Micro content makes a big play at VIDNET 2025

MUMBAI: If stories are shrinking, the excitement certainly is not. At VIDNET 2025, the session on micro content took centre stage as panellists unpacked how two-minute dramas are quietly rewriting India’s viewing habits.

Mautik Tolia set the tone, noting that nearly three-fourths of daily digital viewing now comes from snackable videos. With attention spans dipping to eight seconds for Gen Z, he said micro-dramas are not a fad but a force.

Bullet founder and cbo Azeem Lalani, compared the shift to cricket’s leap from test matches to T20s. He predicted the fledgling category could touch $100 million in its first year, though current projections seem inflated. He argued that India’s diversity and young skew make pay-per-view the more honest model, especially for an audience that only pays when hooked.

Balaji Telefilms group cro Nitin Burman, said micro-dramas will coexist with long-form shows. India’s mobile-first behaviour, he noted, creates fertile ground for brand spends. Balaji, instead of competing as a platform, has pivoted to production and now makes 30 to 35 micro-dramas a month.

Industry veteran, One Take Media founder and ceo Anil Khera, said the format suits viewers who cannot commit to thirty-minute episodes. However, the genre playbook remains fluid. Family sagas may not translate well to vertical screens, while thriller-flavoured romance and relationship dramas currently dominate.

For Pocket Films founder and md Sameer Mody, the format works because it merges India’s love for stories with the ease of vertical scrolling. He believes the audience is not limited by age but by mood and moment, and his platform now offers everything from episodic micro-dramas to horizontal shows in one app.

From a brand perspective, Pocket Aces svp marketing Vishwanath Shetty said the early rush is driven by the urge to be first. While views matter, brands increasingly prioritise perception shifts, especially among Gen Z and Gen Alpha. Campaigns with Myntra, IPL and NPCI have shown that vertical storytelling can build conversations, not just numbers.

As attention fragments and creativity compresses, micro-dramas appear to be carving out a cultural niche. The formats may be tiny, but the ambitions, it seems, are nothing short of cinematic.