Netflix to roll out cheaper mobile-screen plans in India

New Delhi, July 18 (PTI): Video streaming company Netflix will roll out a cheaper mobile-only plan in India as it looks to woo viewers amid growing competition from Amazon Prime Videos and other local players.
The premium content platform also believes that growth in the Indian market is a marathon; and that it is witnessing steady progress here.
After several months of testing, the company has decided to roll out a lower-priced mobile-screen plan in India to complement existing plans, Netflix said in a statement. “We believe this plan, which will launch in Q3, will be an effective way to introduce a larger number of people in India to Netflix and to further expand our business in a market where Pay TV average revenue per user (ARPU) is low (below USD 5),” it added.

Netflix had been testing a INR 250 monthly subscription for mobile devices in India. Its current plans are available for INR 500 onwards.

Online content consumption in India has seen massive growth with data plans becoming more affordable. Data rates in India are among the cheapest globally.

Netflix Chief Product Officer Greg Peters said the company sees an opportunity to broaden access to its service in India.

While Netflix plays in the premium content streaming space, it competes with the likes of Amazon Prime Video, Hotstar and even YouTube, along with other local players in the Indian market.

The competition in the video-on-demand space has intensified, especially after the launch of Reliance Jio’s services as data tariffs have come down drastically in the country. Players like Yupp TV, Hungama and ALTBalaji are actively expanding their library with original programming to tap into the Indian market.