EXCLUSIVE: Tata Play enters micro-drama space with ‘Shots’ on Binge, eyes higher app stickiness

Tata Play is stepping into the fast-growing micro-drama segment with the launch of ‘Shots’, a new short-form, vertical content category on its OTT aggregation platform Tata Play Binge. The move marks the company’s entry into mobile-first micro-dramas, as viewing habits increasingly shift towards snackable, on-the-go entertainment.

Commenting on the development, Pallavi Puri, Chief Commercial and Content Officer at Tata Play, said short-form vertical storytelling has moved firmly into the mainstream. “As viewers shift toward quicker, more frequent watch sessions, we’ve focused on creating formats that align with these evolving habits. Shots is a natural extension of this—bringing micro-dramas from multiple partners into one seamless destination,” she said. Puri added that making mobile-first stories available at no extra cost would help content partners reach wider audiences through a unified aggregation platform.

Industry experts see the move as part of a broader push by OTT aggregators to drive higher daily engagement and viewing frequency, especially as competition intensifies in India’s streaming market. By adding a short-form layer to its existing long-form catalogue, Tata Play Binge is looking to deepen user stickiness within a single app ecosystem.

A senior executive at a leading OTT platform said Tata Play’s entry into micro-dramas reflects a larger shift in consumption behaviour. “Micro-dramas are no longer an experimental format. They are becoming a daily habit, especially among mobile-first users who don’t necessarily sit down for long viewing sessions. Aggregators entering this space makes the format more scalable and commercially viable.”

A digital media strategist at a global entertainment company said aggregation could help solve discoverability challenges faced by short-form creators. “Short-form storytelling has largely lived on fragmented platforms. By curating micro-dramas within an OTT aggregation ecosystem, Tata Play is addressing one of the biggest gaps in the segment—distribution and sustained discovery.”

Shots is a dedicated hub for mobile-only, vertical micro-dramas featuring episodes lasting between one and two minutes. The new category is available at no additional cost to all Tata Play Binge subscribers and is aimed at capturing short, frequent viewing sessions during commutes, queues and work breaks.

Shots offers more than 160 micro-dramas spanning action, drama and thriller genres, with content supplied by partners such as Bullet and STAGE. Collectively, they will contribute over 110 hours of short-format programming, with Tata Play indicating that more content partners will be added in the coming months.

Content on Shots spans Hindi and multiple regional languages, including Tamil, Telugu, Bengali and Marathi. Titles available at launch include Hindi micro-dramas such as Ishq Kills, Divorce Ke Liye Kuch Bhi Karega, Rent A Boyfriend and Main Hoon Aprajita; Telugu title One Last Ride; and regional offerings such as 12vi Aala Pyar and Gaurav Ki Sweety in Haryanvi, along with Rajasthani titles Aafat Ya Pyar and Horror Haveli.

With Shots, Tata Play joins a growing list of platforms experimenting with micro-dramas, a format that has seen rapid adoption globally and is now gaining traction in India as mobile consumption continues to surge.