Prime Video praises India as the ‘most important’ global market
Prime Video’s global executives used the stage at Prime Video Presents 2026 in Mumbai to underline India’s central role in the streamer’s global growth strategy.
Kelly Day, VP of Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios International, Nicole Clemens, VP of International Originals at Amazon MGM Studios, and Gaurav Gandhi, VP of APAC and ANZ at Prime Video, participated in a fireside chat moderated by filmmaker and producer Karan Johar at the event, where Prime Video India also unveiled a host of originals alongside a new theatrical lineup.
Day, who was making her fourth visit to India in as many years and her third Prime Video Presents, described India as “by far one of the most important markets for us around the world,” citing the size of the membership base, the depth of audience engagement and the role of Indian originals as the key acquisition driver for the Prime program globally. “It gets bigger and better every year,” she says.
Clemens, who was attending for the first time since joining the company last year to spearhead international originals globally, pointed to the international adoption of Indian content as central to the platform’s strategy. She noted that 25% of viewers for Indian Prime Video titles come from outside India, and that more than 60% of the service’s Indian original series have lasted multiple seasons. “The strength of our franchises lies in their travelability,” she says. “Indian content is at the core of our international success.”
Marking Prime Video’s 10th year in India, Gandhi outlined four strategic priorities for the company’s next phase: expanding accessibility through tiered offerings and the free, ad-supported Amazon MX Player service; deepening the intentional global rollout of Indian content; continue to build franchise IP; and expanding the platform’s film business, including through the Amazon MGM Studios India theatrical release announced at the same event. Indian films already reach 240 countries every day through the service, Gandhi noted, a reach not available through traditional theatrical distribution.
Day highlighted India as the source of several business model innovations that Prime Video has since expanded globally, including its tiered membership structure and transactional video-on-demand rental business, which she said the platform pioneered in the country. Content production has also expanded from an initial Hindi language focus to Tamil and Telugu, with further language diversification underway through expanded subtitling and dubbing.
On the broader international originals landscape, Clemens said English is “no longer the standard language of choice for global storytelling,” pointing to the German series “Maxton Hall” – which she described as Prime Video’s most-watched international series of all time – as evidence of the global appetite for local-language content.
She also highlighted K-dramas and Japanese anime and manga-to-live-action adaptations as categories with strong international momentum. For India, she identified young adult content as a growing area of strategic focus. “YA is having a moment, not just in India, but around the world,” she said, adding that the platform is “eager to expand that underutilized audience.”
