Now streaming: micro-drama, but consolidation may play the villain

Dear reader, as 2025, a year of global tumult and volatility, rolls by, Mint's reporters and columnists look around the corner on what is coming in 2026—to help you know what to expect and prepare for it. Tell us what you think at [email protected].The rise of the micro-drama is the definitive trend for India’s streaming industry in 2025, as tight budgets and slowing subscription growth mean over-the-top (OTT) players remain selective about content and still rely on big-budget films.

Yet, some industry experts fear that a potential mega-merger in the global media industry, with both Netflix and Paramount making bids for Warner Bros. Discovery, could further shrink the space for small and independent content creators.Micro-dramas and short episodic storytelling will continue to explode in 2026 as well, according to Deepak Dhar, founder and Group chief executive officer (CEO), Banijay Asia & EndemolShine India.

“With audiences consuming content across screens and time pockets, premium short-form will emerge as a powerful complement to long-format series. We expect a stronger shift toward creator-led storytelling.”Dhar said audiences are gravitating toward authentic, personality-driven voices, and platforms are increasingly building slates around creators, showrunners and signature tonalities “Regional content—across languages and genres—will continue its upward surge.

The South market, in particular, will shape a significant part of the next wave of hit originals.”With Aamir Khan’s Sitaare Zameen Par experiment, YouTube has emerged as an alternative. The rise of individual YouTube channels and content creation for social media, both by celebrities and production houses, has emerged as another key trend, even as