Mumbai: At FICCI Frames 2025, industry leaders from JioHotstar, Meta, and Google came together to explore how artificial intelligence is revolutionizing storytelling, brand engagement, and viewer experiences in India’s fast-evolving media landscape.
The panel, themed “The AI-Powered Media Revolution: From Personalization to Interactive Storytelling,” featured Bharath Ram, Chief Product Officer, JioHotstar; Shweta Bajpai, Group Director – Finserv, Media, Travel and Services, Meta India; and Siddharth Shekhar, Head of Industry for Tech, Media & Telecom, Google India. The discussion was moderated by Abira Dhar, Entertainment Editor, NDTV.
Highlighting the platform’s India-built AI capabilities, Bharath Ram said, “The biggest advantage of developing AI solutions in India is the ability to iterate fast, learn fast, and build products rooted in local sensibilities,” emphasizing how JioHotstar’s homegrown teams are driving innovations tailored to diverse Indian audiences.
He shared how JioHotstar’s extensive content catalogue—from Special Ops and Bigg Boss to festival specials like Janmashtami and Ram Navami—serves as a testing ground for AI-driven content and ad innovations. “Our AI allows us to explore the full catalogue, understand what truly captures the viewer’s imagination, and connect brands to audiences more meaningfully,” he added, noting that predictive models are already enabling advertisers to reach the right viewers at the right time with measurable outcomes.
Discussing the next phase of viewer engagement, Bharath highlighted the growing shift toward fandom participation. “People no longer just want to consume content; they want to be part of it. The future lies in building interactive experiences that let fans express their passion for the shows and characters they love,” he said, hinting at JioHotstar’s plans to deepen audience involvement across its entertainment IPs.
Together, the panelists painted a picture of a media ecosystem evolving from personalization to participation and co-creation—one where platforms like JioHotstar, Meta, and Google are leveraging AI built in India, for India to define the next era of storytelling and brand engagement.
