India’s interactive media market to reach $3.4 billion by 2030, led by micro-drama

New Delhi:  India’s interactive media sector is entering a period of rapid expansion, with micro-drama emerging as one of the fastest-growing segments, according to a December 2025 report by Redseer Strategy Consultants. 

The overall interactive media market is projected to grow from approximately $0.44 billion in FY25 to between $3.1 billion and $3.4 billion by FY30, representing a nearly sevenfold increase over five years.

The report highlights that short-form video (SFV) growth, which had maintained a CAGR of 18% from FY22 to FY25, is beginning to slow. This deceleration has prompted platforms to diversify into Social Discovery, micro-drama, astro and devotional tech, and audio streaming. 

Micro-drama, which became prominent in the final quarter of FY25, achieved an annual recurring revenue of around $260 million by November 2025, up from under $125 million in September 2025, representing roughly twofold growth in just two months.

Projections for the interactive media market show that micro-drama could see a CAGR of 50–75% from FY25 to FY30, while other segments such as short-form video plus long-form social discovery are expected to grow 21–25%, social discovery 26–30%, astro and devotional tech 48–52%, and audio streaming 31–35%. These figures underscore micro-drama’s position as a high-velocity, high-intensity format capable of rapid scale in India’s digital ecosystem.

Redseer’s research indicates that micro-drama consumption is concentrated in metro and Tier-1 cities, with a majority of users financially independent, salaried males aged between 25 and 45. Discovery of micro-drama is largely driven by short-form video triggers and organic recommendations, with only a small percentage of users exploring the content through new media channels. 

High-aspiration and high-tension genres, including billionaire fantasies, crime thrillers, romance, family drama, and science fiction, are attracting the largest audiences. Over 95% of viewers are substituting existing SFV platforms with micro-drama rather than layering new content on top of old viewing habits. Casual daytime scrolling and idle moments at home are the most common consumption windows, accounting for 63% of user activity.

While micro-drama’s popularity is rising, users report that content velocity, repetitive storylines, and inconsistent production quality are primary concerns. Pricing has not been identified as a significant pain point. To maintain engagement, platforms are experimenting with new genres, including comedy and horror, while striving to maintain high content output. 

Monetisation remains heavily dependent on UPI autopay, with approximately 71% of users paying via this method. Around 30% of these users signal potential churn if autopay is disrupted, though some would switch to micro-payments or continue subscribing.

Platforms are therefore exploring alternative payment options to mitigate risk. Redseer notes that India’s micro-drama market is currently supply-constrained. Sustaining growth will require rapid content refresh cycles, high production quality, and personalised content experiences to stabilise lifetime value and prevent churn. 

Analysts suggest that engagement intensity, rather than duration, will be the primary driver of revenue, with high-velocity, high-intensity formats continuing to define India’s digital media landscape.