MUMBAI:  India’s media and entertainment industry has emerged from disruption into a phase of reinvention in 2025, as storytelling adapts across screens and technology redraws how audiences engage. In this guest column, Shemaroo Entertainment CEO Hiren Gada, takes stock of a defining year for India’s media and entertainment industry, tracing how storytelling has evolved across cinema, television, OTT and mobile platforms in 2025.

As the lines blur between platforms and formats, one thing remains constant: India’s deep emotional connection to stories. From theatres and TV households to the intimacy of mobile screens, every platform has found its rhythm in this new age of viewing.

A recent PwC report from 2025 projects India’s M&E sector is projected to grow from $ 32.2 billion in 2024 to $ 47.2 billion by 2029, expanding at a 7.8 per cent compound annual rate: nearly double the global 4.2 per cent  average. 

Digital advertising, OTT and creator-led content lead growth, fueled by GenAI innovations and youth-driven immersive experiences, with digital media now dominating 41 per cent of revenues, thus underscoring a vibrant shift where innovation meets insatiable demand for personalised, on-the-go storytelling.

Theatrical resurgence: experience over convenience

After several years of cautious recovery, India’s film industry witnessed a full-circle resurgence in 2025. What began as a quest to reclaim pre-pandemic footfalls has now transformed into an era of theatrical experiences driven by community, spectacle, and storytelling designed for the big screen.

Theatres have become destinations once more, not merely venues for watching films, but for experiencing them. Event films, pan-India releases, and cross-cultural collaborations between Bollywood, South Indian cinema, and global studios have created a content mosaic that resonates with diverse audiences.

However, the industry’s biggest shift lies in recognising quality over quantity. Audiences who once flocked to every release have become more discerning, valuing authentic storytelling and emotional engagement. Successful films in 2025 didn’t just offer visual grandeur, they offered empathy, relatability, and relevance.

Television – still the heartbeat of Indian homes

Television has evolved from a passive viewing medium into an interactive, community-driven experience. Broadcasters have embraced connected TV (CTV), now reaching millions of people across CTV homes and hybrid models that merge linear programming with digital convenience. CTV has evolved far beyond a mere additional screen, reclaiming its place as the heart of the living room like traditional television once did, reuniting families and transforming shared spaces into vibrant hubs for multi-generational viewing. The joy of co-viewing is making a heartfelt comeback. Prime-time fiction remains the emotional backbone, but new genres, from docu-dramas to scripted reality, are expanding the storytelling landscape.

Festive viewership spikes and appointment-based co-viewing continue to prove that television thrives on habit and familiarity. In 2025, as joint family watching makes a quiet comeback post-pandemic, advertisers are rediscovering the unmatched reach and emotional bonding that only TV can deliver.

OTT platforms – from subscription to connection

The OTT landscape has matured beyond the subscription wars of earlier years. 2025 saw platforms shift focus from quantity of content to quality of engagement. Audiences today seek cultural resonance, local flavour, and stories that mirror their realities, giving rise to regional OTT ecosystems as vibrant as the national ones.

Different monetisation models–Ad Supported Streaming (AVOD),Subscription Video OnDemand (SVOD) and freemium tiers, have opened access to wider audiences across India. What’s driving consumption now is not just genre diversity but intentional viewing, audiences choosing stories that align with their identities, aspirations, and values.

Indian OTT players have also embraced technology deeper than ever before, from AI-led personalisation to experimentation with virtual and augmented experiences. Storytelling is becoming more immersive, and viewer journeys are being shaped by behavioural insights rather than assumptions.

Micro dramas & short-form storytelling

A defining content trend of 2025 has been the rise of micro-dramas, bite-sized, emotionally rich stories that unfold in under 5 minutes. Platforms like YouTube Shorts, Instagram Reels, and OTT minis are brimming with serialised micro-stories that connect instantly with digital-first audiences.

Yet, contrary to initial predictions, short-form content hasn’t replaced long-form storytelling, it has redefined its context. Micro dramas serve as creative bridges, drawing viewers into new worlds quickly, while long-form narratives allow for emotional depth and thematic exploration.

Both formats now coexist. One fuelling instant gratification, the other sustaining emotional engagement. The distinction lies in their intent: micro dramas capture moments, while long-form stories build memory. Together, they create a layered entertainment ecosystem where stories live simultaneously across time and space.

Advertising, AI, and the age of personalised experiences

For advertisers, 2025 has been a year of precision. With data-driven insights, AI-led creative optimisation, and deeper contextual targeting, brands are investing in stories rather than mere placements. Native advertising, integrated storytelling, and AI-generated visuals are redefining how brands engage with audiences without interrupting their viewing journey.

Macroeconomic and policy tailwinds will also play a decisive role in how advertising and personalised experiences evolve in the coming years. As consumer sentiment improves on the back of stable inflation, more accommodative interest rates, and supportive government reforms, discretionary spending is likely to strengthen, creating a wider runway for brands to invest in sharper, data-led storytelling. When consumption cycles turn upward, advertising typically follows across both digital and traditional mediums, giving the industry room for measured reason for optimism.

Regional & vernacular renaissance

Regional content continues to be the biggest growth driver for Indian media. The linguistic diversity of the nation, once seen as a challenge, is now a creative advantage. Stories rooted in local realities, from Marathi musicals to Telugu thrillers and Bengali slice-of-life dramas, are not only succeeding domestically but traveling globally.

Gujarati cinema has shone phenomenally in 2025, with Laalo smashing Rs 100 crore at the box office, an outcome previously unthinkable for the category. In the last year alone, the Gujarati film industry has nearly doubled in size, reflecting a growing preference for stories that feel culturally and emotionally familiar. Authenticity in local stories proves language barriers are illusions in global consumption.

A storytelling nation evolving, not replacing

As technology, audience behavior, and creative voices evolve, India’s entertainment sector is proving that change does not mean displacement, it means expansion. The coexistence of formats, the blending of genres, and the fusion of tradition with innovation underline one clear theme: India’s love for stories is eternal; only their stage keeps changing.

Whether illuminated by the cinema screen, reflected on television sets, or glowing on mobile devices, Indian storytelling continues to do what it always has: connect hearts, inspire empathy, and celebrate the joy of shared experience.