How Prime India Defeated Netflix with Local Stories Like Panchayat and Family Man
India has seen the explosion of the Indian Over-The-Top (OTT) streaming business, which altered the way in which audiences used to consume entertainment.
With ever-expanding digital ecosystems, internet penetration, and cheap data rates, India emerged as a very profitable battlefield for streaming giants.
Among the bigger players, Amazon Prime Video was able to establish a niche by outperforming Netflix by tapping into local storytelling, competitive pricing, and savvy investments.
This article discusses the emergence of Amazon Prime Video in India, the effect of its original series, and the strategic moves that have allowed it to emerge as a significant player in one of the world’s fastest-growing streaming markets.
The Rise of Amazon Prime Video in India
It was December 2016 when Amazon Prime Video launched its operations in India, a country where Hotstar (earlier Star India and now Disney+ Hotstar), among others, were already vying for attention from viewers.
But while Netflix painted itself as an elite service, for urban and English-speaking audiences only, Amazon Prime Video did something else: it was an inclusive platform.
Considering the eclectic diversity of India, Amazon Prime Video hunted for regional and culturally relevant content.
The company’s strategy was fairly simple: provide original series with quality storytelling that would tell the socio-cultural story of India, invest in regional storytelling, and make content available at competitive pricing.
Market Share and Growth
Amazon Prime Video pays many folds as the strategy has opted for. According to recent reports, the company occupies 23% share in Indian OTT and has an estimated 20 million subscribers on board. On the other hand, Netflix represents 13% of market share with about 10 million users.
The largest driver of success for Amazon Prime Video has been its enormous investment in local content.
Reaching an entire gamut of Indian audiences, from urban millennials to rural viewers, Amazon Prime Video is garnering subscribers with the original shows that are coming in regional and Hindi languages.
Impact of Original Series of Amazon Prime Video
Its largest cause for victory is original shows on Amazon Prime Video in India. Many original series produced under Amazon Prime Videos have received strong accolades in addition to strong business returns,
thus having them for diverse taste buds and fittingly an image of Indian-ethos-embellishment which can readily resonate with most Indian audiences.
1. The Family Man
One of the blockbuster Indian originals out from Amazon Prime Video is the spy thriller called “The Family Man,” starring Srikant Tiwari, an intelligence officer, coupled with his daily domestic responsibilities.
The show revolves around action suspense and comedy aspects and can relate to the real life of a middle-class in India but indeed falls under concerns of national security.
The show has been widely appreciated for its great storytelling, interesting characters, and subtle approach to socio-political issues. The lead actor, Manoj Bajpayee, has particularly been appreciated and added to the appeal of the show.
Two successful seasons with a third in development, “The Family Man” is one of the prime examples of how Amazon Prime Video can create narratives that resonate well with Indian audiences.
2. Panchayat
Panchayat is actually the very antithesis of those action-filled thriller genres-a slice-of-life dramedy capturing the soul of rural India.
An urban graduate has a very reluctant, begrudging stint in accepting this position of the village secretary as it promises an offbeat humorous, poignant exploration into the pains and issues with the system at work.
What makes “Panchayat” truly outstanding is its real storytelling.
This is an extraordinarily realistic and touching portrayal of rural India, which mainstream entertainment completely ignores.
It goes viral when the characters are relatable with superlative performances by Jitendra Kumar and Raghubir Yadav.
3. Mirzapur
One of the most-watched series on Amazon Prime Video is “Mirzapur.”
This crime thriller set in Uttar Pradesh showcases through raw violence and morally complicated characters the battle for power, organized crime, and political corruption in a lawless town.
Starring Pankaj Tripathi, Ali Fazal, and Divyenndu, “Mirzapur” has turned into a cult.
Its gripping plot, intense action sequences, and authentic portrayal of the underbelly of the Hindi heartland have all made it huge.
4. Farzi
The latest addition to the Amazon Prime Video family, “Farzi” is a thriller-drama based on counterfeit currency.
It stars Shahid Kapoor in his first digital outing and Vijay Sethupathi. This one tells the tale of a war between a con artist and law enforcement agencies.
Appreciating “Farzi,” slick in production and storytelling, with stronger performances, reiterates Amazon Prime Video’s commitment to quality content.
5. Paatal Lok
A dark investigation thriller, “Paatal Lok” is the story of class conflict, corruption and manipulation of mass media in current-day India.
This gritty reality combined with layers of storytelling, much appreciated critics, as the show is defined by many people as one among the best of India’s Crime Dramas.
The success story of “Paatal Lok” proves with Amazon Prime video, there exists a willingness towards bold, contemporary social issues themes and that makes the entertainment a platform so much more now.
Strategic Decisions Driving Amazon Prime Video’s Success
Amazon Prime Video has been ruling the Indian market, and it is not just because of the quality content but rather the very strategic business moves that have given the streaming service an even stronger footing in the Indian market.
1. Heavy investment in local content
Unlike Netflix, which relied on its international content at the beginning, Amazon Prime Video heavily invested in Indian original series from the very start.
The platform has collaborated with Indian writers, directors, and production houses to ensure that its content resonates with local audiences.
Prime Video also produces content in multiple Indian languages, including Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, Bengali, and Marathi, thereby tapping into India’s regional markets.
2. Understanding the Indian Audience
Amazon Prime Video has understood the psyche of an Indian viewer, since it has mixed thrillers, dramas, comedies, and social relevance-based narratives.
They get an emotional connect with the audience by taking up real-life themes, such as the struggle of the middle class, corruption in a political setup, and real rural truths.
3. Star Power
One of the strategies has been the feature of renowned Indian actors and filmmakers. Having Manoj Bajpayee, Shahid Kapoor, Pankaj Tripathi, and Jitendra Kumar featured in its series ensures the noticeability and credibility of Prime Video.
That is what has witnessed the increase in engagement and viewership.
4. Competitive Pricing and Bundling
It’s big on pricing, Amazon Prime Video, though it is almost Premium, as Netflix commands, whereas Prime video itself has all other goodies attached with free shipping on Amazon purchase, music streaming, and many more deals.
At ₹1499 for the whole year, or ₹299 per month, Prime Video offers better value than Netflix and makes it accessible to a larger audience.
It thus will be even bigger in the future, Amazon Prime Video in India.
Amazon Prime Video has been a hallmark in the rise while remaining fundamentally localised and working for top-quality storytelling with relating audiences.
However, engaging into authentic Indian storytelling, much investment within regional content as well as looking upon a price model that competitively priced one’s self towards that then,
Amazon Prime video turned out well to be not just better as Netflix but indeed as many as there were rivals for the very same Indian territory.
As the Indian OTT landscape keeps evolving, innovation in expanding to regional storytelling and star-driven projects will be where Amazon Prime Video will continue its lead.
For now, streaming looks set to continue shaping its future in India for years with upcoming seasons of some of its most popular shows and new projects in the works.
Stay Connected and Share Your Stories
For all those inspired by stories of resilience and ambition, follow us on X/Twitter and on Instagram . For those with untold stories that you would love to share, please send them to contact@thephilox.com
