Beyond The Binge: 8 AI-Powered White-Spaces Set to Redraw India’s Streaming Map

From hyperlocal sports to enterprise video, here are a few lucrative opportunities!

Jul 09, 2025

Hey Streamers 👋,

A warm welcome to the 93rd edition of the “Streaming in India” newsletter, your weekly news digest about streaming players, OTT trends, and analyses. If you are not already a subscriber, please sign up and join thousands of others who receive it directly in their inbox every Wednesday.

Agenda

Opportunities in Indian Streaming: Innovating in the Age of AI
Hyperlocal Sports Streaming (Schools & Colleges) – Tapping grassroots sports online
AI-Powered Personalization & Discovery – Smarter engines for content overload
Short-Form Video for Professionals – The TikTok of business content?
AI Tools for Fast & Affordable Video Production – Creating content at scale
Enterprise Streaming Platforms – B2B video for communication & commerce
Video for Bharat: Agriculture & Rural Communities – Reaching the heartland
Kid-Centric OTT Content – The next digital playground
Women’s Sports Streaming – Spotlighting the underrepresented half

And….Action!

Opportunities in Indian Streaming: Innovating in the Age of AI

This week, we evaluate what entrepreneurs and investors should be building in the age of AI for India’s streaming industry. From hyperlocal sports to AI-driven content creation, there’s a world of opportunity beyond the obvious.

1. Hyperlocal Sports Streaming (Schools & Colleges)

Everyone knows cricket is king in India – but what about the thousands of school, college, and local league matches and other sports that never make it to TV? A massive untapped audience exists for hyperlocal sports streaming. One emerging startup, SportVot, is leading the way: this D2C platform has live-streamed 35,000+ grassroots matches, profiling over 200,000 athletes. By equipping local teams and tournaments with affordable cameras and cloud-based studios, they help digitize and monetize sports at the grassroots.

The opportunity? Be the “YouTube for school sports”. India has tens of thousands of colleges and schools where passionate games (from cricket to kabaddi) are played yearly. Proud parents, alumni, and local fans would tune in if given the chance. SportVot’s success (3.5 lakh matches streamed and counting) proves the demand.

An entrepreneur could build regional or sport-specific streaming networks – imagine inter-school cricket live from Mumbai, or a national platform for college basketball. The market is massive, and AI can make it scalable: automated cameras, AI-driven highlights, and commentary can keep costs low. Beyond viewership, such platforms uncover hidden talent and new sports IP – all while connecting communities. In short, local sports is the next big streaming arena, waiting for innovators to champion it.

2. AI-Powered Personalization & Discovery

With 40+ OTT services in India, content overload is real. Users spend ages deciding what to watch. Enter AI-powered personalization – a critical layer for any streaming product today. Think of it as the brain that gets to know each viewer. Platforms like Netflix and Prime already thrive on smart recommendations, but there’s room to do even more in an Indian context. Multilingual personalization is one frontier: “In a multilingual country like ours, enabling linguistic exploration is key,” noted Amazon’s Gaurav Gandhi. Viewers shouldn’t struggle to find content in their preferred language or genre – AI can learn their tastes (maybe you binge Hindi thrillers and Tamil rom-coms) and serve up a custom mix.

For entrepreneurs, one idea is a personalization engine as a service – helping mid-tier OTTs or new apps boost engagement via machine learning. Another angle: aggregation + personalization. Startups like OTTplay have launched AI-powered aggregators that unify content from dozens of apps, then use intelligent recommendations to cut through the clutter. OTTplay’s platform spans 32 OTT services and uses a “hyper-personalized discovery engine” to reduce browsing time by ~30%. That’s a big deal when viewers typically waste 20 minutes just scrolling. By leveraging AI to follow each viewer’s “clues” – their viewing history, search queries, even mood – future streaming apps can recommend regional, niche, and popular titles that keep users hooked.

3. Short-Form Video for Professionals

India conquered short-form entertainment with TikTok (before its ban) and dozens of local clones for music, dance, and comedy. But there’s a whitespace in short-form video focused on business and professional content. Think LinkedIn meets Instagram Reels. Today’s young professionals and entrepreneurs prefer snackable insights over lengthy reports. In fact, 90% of Indian B2B marketers say capturing attention is now their top challenge, as decision-makers behave like consumers – seeking content that’s brief, visual, and mobile-friendly. This opens the door for an app or platform dedicated to quick, informative videos: startup how-tos, career tips, news explainers, investor insights – all in one-minute clips.

Why is this promising? Short video is booming even in B2B marketing. Recent industry research shows that under-90-second videos (explainer clips, behind-the-scenes looks, testimonials) are proving indispensable for building brand trust and converting leads [linkedin.com]. In other words, professionals want engaging video content, just tailored to their work and interests. A savvy entrepreneur could create a “professional shorts” platform or a new content format on existing networks targeting this need. Imagine an app where founders share bite-sized business lessons, or domain experts answer questions in 60 seconds. With AI, curation can be personalized (so a finance exec sees finance-related clips, a tech founder sees product hacks, etc.), and even content creation can be assisted (automatic captions, summaries, translations of each short).

Moreover, micro-influencers in business are on the rise – subject matter experts who command niche followings. A short-form medium amplifying their voice could draw a loyal audience. Already, 97% of Indian B2B marketers see video and influencer marketing as key drivers for sales now [linkedin.com]. A “TikTok for professionals” could ride this wave, supported by sponsorships, recruiting tie-ins, or premium learning content. In a world where “attention is currency”, a platform that helps entrepreneurs and executives consume (or create) valuable insights in minutes might just strike gold.

4. AI Tools for Fast & Affordable Video Production

Not every company can afford a Bollywood-budget video team – and that’s where AI in video production comes in. One of the biggest opportunities in the streaming ecosystem today is building tools that let any enterprise or creator make quality videos faster and cheaper. We’re talking automated editing, AI avatars, text-to-video generation, smart dubbing – the works.

Why now? Video content demand is exploding, but human-intensive production can’t keep up. As VideoVerse CEO Vinayak Shrivastav observes, “media companies and streamers [are] producing millions of hours of video… demand for curated content has skyrocketed” [indianstartupnews.com]. His startup (formerly Toch.ai, rebranded to VideoVerse) raised $45M to meet this demand by using AI to automatically transform full-length videos into short clips and highlights in real time. Their AI Magnifi can watch a cricket match or a long webinar and spit out ready-to-publish highlight reels, saving countless hours of manual editing. This kind of AI-driven editing is invaluable for sports leagues, news outlets, or OTT archives trying to maximize content output without ballooning costs.

Beyond editing, consider AI video creation for marketing. Indian startups like Rocketium and Rephrase.ai have pioneered tools to make ad videos or personalized clips at scale. In fact, Cadbury’s 2021 Diwali campaign famously used a deepfake avatar of Shah Rukh Khan to create thousands of localized ads for small retailers – a glimpse of how AI can customize content for diverse audiences. There’s also huge demand for multi-lingual video in India’s market: tools like Dubverse.ai now let you auto-dub videos into dozens of Indian languages with AI voices, removing the language barrier for content creators. Imagine an OTT platform auto-translating and voice-cloning its hit show into 10 regional tongues overnight – that’s a game changer for reach.

For entrepreneurs, the field is wide open to build “Canva for video” or the next-gen AI video studio. This could mean a SaaS product that lets small businesses generate slick product videos with just a script, or an AI that auto-edits user-generated footage into a polished vlog. It could be an API that OTT platforms use to generate trailer snippets personalized to each viewer’s taste (action-packed for one user, comedic for another). The key is leveraging advancements in computer vision, generative AI, and voice synthesis to slash the time and cost of video production. Just as tools for creating websites and graphics boomed, tools for creating videos are set to surge – especially in a country where marketing budgets are lean and social media timelines demand fresh video daily. In the AI age, every company will be a media company, and providing them the creative superpowers to churn out quality video easily is a multi-billion dollar opportunity.

5. Enterprise Streaming Platforms (B2B Use Cases)

Not all streaming is about movies and shows – businesses are increasingly streaming their own content. From all-hands meetings and product launches to training sessions and virtual conferences, enterprise video is booming. A recent study by Tata Communications found a staggering 98% of large enterprises now use live video streaming for key events like corporate announcements and town halls [csimagazine.com]. In fact, virtually all companies surveyed consider live streaming essential for communication, with 96% saying it’s highly effective for internal comms and 83% using it to engage customers. This points to a big B2B opportunity: building robust enterprise streaming solutions.

What might that look like? Think of a secure, company-branded “internal OTT” where a firm can broadcast CEO keynotes, host training modules on-demand, or live-stream its annual summit to employees and stakeholders worldwide. Sure, one could use YouTube or Zoom, but businesses increasingly demand broadcast-quality, interactive, and secure streams – something more professional than a basic Zoom call. This is where startups can step in with platforms offering features like high-quality low-latency streaming, end-to-end encryption, participant analytics, and integration with enterprise IT systems. Essentially, an “AWS for live corporate video”.

Moreover, live commerce is another B2B(2C) streaming play. E-commerce players in China have thrived with QVC-style live streams hosted by influencers to sell products. In India, short-video platforms and shopping apps are just starting to experiment with this fusion of streaming and commerce. An entrepreneur could build a platform or toolkit enabling brands (or even local shops) to easily host live shopping events – complete with real-time chat, purchase buttons, and AI-generated product demos. With India’s retail market embracing omni-channel, streaming could become a new storefront.

AI also adds value here: imagine AI-driven analytics during corporate streams (which segment of the all-hands got highest engagement? When did viewers drop off?), or AI translation so that a live session can instantly be sub-titled in multiple languages for a diverse workforce. There’s also room for interactive features – think live polls, Q&As analyzed by AI for sentiment, or even AR/VR meetings as bandwidth grows.

The bottom line: As businesses realize video is a superior medium for both internal and external communication, they’ll seek specialized platforms to do it right. From startups offering plug-and-play corporate webcast platforms to those building niche streaming services for education, healthcare training, or religious congregations, B2B streaming is ripe for innovation. The cherry on top – enterprise clients are willing to pay (and subscribe) for reliable service, making this a potentially lucrative play with recurring revenues.

6. Video for Bharat: Agriculture & Rural Communities

The next 200 million internet users in India will largely come from rural areas – and they won’t be satisfied with just watching city-centric entertainment. There’s a vast opportunity to create streaming and video platforms tailored to agricultural and rural communities. Picture a farmer in Madhya Pradesh getting live video updates on pest control techniques, or a village youth tuning into a livestream Q&A with an agricultural expert in her local language.

Platforms serving this segment are starting to emerge. For example, Access Agriculture, an NGO, launched a multilingual video platform with 200+ agricultural training videos in 80 languages – its new Hindi portal alone could reach 300 million Hindi-speaking farmers and rural entrepreneurs [fao.org]. This underscores the scale: farmers represent a user base in the hundreds of millions, and they are increasingly online thanks to cheap data. Yet most content for “Bharat” (rural India) is still text or audio-based, or one-way broadcast (like the government’s DD Kisan TV channel). High-quality streaming content – whether live or on-demand – focused on farming, rural education, and local community updates is still a blue-sky field.

An entrepreneur might create a “Kisan OTT” – a video hub for farmers with how-to clips on everything from sowing techniques to using government schemes, success-story documentaries of innovative farmers, weather update streams, even entertainment that resonates with rural life. Another idea: interactive live streams for agri-commerce, where buyers and sellers of produce do virtual auctions or produce showcases via live video. Given the rise of rural YouTubers and WhatsApp video sharing, there’s precedent that video engages these communities. The key will be localization (language, dialect, culturally relevant context) and accessibility (offline download options, low-bandwidth streams for areas with spotty internet). AI can help by auto-translating content, compressing videos for low bandwidth, or even providing chatbot advisors alongside videos (ask a question during a live demo of a farming technique and get an instant answer).

7. Kid-Centric OTT Content

If you think adults have screen-time addiction, take a look at any Indian kid with access to a smartphone. Children are spending more time online than ever – a survey found 61% of Indian kids now spend at least 3 hours daily online, mostly watching videos. Yet, the irony is that quality kids’ content in India is still underdeveloped. Ask any 10-year-old what they watch, and you’ll hear about Marvel movies, Japanese anime, or Western cartoons on YouTube/Netflix. Homegrown kids’ programming has been scant (children’s films were <0.2% of our box office, per Ormax Media), largely because of historically low investment. This is changing – and fast. For OTT players and new startups, kids’ streaming platforms and content hubs represent a huge opportunity.

Major OTTs have noticed the trend: ZEE5 launched a dedicated Kids section with 4,000 hours of content across nine languages, Discovery+ added a kids genre, and just recently JioHotstar rolled out a kids content hub featuring popular franchises like Pokemon (1000+ episodes). The pandemic accelerated this shift – with kids stuck at home, Nickelodeon saw 50 million weekly viewers and kids’ OTT consumption spiked. But even with these moves, the surface is barely scratched. India has over 400 million under-18s; serving them (and their parents) with safe, engaging content is both a noble mission and a potential goldmine. As one analysis put it, the kids’ entertainment space presents significant opportunities for producers & investors – a potential goldmine as long as content quality and safety are kept in focus.

What might a kids-centric streaming platform offer? It could aggregate child-friendly cartoons, learning shows, and nursery rhymes from various creators into one safe app (imagine a “Netflix Kids” but desi, with robust parental controls and perhaps gamified learning). Interactive education is a big angle – think of mixing video stories with quizzes or AR games, so kids learn while having fun. Personalization here means tailoring content to age groups and even to individual interests (if little Rohan loves dinosaurs and music, the app serves up animated songs about T-Rex). AI can assist by ensuring inappropriate content is filtered out automatically and even by creating content – for instance, procedurally generating simple animated stories or localizing voices. There’s also scope for Indian IP creation: original characters and stories that reflect Indian culture (the success of Chhota Bheem and its Netflix spin-off Mighty Little Bheem globally is proof that our stories can travel).

Importantly, parents are willing to pay for good kids’ content – be it subscriptions or one-time downloads – if it’s educational and safe. A B2B2C twist could be partnering with schools (many schools recommend edutainment apps to parents or use video content in classrooms). Whether through a dedicated app or via bundling on existing OTTs, kids’ content is set to boom. The next Pixar-like franchise could just as easily come out of Mumbai or Hyderabad, given the talent in our animation studios. For those looking to invest or build in OTT, don’t overlook the little ones – winning their hearts (and screen time) could yield big results.

8. Women’s Sports Streaming

Women’s sports have long been under-televised in India, but that’s changing – and with it comes an opportunity for streaming platforms. The recent Women’s Premier League (WPL) cricket debut was a watershed moment. JioHotstar, which streamed the WPL free, reported the final match drew over 10 million new viewers and clocked 50+ minutes average watch-time per user, making it the most-watched women’s event globally. This clearly signals that if you make women’s sports accessible and affordable to watch, audiences will flock. Now consider all the other women’s sports – from hockey and football to badminton, athletics, and kabaddi – that get far less coverage. There’s a huge whitespace to give these games a dedicated streaming spotlight.

An entrepreneur could launch a women’s sports-focused OTT platform or channel. Start by aggregating live streams and highlights of women’s leagues and tournaments (many of which are currently only on YouTube or not filmed at all). This could include everything from the Indian women’s football league matches, domestic cricket, to even college-level women’s championships. With the backing of AI, one can keep production costs low – e.g., using AI cameras (auto-tracking the action without a large crew) and automated highlight generators to package content nicely. There’s also room for rich storytelling: documentaries, player profiles, and analysis shows focusing on female athletes can engage fans and inspire young girls. In an age of equal opportunity, brands also want to associate with women’s sports – so monetization via sponsorships and ad revenue is viable, as seen by 50+ brands partnering during WPL’s first season.

Another angle is community engagement: a platform could integrate social features for fans of women’s sports to discuss and cheer, or even allow user-generated commentary (imagine college radio-style commentary for a women’s basketball game, done by fans). Interactive stats and gamification (fantasy leagues for women’s matches, prediction games) could further drive interest. Essentially, treat women’s sports with the same glamour and tech innovation that men’s sports have seen, and you unlock a new audience.

Crucially, by investing early in this space, a platform can become the go-to destination as viewership climbs. The success of WPL shows the trajectory.

Entrepreneurs don’t have to compete for IPL or ISL rights; instead, carve out the niche of women’s sports and grow with it. As societal support and participation for women athletes swell, the content demand will follow. A streaming service that champions “half the world’s sports” could not only do good for equality but also score a winning business, capturing loyalty in a less crowded field.

And Finally.

It’s an exciting time to be in the Indian streaming space – the attention economy is up for grabs, and AI is turbocharging what’s possible. We’ve highlighted both consumer-facing ideas (from kids content to sports and rural streaming) and B2B plays (like enterprise video and AI tooling). The truth is, the next wave of streaming innovation will be a mix of both. Consumer products need solid tech under the hood, and enterprise platforms need engaging consumer-grade UX.

A few themes stand out across these opportunities: localization, personalization, and democratization. Whether it’s tailoring content to a dialect for farmers or personalizing a content feed for each user, success will come to those who can cater to India’s diversity with a personal touch. AI, of course, is the enabler that can make this scaling feasible – handling the heavy lift of translation, content curation, or video generation in seconds where humans would take days.

For investors, these niches might just be the whitespace where the next Hotstar or Byju’s of video emerges. For entrepreneurs, the message is clear: think beyond the obvious (don’t just build another Netflix clone) and solve the unmet needs – be it the school sports fan who can’t attend games in person, the startup marketer lacking video skills, or the child craving fun learning in their mother tongue. India’s streaming landscape in 2025 and beyond isn’t going to be one-size-fits-all; it will be a vibrant tapestry of specialized platforms and tools, each capturing a unique audience. And in this race, those who blend creativity with AI prowess will lead the pack.

So, whether you’re hacking away on a new video app or reviewing pitch decks in this space – keep an eye on these emerging opportunities. The Streaming revolution’s next chapter will be written by those who can grab viewers’ attention in new ways, and there’s no shortage of avenues to do just that in the world’s fastest-growing streaming market. Happy streaming and building!

Massive sports weekend coming up - India v England Third Test match starts tomorrow, 10th July and the Wimbledon finals are this weekend! Let’s go Sports (On JioHotstar in India).

Streaming in India is a weekly newsletter exploring the trends that matter to streaming professionals in India. If you are not already a subscriber, sign up and join several others who receive it directly in their inbox every Wednesday.

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I represent the Adsolut Media business in the Middle East and am a “board observer” for their growth. We have amongst the largest supply of Connected Television premium inventory in the Middle East - Sub-continental corridor along with one of the largest mobile / web inventories as well. Please get in touch for your monetization requirements.