The Digital Entertainment Shift: Evaluating OTT’s Impact and Potential in India

Abstract

One of the many positive effects of digital platforms is the increased sense of community they foster. In terms of global economic growth, few industries can compete with the OTT market. Indians are increasingly turning to over-the-top (OTT) platforms after COVID19. That, and the fact that these OTT services are optimised for mobile devices, is why they've become so popular. The advent of major international players like Netflix transformed India's entertainment sector by providing a foundation for other international and domestic over-the-top (OTT) service providers. Many foreign OTT platforms operate in India, and this research looks at how successful they are in the Indian market. The research analyses the trends in OTT platforms around the world and the elements that influence their success in India with regards to the types of shows that customers want to watch. People favoured Netflix the most, followed by Disney HotStar and Amazon Prime Video, according to the report. Respondents seem to like Netflix-style OTT services that offer more frequent content updates and focus more on original shows than on repetitions. Also mentioned was the fact that Disney HotStar is the platform of choice for digital broadcasts of major cricket tournaments like the IPL and the World Cup. Indian OTT platforms are expected to grow and diversify by adding new features and services and more content. To retain and attract customers, data analytics, machine learning, and personalisation will become essential. No rules, limited rural penetration, and inadequate internet access are obstacles to OTT growth in India, but the sector has a promising future.

Country : India

1 Preeti Ahlawat2 Renu Tanwar3 Dr. Rajneesh Ahlawat

  1. Research Scholar, Department of Business Administration, Chaudhary Devi Lal University, Sirsa, Haryana, India
  2. Research Scholar, Department of Business Administration, Chaudhary Devi Lal University, Sirsa, Haryana, India
  3. Associate Professor, Department of Business Administration, Chaudhary Devi Lal University, Sirsa, Haryana, India

IRJIET, Volume 9, Issue 6, June 2025 pp. 249-256

doi.org/10.47001/IRJIET/2025.906033

References

  1. Ahlawat, R., & Ahlawat, P. (2020, November). An analysis of the role of over-the-top (OTT) platforms in the changing face of India's film and television industry. EPRA International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research, 9(11). https://doi.org/10.36713/epra15031
  2. Ahlawat, R., Ahlawat, P., & Tanwar, R. (2025). Digital transformation in entertainment: Identifying key adoption factors using univariate ANOVA. International Journal of Entertainment Technology and Management, 2(1), 55–82.https://doi.org/10.1504/IJENTTM.2025.144557
  3. Dwivedi, S., Gupta, D., Agrawal, R., Mishra, A., Gaikwad, S. V., Kushwaha, V., & Hasan, A. (2024). Profiling of OTT viewers and their perception mapping using advanced technological models. International Journal of Religion, 5(1), 567–579.
  4. Farooq, M., & Raju, V. (2019). Impact of over-the-top (OTT) services on the telecom companies in the era of transformative marketing. Global Journal of Flexible Systems Management, 20(2), 177-188.
  5. Gaoshinde, M. (2020). Impact of embedded marketing on OTT platforms.
  6. https://brandequity.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/media/how-ott-market-will-be-a-game-changer-for-the-film-industry/75658326
  7. https://community.nasscom.in/communities/digital-transformation/telecom-media-communities/future-of-ott-in-india.html
  8. https://inc42.com/buzz/binge-on-datalabs-indias-ott-market-landscape-report-2020/
  9. https://marketfeed.com/read/en/an-overview-of-indias-booming-ott-market
  10. https://qz.com/india/1860740/otts-netflix-erosnow-work-around-covid-19-in-india/
  11. https://selectra.in/ott/compare/top-12-ott-platforms
  12. https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200818005479/en/Streamed-Video-Content-Dominates-Media-and-Entertainment-Consumption-in-India-According-to-the-Brightcove-Q2-2020-Global-Video-Index
  13. https://www.dacast.com/blog/4-ott-trends-to-watch-2020/
  14. https://www.emarketer.com/content/india-time-spent-with-media-2020
  15. https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2020/09/09/ott-technology-censorship-and-the-future/#4d59a4cc7721
  16. https://www.livemint.com/news/india/streaming-platforms-offer-fitness-spiritual-content-11594196122047.html
  17. https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/learning-management-systems-market-1266.html
  18. https://www.techmahindra.com/en-in/blog/what-the-future-holds-for-ott-players/
  19. Kaewkhum, N. (2020). Television industry and its role in the new media landscape under the system of digital economy.
  20. Kumari, T. (2020). A study on growth of over the top (OTT) video services in India. International Journal of Latest Research in Humanities and Social Science (IJLRHSS), 3(9), 68–73.
  21. Li, B., Scott, O. K., Sharper, S., & Wang, J. (2023). Diversity of digital media landscape in Asia Pacific. In Digital marketing in sports (pp. 291–304). Routledge.
  22. Lu, S., Rajavi, K., & Dinner, I. (2021). The effect of over-the-top media services on piracy search: Evidence from a natural experiment. Marketing Science, 40(3), 548–568. https://doi.org/10.1287/mksc.2020.1256
  23. Moochhala, Q. (2018). The future of online OTT entertainment services in India. Actionesque Consulting, Pune–India.
  24. Nagaraj, S., Singh, S., & Yasa, V. R. (2021). Factors affecting consumers’ willingness to subscribe to over-the-top (OTT) video streaming services in India. Technology in Society, 65, 101534.
  25. Parnami, S., & Jain, T. (2021). A Study on Increase in the Usage of OTT Streaming Services. International Journal of Research in Engineering, Science and Management, 4 (8), 142-145.
  26. Patel, M. K., Khadia, R., & Awasya, G. (2020). A Study: OTT Viewership in “Lockdown” and Viewer’s Dynamic Watching Experience. International Journal on Transformations of Media, Journalism & Mass  Communication, 5(2),10-22.
  27. Pinge, C., & Shinde, C. (n.d.). A study of factors influencing the use of OTT platforms and multiplexes.
  28. Sharma, A., & Harsora, H. (2023). A study on preferences of consumers towards international ott platforms and sustainability strategy in indian market. International Journal of Management, Public Policy and Research, 2(1), 78–87. https://doi.org/10.55829/ijmpr.v2i1.114
  29. Singh, K. K., Makhania, J., & Mahapatra, M. (2024). Impact of ratings of content on OTT platforms and prediction of its success rate. Multimedia Tools and Applications, 83(2), 4791–4808. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11042-023-15839-2
  30. Sundaravel, E., & Elangovan, N. (2020). Emergence and future of over-the-top (OTT) video services in India: Analytical research. International Journal of Business, Management and Social Research, 8(2), 489–499.