In a highly engaging panel curated on the opening day of India Digital Summit 2025 titled ‘Amplifying Voices: How India’s Streaming Platforms are Shaping the Future of Entertainment’, Sonal Kabi, Director & Head of Marketing, Prime Video, India, delved into various aspects of story selection and marketing innovation in streaming, while highlighting Prime Video’s role in taking Indian stories to global audiences.
Moderated by Archita Kashyap, in addition to Sonal Kabi, the panel saw participation from Aloke Majumder, Vice President of Technology at Hoichoi, and Saurabh Srivastava, COO – Digital Business at Shemaroo Entertainment.
Responding to a question about how Prime Video selects or greenlights a story, Sonal said, “When we are picking a story, we typically ask ourselves, has it been said before? Is there a fresh dimension or a unique take here? So, what we are looking for is the creator’s passion in telling that story. If in a closed room, they are sharing a story with a few of us, without the background score, the music, the actors, and you still get invested in a story, then we know we have a winner at our hand.”
She further elaborated that evolving viewing tastes and preferences, along with the growing demand for diverse, fresh content, are key factors in developing or commissioning a project. Using her own varied viewing choices across genres and languages as an example, she affirmed how today’s audience has a palate for diversity, with the same viewer watching different kinds of shows and movies within a single day.
Being asked about her views on how Prime Video uses marketing for customer engagement, Sonal shared, “We’re in the entertainment business. If the campaign is not entertaining, it’s not a great campaign. So, with every campaign, what we’re trying to look for is something bold, interesting, and something disruptive.” She further added, “The audience needs to feel excited about watching a show or a movie right from the time when they see a hoarding or watch a piece of content on social.”
Responding to the question on whether Indian content is making a mark globally, Sonal spoke about the fact that with localization, Indian content has actually gained fans worldwide, and over 25% audience of Indian titles on Prime Video comes from outside India. Elaborating on the same with examples of Amazon Originals, she said, “Citadel: Honey Bunny was the most watched series on Prime Video worldwide in its launch weekend, and was streamed in 200 countries worldwide, trending in Top 10 on Prime Video in almost 150 countries. Similarly, Call Me Bae was viewed in over 165 countries worldwide, featuring among the top 10 trending titles on Prime Video in 50+ countries in its launch week.”
On being asked about what kind of value addition to Indian storytelling can be expected to be seen in the long run, Sonal replied, “It’s a privilege that we are able to take Indian stories to audiences in over 240 countries and territories. When we’re developing a story, we’re thinking first – how will it find sizable viewership and success within the market where we are commissioning it. But there’s no denying that it will be streamed and appreciated by audiences across many countries. A good story will always find its audience.”
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