Mumbai, May 3, 2025 — Netflix has contributed over $2 billion to India’s economy since the pandemic, announced Co-CEO Ted Sarandos at the WAVES Global Summit 2025 in Mumbai. Speaking alongside actor Saif Ali Khan, Sarandos highlighted how streaming is transforming India’s creative and cultural landscape.
25,000 Jobs, 100+ Cities, and a Nationwide Footprint
Between 2021 and 2024, Netflix shot across 100+ cities in 23 states, collaborating with over 25,000 local cast and crew. Sarandos noted, “Our investments have created jobs, developed skills, and built infrastructure across the country.”
Indian Content Goes Global
In 2024, at least one Indian title ranked in Netflix’s global Top 10 non-English shows every week. Indian content clocked over 3 billion viewing hours, or roughly 60 million hours per week.
Streaming Boosts Creative Freedom
Saif Ali Khan praised streaming’s impact on storytelling: “Long-form content lets us explore characters deeply. There’s a creative intimacy you can’t get in traditional formats.”
Authenticity Over Global Engineering
Sarandos urged Indian creators to stay rooted: “Don’t try to engineer content for a global audience. What works best abroad is what’s loved at home first. Be real, be local.”
India Poised for a Global Breakthrough
Sarandos compared India’s current momentum to Korea’s pre-Squid Game era: “India is laying the creative foundation. The world is ready. The breakthrough is coming.”
Streaming and Theatres Can Coexist
On the evolving media landscape, Sarandos said: “In fan-first markets like India, streaming and cinema can thrive together. It’s all about delivering great stories, wherever people want to watch them.”
He added that India’s swift film-to-streaming transitions have “democratized access and led the way globally.”
What’s Next on Netflix India
Upcoming Indian titles include The Royals and The B*****s of Bollywood. Global hits like Squid Game Season 2, Stranger Things (final season), and Wednesday will also return in 2025.
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