'OTT platforms help brands transact with premium consumers,' JioStar's Ajit Varghese

The over-the-top (OTT) platforms can become a goldmine for brands amid the gradual penetration of this segment into the country's interior geography, according to Ajit Varghese, Head of Revenue, Entertainment & International at JioStar. During the FICCI Frames 2025 event, Varghese said the OTT industry has automatically filtered out India's High Networth Individuals (HNIs). Since the OTT industry primarily relies on a subscription model, Varghese underscored, "Brand will get the attention of premium consumers who are willing to pay or give time, and you are getting specialized content". He added that OTT does not target a single consumer but an entire household. "OTT platforms are giving a metaphor of transacting audience, and eventually, clients want to transact audience because they want people to not only just remember brands, engage, eventually go to the marketplace, and buy," he added.

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Notably, advertisers are increasingly struggling with media planning and reach measurement across TV+OTT campaigns. According to the FICCI-EY Media & Entertainment 2025 report, released on Thursday, India's advertising revenue grew by 8.1% led by performance advertising on digital media.

India has over 70 OTT platforms across entertainment, news, audio, and gaming, which serve ads, sell subscriptions, and engage with viewers. However, high-cost OTT content volumes fell 12% in 2024 as platforms aimed for profitability.

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In 2025, industry experts expect that OTT content volumes will increase, but at a lower average cost of production. Additionally, subscribing households will grow from 47 million to over 65 million by 2027 as per capita income increases and smart TV penetration grows.

Experts pointed out that bundling will play a significant role in growing subscriptions of OTT, with both telco packs and multi-package/ platform bundles being important; "We expect to see more business or library combinations to ensure platforms are in the top two to three subscription preferences of households," the report added.