Netflix Bets Big on India and Reveals its Largest Content Slate for 2025

Netflix continues to make significant content investments in India, with Monika Shergill, vice president of content, predicting that 2025 will be the company's most successful year in the country as it retains users and grows its subscription base.

Netflix has increased its global content budget for 2025 to $18 billion from $17 billion, with co-CEO Ted Sarandos recently stating that the platform will have its strongest programming lineup since it began producing original content.

Shergill, who has overseen Netflix India's content strategy since 2019, announced plans to increase original programming and film acquisitions.

The lineup for 2025 includes 28 titles spanning Hindi and South originals, romantic comedies, crime and action, and returning seasons of major franchises. Outside of original programming, the slate includes theatrical blockbusters such as Pushpa 2.

"We will not change our investment levels at all. In fact, we're doing several big things at the tentpole level," Shergill said in an interview, despite an industry-wide slowdown in OTT content spending.

According to an Ormax Media report, the number of streaming originals fell to 315 in 2024 from a high of 383 in 2023.

"While there has been an external slowdown, I would say, in the interest of clarity and fairness, that as the market matures and streaming evolves, there is a natural right-sizing of budgets," she added.

Shergill stated that 2025 will be Netflix India's most successful year yet, following a strong 2024 that saw significant growth. She mentioned successful titles like The Great Indian Kapil Show (two seasons), Heeramandi, Amar Singh Chamkila, and IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack, among others.

Its 2025 slate includes high-profile productions such as Jewel Thief: The Heist Begins, a Bollywood-themed series from Akka and Aryan Khan, as well as new seasons of The Great Indian Kapil Show, Khakee, Rana Naidu, Kohrra, and Delhi Crime.

Netflix, which has a 15 million paid subscriber base, is also expanding its south Indian slate with Test, a Tamil cricket drama, and Super Subbu, its first Telugu comedy drama series. The platform will debut theatrical films from leading studios such as Ajay Devgn Films, Dharma Productions, Luv Films, Maddock Films, Roy Kapur Films, Salman Khan's SKF, and T-Series.

According to Shergill, Netflix's diverse content strategy complements India's diverse audience, catering to a variety of tastes and preferences.

WWE, a long-running property on Ten Sports and Sony Sports in India, will debut on Netflix with Hindi commentary in April. This is part of Netflix's $5 billion global acquisition of WWE rights, which Shergill hopes will help the platform grow its audience in India.