In a major push to strengthen its regional slate, JioHotstar will invest Rs 4,000 crore over the next five years in south Indian content. The OTT platform has signed a Letter of Intent with the Tamil Nadu government as part of the initiative.
At the ‘South Unbound’ event held in Chennai on December 9, JioHotstar said the investment will focus on south-original programming, with an emphasis on regional-first formats, new-age narratives, and emerging storytellers, while also scaling these stories for national and global audiences.
As part of the expansion, the platform will roll out creator-centric initiatives including writing labs, mentorship programmes, and skill-development workshops aimed at nurturing the next generation of filmmakers, writers, editors, and digital creators.
The platform has also announced a slate of 25 new south titles, including Vijay Sethupathi’s Kaattaan, Kajal Aggarwal’s Visakha, and Nivin Pauly’s Pharma.
Apart from Bigg Boss (in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada), the other ambitious releases include Good Wife Season 2, Moodu Lantharlu, Kerala Crime Files Season 3, LBW, Vikram on Duty, Cousins and Kalyanams, Lucky: The Superstar, Secret Stories, Resort, Varam, Anali, Heartbeat Season 3, Batchmates, 1000 Babies Season 2, Lingam, Love Always, Save the Tiger Season 3, and Comedy Cooks.
The event was attended by Tamil Nadu Deputy CM Udhayanidhi Stalin, actor-MP Kamal Haasan, Minister of Information MP Saminathan, actors Vijay Sethupathi, Mohanlal, Nagarjuna, among others.
Speaking at the event, Kamal Haasan said that JioHotstar’s initiative has marked a tectonic shift in the entertainment industry.
“Today, stories are truly screen-agnostic. They travel with the viewer. The audience has become the platform. And when that happens, the relationship between the medium and the message changes forever. Stories do not belong to any screen; they always travel with the listener and belong to people. Screens simply follow them. It is this tectonic shift that makes JioHotstar’s initiative so consequential for Tamil Nadu - not only for its ambition, but for the architecture of opportunity it unlocks. In this new world, every Tamil creator, producer, and storyteller can reach every Indian, on every screen, every day.”
“Today, regional is becoming the new national, and ethnic the new international. Stories born in Madurai, Malappuram, Mandya or Machilipatnam are no longer “regional cinema”, they are national cultural events,” he said.
Krishnan Kutty, Head – Entertainment (South), JioHotstar, said that the south has always been a creative powerhouse. “It is a privilege to serve a region that is defining the next era of Indian storytelling. The stories born here are bold, the creators are fearless, and the audiences are among the most invested in the country. Our commitment is to fuel this ecosystem with meaningful, long-term investments in talent, infrastructure, and new storytelling formats.”
He added that in the last 10 months alone, over 500 creators, directors, and showrunners have joined JioHotstar. “Each brings a voice that deserves to be heard across India and beyond. ‘South Unbound’ is our promise to help creators dream bigger, build faster, and take their stories further than ever before.”
Similarly, Sushant Sreeram, Head – SVOD Business & Chief Marketing Officer said that JioHotstar was conceived with the vision of shaping the future of Indian entertainment which is deeply anchored in the country’s rich storytelling traditions. “JioHotstar started as a dream. To build the entertainment future of tomorrow, one that’s rooted in the rich storytelling heritage of our great country and its many facets, powered by cutting-edge technology, and serve as the default destination for Indian entertainment everywhere.”
He added: “We are thrilled with the progress we have made in less than a year across live sports and entertainment, establishing JioHotstar as the clear choice for all India. The resplendent story-telling heritage of South India and its sheer impact on India’s storytelling culture motivates us to keep championing rich, authentic and rooted narratives while delivering greater variety, accessibility and viewing experiences tailored to every viewer’s tastes and dreams.”