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Balaji Telefilms Ltd and Eloelo Group’s micro-drama platform, Story TV, on Monday announced a partnership to scale up short-form storytelling content in India. As part of the collaboration, Balaji Telefilms will launch original, mobile-first micro-dramas across genres, languages, and themes.
According to Saurabh Pandey, Founder & CEO of Story TV, the micro-drama market is projected to exceed $5 billion in the next three years.
“Our alliance with Story TV is a game-changer, setting the stage for powerful, fresh storytelling that’s fearless and fast-paced,” said Ekta Kapoor, Joint Managing Director, Balaji Telefilms Ltd.
Launched in 2025 by the Eloelo Group, Story TV is a vertical video platform that has already attracted over 1 crore users and built a library of more than 300 original titles, including popular hits such as Mafia Don, Secret Soldier, Shaadi Ki Saza, and Hacker King.
Industry experts note that India’s micro-drama segment has seen rapid growth in recent years. A Sensor Tower report highlighted a 113% year-on-year increase in micro-drama app downloads in Q1 2025, with significant traction coming from Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities.
India’s micro-drama landscape is fast evolving, with a mix of local and international players. Homegrown platforms such as Kuku TV, Flick TV, and ReelSagas are attracting investor interest, while major OTT services like Amazon MX Player and Zee TV are experimenting with micro-drama formats. International platforms such as DramaBox and ReelShort, both Chinese-originated, are also gaining traction globally.
According to MPA estimates, Kuku TV leads the segment with 37 million monthly active users (MAUs), followed by DramaBox (2.8 million) and ReelShort (1.1 million). Kuku TV continues to expand its footprint with local-language programming and boasts over 5 million paid subscribers with high average revenue per user (ARPU).
Early adoption of micro-dramas is strongest among female audiences aged 18–34, though platforms are widening appeal by experimenting with diverse genres. The most popular themes include romance, family drama, workplace stories, and crime thrillers—formats reminiscent of traditional TV serials but reimagined for short, high-engagement, mobile-native storytelling.
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