India's OTT sector boosts soft power, with subscription revenues hitting Rs 9,200 cr in 2024. Public platform WAVES OTT is expanding global access to Indian content, showing strong user growth. New laws also target online film piracy.
The Over-the-Top (OTT) sector has significantly contributed towards India's soft power by enabling global access to Indian stories, creative talent, cultural heritage, and independent filmmaking.
Market Growth and Subscriber Base
As per industry estimates (FICCI-EY Media & Entertainment Industry Report 2025), the video subscription revenues grew at 11 per cent in 2024 to reach Rs 9,200 cr. The number of users paying for streaming content on OTT are estimated between 9.5-11.8 crore individuals, as per the press release shared by the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting.
WAVES OTT: Expanding Public Broadcasting's Reach
Public Broadcaster's platform WAVES OTT has further strengthened this outreach by making Doordarshan and All India Radio's rich archives, regional arts, documentaries, classical music, literature-based programming, and multilingual content accessible to audiences worldwide.
WAVES OTT has introduced a framework to support emerging filmmakers and creators, providing them with a technology-driven distribution platform to reach diverse global audiences, according to the press release.
WAVES OTT is primarily a free public service platform and does not operate on a subscription-based model. Advertising is its main source of revenue. It focuses on democratising access to public broadcasting content across India and globally.
Platform Growth and International Expansion
The platform is currently in a growth and expansion phase, with a steadily increasing international user footprint. Revenue streams from international markets are being progressively developed through strategic partnerships.
User growth has shown a significant upward trend with more than 80 lakh downloads users in the first year of launch. This reflects the rising demand for multilingual Indian content and public service media on digital platforms.
New Measures Against Film Piracy
The newly inserted Section 7(1B)(ii) of the Cinematograph Act, 1952 (as amended in 2023), empowers the Central Government, under Section 79(3) of the Information Technology Act, 2000 to take remedial action against intermediaries hosting pirated film contents, as per the press release. (ANI)
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