- KUKU TV Launches: India’s vertical OTT platform, pioneering serialized microdramas for mobile-first audiences.
- Scaling Rapidly: 5 Million plus downloads in beta launch
- Fast & Affordable Storytelling: Microdramas deliver high-intensity, cliffhanger-driven stories in short episodes, making them engaging and cost-effective to produce.
Bengaluru, February 13, 2025: India’s leading storytelling platform, KUKU FM, has entered the video streaming market with KUKU TV, pioneering vertical, serialized microdramas-a first in the country’s OTT landscape.
With the ambition to become India’s largest vertical microdrama distribution platform within a year, KUKU TV brings a fresh format tailored for today’s mobile-first audience. Microdramas—short, episodic vertical videos with fast-paced storytelling and cliffhanger endings—are designed for quick, on-the-go entertainment. Each episode lasts up to 2 minutes, spanning over 50+ episodes per series, making them ideal for modern viewing habits.
KUKU TV is available in Hindi, Telugu, Kannada, and Bangla, ensuring regional inclusivity while also curating content from around India. The library currently boasts over 300 hours of premium stories across genres like Action, Bollywood, Sci-Fi, and Mythology, and will be frequently updated with fresh microdramas and vertical movies. Starting next month, one Indian regional microdrama will be released every day.
Why Vertical Microdramas? The Data Speaks
As per an Ericsson study, 57% of global video plays come from mobile devices, with 94% of users holding their phones vertically. Social media platforms have already proven that vertical video drives engagement, yet no dedicated OTT platform existed to serve this demand—until now.
Vinod Kumar Meena, Co-Founder & COO of KUKU, explains:
“Traditional OTTs aren’t built for India’s mobile-first audience, whose attention spans are rapidly shrinking. 90% of Indians consume vertical videos on social media, yet there is no dedicated premium OTT platform for this format. With KUKU TV, we are bringing the next wave of entertainment—high-quality, serialized vertical storytelling, available across Indian languages. Our success with KUKU FM, which boasts 4.5 million active paying subscribers, has given us deep insights into what works for personalized content consumption. We are applying those learnings to revolutionize the video streaming experience.”
A New Frontier for Filmmakers & Creative Industry
The platform isn’t just about streaming—it’s about democratizing storytelling. 95% of Indian films and creative talent remain undiscovered because traditional distribution models don’t work for them. KUKU TV aims to change that, offering filmmakers and content creators a mobile-first, direct-to-consumer platform to distribute and monetize their work. The company is actively collaborating with directors, writers, and producers to develop and distribute microdramas, while also acquiring rights to underrepresented films and shows.
Monetization & Market Opportunity
Unlike traditional OTTs that rely on Hybrid Video on Demand (HVOD), KUKU TV follows a pure subscription model—no ads, just premium content.
- Annual Subscription: ₹899
- Quarterly Subscription: ₹399
The opportunity is vast. India already has 500M+ OTT users and 100M+ active paid subscriptions (Ormax Report). With KUKU TV, there is a chance to tap into the next major wave of digital entertainment—a platform built for the new-age mobile viewer. Today India has over 900 million Internet users of which around 150mn pay for content. Once this population crosses the threshold of 1 billion and more the number of users paying for content will be around 500 million users of which Kuku TV estimates that the market size for paying users for vertical drama will be around 300 million users.
