At the APOS Bali 2025 summit, hosted by Media Partners Asia, a compelling conversation unfolded around Amazon’s dual-platform streaming strategy in India. Gaurav Gandhi, Vice President, Asia Pacific & MENA, Prime Video; Nikhil Madhok, Director & Head of Originals, Prime Video India; and Amogh Dusad, Director & Head of Content, Amazon MX Player, took the stage to share deep insights into how Amazon is navigating India’s complex and evolving digital entertainment landscape.
One Market, Two Platforms: Addressing India’s Diverse Streaming Audiences
India’s heterogeneity lies at the heart of Amazon’s decision to operate two distinct streaming platforms—SVOD-led Prime Video and AVOD-led Amazon MX Player. Gaurav Gandhi emphasized that this approach reflects the country’s diverse consumer segments.
“India is a really heterogeneous and diverse country with customers having very different needs,” he noted. “Prime Video caters to subscription-ready audiences who’ve made streaming their primary entertainment choice, while Amazon MX Player addresses customers who are still transitioning from traditional media and aren’t subscription-ready yet, though they seek high-quality content.”
While Prime Video has strong penetration in living rooms, MX Player boasts a massive 250 million+ user base—largely mobile-first, accessing content on-the-go. Each platform is geared toward its audience not just through pricing models, but also through a sharply differentiated content strategy.
The Premium Edge: Prime Video’s Cinematic Original Slate
Nikhil Madhok elaborated on Prime Video’s content ethos, which has been centered on delivering premium, cinematic Originals that stand tall even when placed alongside global titles.
“We were clear that our Indian Originals needed to be highly differentiated from TV and equally compelling as global content,” he said. “That’s why we invest significantly in production quality—closer to cinema than linear TV.”
This philosophy has resulted in acclaimed franchises like The Family Man, Made in Heaven, Paatal Lok, and Call Me Bae. Beyond genres, Nikhil highlighted that storytelling is now increasingly theme-driven. For instance, Khauf, while a horror show, fundamentally addresses trauma and women’s challenges in urban spaces. Similarly, shows like Dupahiya and Panchayat speak to a yearning for rooted, simpler lives among urban audiences.
Prime Video’s expansive approach spans Original movies, co-productions, and direct-to-service premieres. Since 2020, over 65 movies have premiered on the platform across six languages. With the integration of Amazon MGM Studios, the company is now doubling down on theatrical releases, with titles like Nishaanchi by Anurag Kashyap debuting in cinemas this September and a plan to release 4–6 such films annually starting 2026.
Amazon MX Player: Mass Appeal Meets Micro-Storytelling
While Prime Video builds on prestige storytelling, Amazon MX Player taps into aspirational narratives for a mobile-first, ad-supported audience. Amogh Dusad explained that the service tailors content based on deep audience insights from its vast user base.
Themes like underdog success, socio-economic mobility, and escapism are core to MX Player’s appeal. Flagship shows like Hustler, which explores startup culture, and mass entertainers like Aashram, with over 200 million viewers, reflect this resonance.
The big announcement from Amogh was MX Fatafat—a bold foray into micro-dramas made for mobile consumption. Designed as serialized, vertical-format stories with 80–100 short episodes (1–2 minutes each), MX Fatafat reflects how the service is innovating storytelling formats for modern attention spans.
“This is about offering quick bursts of entertainment in moments scattered throughout the day,” Amogh said. “It requires a completely new approach to writing and production.”
Empowering Creators Across the Spectrum
A key thread running through the session was Amazon’s commitment to empowering creators. Gaurav Gandhi underscored the intentionality in nurturing new talent across both platforms.
“Over 50% of Prime Video Originals in production feature new talent either in front of or behind the camera,” he shared. The breakout success Dupahiya is a testament to that commitment, emerging from first-time creators.
He also highlighted how MX Player’s new initiatives like Fatafat aim to unlock opportunities for emerging voices, co-creating content with a fresh wave of storytellers.
By enabling Indian stories to travel across regions and even globally, Amazon is also expanding the total addressable market for creators. “We see this as just the beginning,” Gaurav remarked. “There’s significant runway ahead for both subscription and ad-supported models in India.”
Looking Ahead: A Two-Engine Growth Strategy for India
In closing, the executives reiterated Amazon’s bullish outlook on the Indian market. Continued investment in both Prime Video and Amazon MX Player is a strategic bet on the growing appetite for digital content—across languages, geographies, devices, and economic strata.
As the lines blur between TV, cinema, and digital, and with India’s consumers evolving faster than ever, Amazon’s dual-platform strategy stands as a case study in granular audience segmentation, creator empowerment, and storytelling innovation tailored to a complex and dynamic market.
Session moderated by Vivek Couto, Managing & Executive Director, Media Partners Asia.
