Prime Video India maps an aggressive growth path with ‘Lukkha’ debut
Prime Video India runs high on a wave of growth of subscribers and franchise success, in which the streaming giant reveals that almost 25% of his viewers have been completely new in the service in the last 12 months. When Amazon is doubling, the milestone is doubling on his unique Dual platform strategy, linking his premium SVOD offer with the free, advertised Amazon MX player while preparing for launching speeching projects, including “Lukkha”, who acts of rapper King.
“In general, it has been a super exciting 12 months for us throughout the region” Variety. “Each of our companies has seen strong growth and acceptance of customers.”
The numbers tell a fascinating story. India remains the number 1 local outside the US for new prime reports per year, with prime video that serves as the leading advantage that new memberships floats. In 2024, India registered the highest percentage of Prime -members who stream Prime video compared to any other country worldwide.
“Nearly 60% of our shows we have launched since we are here, several seasons have entered,” notes Nikhil Madhok, director and head of originals for Prime Video India. “That is a fairly considerable success rate for every form of creative companies.” The service has so far launched more than 110 originals, with another 100 projects in different stages of development and production.
One of the upcoming projects is ‘Lukkha’, a rather unannounced series that is an example of the approach of Prime Video for new talent cultivation. “It is an extremely exciting show. It has King, the rapper who makes his acting debut,” Madhok reveals. “This is a show that was brought to us by two first writers. They are not only the makers, they are also the writers.” The multi-genre series contains music and acts with a cast of young artists. “Our experience with them has been so good that both the makers and we are already in conversations to say, what more can we do together,” says Madhok.
Recent franchise extensions have broken the records of viewers. “Panchayat” season 4 was viewed by three times more customers in the first month compared to season 1, while “Mirzapur” season 3 attracted the viewers of the debut season four times. Prime Video also develops “Panchayat” season 5 for a premiere of 2026, making it the only Indian fictional streaming series that reaches that milestone. The franchise strategy extends beyond traditional innovations: the service brings “Mirzapur” to the big screen with a theatrical film that is planned for 2026.
The switch from Prime Video to theatrical production marks an important strategic shift. The streamer recently announced ‘Nishaasi’, a film set directed by Anurag Kashyap for theatrical release on September 19, produced by Amazon MGM Studios. “We go on and say,” We are going to support the theatrical ecosystem, “Madhok explains.” These are not large glasses -led glasses. These are really good, solid scripts with passionate makers, and we support them to say, let’s post scripts about stars. “
The theatrical strategy includes several models, according to Manish Menghani, director and head of content letters for Prime Video India. “We adapt to both consumers and our ecosystem of the maker to be able to serve content in the right place, in the right window and at the right time,” says Menghani. “We also have Early Access TVOD films, so consumers can get it in an earlier window by paying rental costs and rather get some of the same films in terms of accessing them.”
The Windowing strategy varies per market and film. “In Hindi, the Windows is eight weeks, with TVod earlier,” Menghani explains. “But in the south that window changes and varies from film to film.” The service is planning to premiere every year of four to six local Indian films theatrical from 2026.
Amazon’s acquisition of MX Player has created what Gandhi describes as a “unique strategy” that tackles the various entertainment landscape of India. Amazon MX Player serves as a free, advertising platform that reaches 250 million monthly visitors, while Prime Video focuses on premium subscribers.
“We believe that with this strategy with two services we can provide the various needs of our customer segments in the country,” says Gandhi. “We are not only a Windows content between free and pay, we also make original content for the free segment.”
Amogh Dusad, director and head of the content for Prime Video India, supervises the programming strategy of Amazon MX Player. “There is a unique playbook in the creation. We are probably the only ones who create an exclusive service for free, free, advertiser supported for customers,” says Dusad. The platform has seen remarkable successes, including the recurring season of “Aashram”, which broke viewers records, and “Gutar Gu” season 3.
The platform also experiments with micro dramas under the Fatafat banner, aimed at fast consumption of entertainment. “Because telling stories still needs innovation, and we find new ways to tell stories, even the format in which stories are told, technology really makes innovation possible that front, which really is the micro dramas that we are very enthusiastic about,” explains Dusad. “It may just be the same consumer who probably wants to view a web series on a Friday evening or a Sunday afternoon, but probably during the weekdays these have few more micro moments that are created.”
The service makes strategic steps to expand access by praising innovation. Prime Lite, launched annually on INR799 ($ 9.10) versus the full prime membership on INR1.499 ($ 17.10), offers the same shipping and store benefits, but limited video to one device with advertisements optionally. “Prime Lite is essentially a differentiated version of Prime, where the shipping and shopping benefit is the same, but on video we have a plan with one device,” says Shilangi Mukherji, director and head of SVOD Business for Prime Video India.
The rental company has also found success, with the largest film rental catalog from Service India of 8,500+ titles. In particular, 60% of the catalog is rented at least once a month, with transactions of 95% of India postcodes. Gandhi notes that the cultural shift is required: “Most customers today that do not really experience today. And rent did not exist in that sense in that sense in India, so in many ways it is in many ways, making habits and creating categories.”
The international programming of Prime Video resonates strongly with the Indian audience, with 85% of the subscribers who watch international shows and films. Localization -efforts have paid off, with 25% of the international content -viewing time that is now taking place in Indian languages. The reverse is equally impressive: more than 25% of Indian content viewers come from outside India. In 2024, the Indian content drew every week in the worldwide top 10 of Prime Video.
Marketing plays a crucial role in building and retaining public involvement in these diverse content. Sonal Kabi, director and head of marketing for Prime Video India, emphasizes the multi-benefit approach to customer retention. “We are an entertainment hub, we are also multi-benefit programming. So there is shipping, shops, video and music that gives us that selection-that multi-benefit program nourishes that choice in decision-making,” says Kabi.
The marketing strategy extends beyond individual shows to create cross-franchise involvement. “We try to keep these world characters alive, even during the season, one season for the other,” Kabi explains. “We also use, say ‘The Family Man’ characters, Shrikant, played by Manoj Bajpayee, to introduce the world of ‘Paatal Lok’. So we will do this cross -overs with which we can maintain this season.”
The presence on social media has been particularly effective, where Prime Video maintains one of the greatest social followers in the country on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube combined. For ‘The Traitors’, the unwritten hit that broke new site when the first reality show was specially made for streaming platforms, “we had about 1 billion impressions outside our own channels,” Kabi notes.
Prime Video also actively cultivates new talent, with more than 65% of the projects in development with new talent for or behind the camera. The service also gives priority to telling inclusive stories, with more than 80% of the projects in development with women in the main positions.
Recent launches such as “Call Me Bae”, “Khauf” and “Gram Chikitsalay” have all protected second season innovations. Looking ahead, Prime Video has announced ‘Too Much’, a new talk show with Kajol and Twinkle Khanna. On the unwritten side, Amazon MX Player develops ‘Rise and Fall’, described by Dusad as ‘a unique non -described show, more as a social experiment with Ashneer Grover that the Ringmaster plays’.
The content strategy focuses on thematic stories instead of genre restrictions. “One of the themes that we really work around is women with freedom of choice that overcome obstacles,” explains Madhok, with reference to “khauf” and “Call Me Bae” as examples of the same theme that is tackled through different genres respectively horror and comedied drama.
As Gandhi notes, the streaming option in India remains considerable: “We still think there is a chance for us to continue to grow our audience share between the two services across the two services. We think new things are coming up.” The service follows involvement through multiple statistics, from completion percentages to social advocacy, with a special focus on depth of penetration in the various geography of India.
While the Indian streaming market continues to evolve, the multi-judged approach to Prime Video combining premium originals, theatrical releases, free content and international programming-it in unique way to conquer the various entertainment appetite of the country. With content that travels deeper in the smaller cities and cities of India and reaches 99% of postcodes, the service seems well positioned for the next growth phase in a market where Gandhi, as Gandhi notes, only becomes higher and higher. “
