content is the created in a way that Indian audiences can emotionally connect with it. “Localisation is extremely important. The final product needs to feel familiar to audiences from Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities,” Agarwal adds.
Platforms are also experimenting with how these dramas are sourced and produced. Amit Z, Chief Product Officer, QuickTV, says the company follows a hybrid model that combines commissioned productions with creator-led content. “This dual strategy allows both studios and independent creators to participate in the ecosystem,” he says. The platform, he adds, is also increasingly investing in AI-led production tools.
Subscriptions range from one rupee for the first month for apps like QuickTV to Rs 399 on a quarterly basis for Kuku TV. JioHotstar doesn’t have a separate subscription for Tadka. In an age of endless scrolling, micro-dramas are proving that sometimes all it takes is two minutes, a cliffhanger, and a rush of emotion to keep millions coming back for more.