one18

Stories

The timing of HDFC Life’s move coincides with growing evidence of microdrama becoming a mainstream content behaviour. The State of Microdrama in India report by ShareChat and Moj, in partnership with Kantar, found that 80% of audiences prefer microdrama, while 86% of viewers spend more than 15 minutes watching it every day.
S
Storyboard•27-09-2026, 09:32
HDFC Life Dives into India's Microdrama Boom with New Term Insurance Series
  • •HDFC Life launches a four-episode microdrama series to promote term insurance, leveraging episodic storytelling for themes of long-term protection and responsibility.
  • •Microdrama is evolving from entertainment to a brand-funded storytelling avenue, allowing marketers to build narratives around brand propositions for mobile consumption.
  • •A Kantar study reveals 80% of audiences prefer microdrama, with 86% spending over 15 minutes daily, and 77% discovering content via social media feeds.
  • •Microdrama reaches 100 million people monthly in India, generating 1.2 billion episode views daily, attracting brands like PhonePe, OnePlus, and Zomato.
  • •The format offers high brand recall (84%), message association (79%), and purchase intent (82%), with production costs around Rs 8,000-9,000 per minute, making it an attractive marketing channel.
Read Full Article on Storyboard in English

Key Questions Answered

HDFC Life is launching a four-episode, social-first series focused on term insurance to communicate themes around long-term protection and responsibility through episodic storytelling.

The report highlights that 80% of audiences prefer microdramas, 86% spend over 15 minutes watching them daily, and 77% discover them via social media feeds. Additionally, the format achieves an 84% brand recall and 82% purchase intent.

According to the FICCI-EY report, average production costs are approximately Rs 8,000-9,000 per minute, with India producing around 800 hours of original microdrama content in 2025. The segment is projected to reach Rs 23.2 billion by 2028.

Similar Stories

eta - Kuku TV micro drama playbook highlights 29% of viewers said they were exposed to micro dramas less than six months ago, while 36% said their exposure began six to 12 months ago. Another 35% had been exposed to the format more than a year ago. Overall, 65% of audiences have discovered the category within the last year, pointing to a category where viewing habits are still being formed.

India's Micro-Drama Market Soars to $260M, Meta & Kuku TV Drive Next Growth Phase

S
Storyboard
People are keeping their phones for longer | The smartphone upgrade cycle has already been getting longer. In 2014, 44% of iPhone owners replaced their phones every one to two years, according to Consumer Intelligence Research Partners data cited by The Atlantic. Today, consumers are increasingly keeping their smartphones for three years or longer, while 76% of buyers say they would wait until new capabilities feel worth the cost before upgrading. (Image: Canva)

India's Microdrama Boom: Can Bite-Sized Shows Turn Profit Beyond Mobile Novelty?

C
CNBC TV18
Unlike films, television or long-form OTT shows, where branded entertainment projects can take several months to produce, microdramas can be turned around relatively quickly, allowing brands to build campaigns around topical moments.

Can AI Predict a Microdrama Hit? BULLET Says Its Success Rate Has Doubled

S
Storyboard
Micro drama has become popular to the extent that it is reaching 100 million people every month and getting 1.2 billion views of episodes every day, with 80 percent of people preferring it and 77 percent finding microdramas via social media feed.

Microdrama Boom: India's $300 Million Market Reshapes Entertainment Economy

S
Storyboard
The creator base also includes 25% first-time creators, according to Meesho, indicating that the platform's content-commerce ecosystem is drawing participants who are new to the creator economy.

Meesho Creator Commerce Surges 152 Percent as Tier 3 and 4 Markets Drive Growth

S
Storyboard
APAC advertising market set to reach US$276.1 billion in 2026, says MPA

APAC Ad Market to Hit $276 Billion by 2026 as Retail Media, Online Video Surge

S
Storyboard