JioStar Entertainment leaders Alok Jain and Krishnan Kutty have called for a reset of the Indian entertainment industry鈥檚 business model, emphasizing the need for profitability and a sharper focus on youth to ensure long-term sustainability.Speaking at the Asia Pacific Video Operators Summit (APOS) 2025 in Bali, hosted by Media Partners Asia (MPA), Jain, President 鈥 Entertainment at JioStar, and Kutty, Head of Cluster, Entertainment 鈥 South, shared their views during a session titled ‘Inside the Next Wave of Indian Storytelling’, moderated by MPA Co-Founder Vivek Couto.Jain underlined the need to rebuild the creative ecosystem. 鈥淚n a country as creatively diverse as India, it鈥檚 no longer about scaling content. It鈥檚 about resetting the creative ecosystem,鈥 he said. 鈥淚f the industry is to run in a sustainable manner, we must drive content profitably, and focusing on youth is a big part of that.鈥滺e added that JioStar is committed to ensuring creators are not confined by platforms, formats, or legacy structures. 鈥淥ur role is not to act as gatekeepers, but as collaborators. That鈥檚 how we grow the ecosystem and expand its impact.鈥滽utty spoke about how the definition of bold content has evolved over time. 鈥淲hat was considered bold five or six years ago is not what鈥檚 considered bold now. Today, boldness is about pushing societal norms, asking deeper questions, and doing it within the Indian context. We鈥檙e not in California. We鈥檙e in India, and we need to be rooted in our cultural values.鈥滾ive EventsAddressing changing audience expectations, Jain said, 鈥淚f the story isn鈥檛 great, they won鈥檛 watch, regardless of who stars in it.鈥 He cited the success of ‘Thukra Ke Mera Pyaar’, a show with a debut director and cast, to illustrate how strong storytelling can drive engagement. 鈥淚nnovation isn鈥檛 a tactic for us. It鈥檚 the baseline.鈥漁n attracting Gen Z audiences, Kutty pointed to a gap in current programming. 鈥淏roadcasters and streamers have not done enough for Gen Z. In the South, we are committed to increasing our programming volume for that audience by seven to ten times.鈥滺e also highlighted India鈥檚 regional diversity as a creative strength. 鈥淓very region offers a wealth of stories. Eighty percent of Malayalam content consumption on JioHotstar comes from outside Kerala. Great stories truly transcend borders.鈥滽utty expanded on the vast scale of India鈥檚 digital video market. 鈥淚ndia has 500 to 600 million users consuming four to five hours of content daily across all formats. The real challenge isn鈥檛 what to do, but what not to do. There鈥檚 significant headroom for both subscription and ad growth.鈥滼ioStar, he added, is backing stories rooted in universal human themes. 鈥淚dentity, aspiration, family, and justice. These are the kinds of narratives that connect deeply and scale widely.鈥滽utty also raised concerns about the current streaming economics. 鈥淧roducers have become B2B entities, creating for platforms instead of consumers. That has led to a disconnect. Unless the model is reset, I believe it鈥檚 deeply broken.鈥漈urning to the theatrical business, Jain spoke about shifting audience behavior. 鈥淓very industry goes through phases of change, and the theatrical space is no different. We鈥檝e been in a difficult period where people aren’t coming to theatres unless the movie is really, really good.鈥滺e continued, 鈥淐reators need to tell more authentic stories, and theatre owners must reinvent, whether through pricing, experience, or value delivery. Watching a film today means a three-hour commitment, and that鈥檚 a big ask. Theatrical viewing needs to feel like an experience, not just a screening.鈥滼ain also commented on the scale of India鈥檚 content ecosystem. 鈥淭V and digital coexist, with 800 million viewers on the JioStar network and 400 million on JioHotstar.鈥 With more than 320,000 hours of content across multiple languages, Jain said the common thread is human emotion and shared experience. 鈥淭hat emotional truth is what allows Indian content to scale and even travel globally.鈥(You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel)
Read More News onjiostaralok jainalok jain jiostarkrishnan kuttykrishnan kutty jiostar
(Catch all the Business News, Breaking News, Budget 2025 Events and Latest News Updates on The Economic Times.) Subscribe to The Economic Times Prime and read the ET ePaper online….moreless
(You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel)Read More News onjiostaralok jainalok jain jiostarkrishnan kuttykrishnan kutty jiostar(Catch all the Business News, Breaking News, Budget 2025 Events and Latest News Updates on The Economic Times.) Subscribe to The Economic Times Prime and read the ET ePaper online….moreless