Netflix to launch more local original content in India to take on Amazon Prime

Netflix which is still in its early days in India and fighting a pitched battle against Amazon Prime is considering India as a “super priority market”. Launched in December 2016 and January 2016 respectively, these two streaming services i.e. Netflix and Amazon Prime are undoubtedly the biggest players when it comes to digital content. Close on the heels of cutting the subscription price in India for the second time the recent one being just after the implementation of GST, the company has recently announced that it will increase the investments in development and production of original content for the Indian market in coming months. Netflix which has its presence in India since last two years now has only three original series as of now.

Speaking about this development Erik Barmack, VP-International Originals at Netflix was quoted as saying “For Netflix, it is still early days in India, but we have seen amazing talent in the country and in the next 6 months, you will see us commissioning 4-5 new original shows from India.”

He further added, “As audiences are consuming more of complicated and sophisticated storylines, we want to provide them content which is traditionally not available on TV.”

Netflix which has already started working on a 8 episodic series “Sacred Games” which will be produced by Phantom Films. The show which will start Saif Ali Khan is based on Vikram Chandra’s book by the same name. The other shows being planned are ‘Selection Day’ based on the book by Aravind Adiga and ‘Again’ which is written by Marisha Mukherjee and is a supernatural, female led detective series set in New Delhi. Netflix has announced these series in August.

Both Netflix and Amazon Prime has been making some very aggressive strides in the Indian market and both have been on a signing spree for content which includes recently launched Bollywood Movies, Original Web Series.