• Brahma Ghosh Raval

In India, a large chunk of young enthusiasts and video content consumers have started subscribing to online video content sites/apps. Slowly and steadily the trend of small screen viewing has evolved along with availability of high speed internet. Again, Indian consumers are generally attracted towards free trial accounts, and companies like Netflix, Hotstar, Prime videos have plunged in the ocean of opportunities in the Indian media & entertainment industry. SVOD (Subscription Video on demand) gained high popularity in USA and Canada when people got used to getting rid of purchasing and renting movie DVDs. There are opportunities lying ahead of Netflix to come up with video content which relates to Indian video content consumers who are eagerly waiting for content which relates. And there is a risk by providing the same content which is being provided globally to Indian consumers. Lastly a question arises, Netflix Originals video content has gained high popularity in USA and Canada, will it work in India too? It shall be investigated and answered in the research paper. In the rapidly changing pattern of media and entertainment consumption in India, market trends and consumer preferences, close to half of total mobile data traffic was expected to be consumed via video content. Increase in consumption of digital video content is not at all affecting TV viewership in India. However, small fluctuations are evident in the trends with respect to different online media consumption formats (namely online shows, episodes, news, short format content, feature films and education related content. In spite of international crackdown by stringent laws on piracy, there is still a general acceptance of this activity among Indian viewers, many of whom did not wish to pay for something they could get for free. Netflix has published a report recently and it says, that, it offers video streaming services in 190 countries, and it has added more than five million new international members in the 4th quarter of last year (it is more than double the number of new users in the USA. Mr. Greene, co-owner of Netflix, has a vision to expand through partnerships; eventually Netflix is signing deals with various companies globally, by offering video streaming service across 30 Europe and Latin American markets by next year. Netflix’s popularity in the United States is mainly built on viewers’ ability to view the content made available to them, using both wired and wireless Internet via their mobile connections. The Indian version of Netflix is different from the one offered in the United States. Much of the company’s original content is available to Netflix’s Indian users, but the number of Bollywood offerings was limited to only 100 titles. “It’s early days in India and there’s still much to learn and discover so that we can keep making the Netflix experience better. We are pleased with how consumers in India are discovering Netflix. They like the fact that we are a flat-fee, unlimited viewing, commercial-free experience can cancel any time without commitments”, said Jessica Lee, head of communications for Netflix Asia. Just after the company’s launch in India, many subscribers were disappointed when it offered only 7% of its overall library in India. With over 25 million subscribers in the existing markets (before their expansion plan), initially, there was a good chance for Netflix to garner comparable numbers of free trial subscribers in India, which could have added to the cost and not the revenue. Substantial expenses were incurred on promotion by Netflix in India to increase its brand visibility. Such huge spending on the promotions had a very deep impact on the bottom line of the organization; and the cost of carrying out business activities in a country like India included that of creating and establishing its presence with fresh content that would cater to the view of the needs of viewers / local audience, keeping in mind the varied tastes among different age groups and populations. This research shall begin with Netflix CEO’s future vision of Netflix Inc. and opportunities and threats lying ahead of Netflix in Indian Market. It shall further illustrate through secondary analysis factors affecting Netflix in Indian media and entertainment industry and how it entered in the Indian market by taking baby steps. This shall also be backed with a detailed investigation of select Indian counterparts, which may entail primary qualitative research. Later, the researcher shall gather opinions of media persons and other relevant stakeholders through secondary data collection to get a fair picture of future potential opportunities for the Netflix to attract subscriber base in Indian media and entertainment seekers.

Film Marketing, Films, Social Media Maraketing, Online Video Content

"NETFLIX - BABY STEPS ON INDIAN SOIL", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.6, Issue 2, page no.646-667, February-2019, Available :http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR1902C94.pdf

"NETFLIX - BABY STEPS ON INDIAN SOIL", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org | UGC and issn Approved), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.6, Issue 2, page no. pp646-667, February-2019, Available at : http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR1902C94.pdf