Story TV launches daily microdrama format to bring TV-style serials to smartphones

India’s fast-growing microdrama industry is beginning to borrow heavily from traditional television. Story TV on Thursday launched “Story TV Dailies”, a new vertical-video format offering fresh episodes every day, mirroring long-running TV soaps but designed for smartphone viewing.

The move marks the company’s push to deepen engagement and build habitual viewing among India’s rapidly expanding mobile entertainment audience. While most short-form platforms rely on finite series, Story TV is now experimenting with open-ended narratives that evolve continuously, similar to television serials.

Can daily episodic drops recreate TV-style viewing habits on smartphones?

The company says the format targets India’s massive General Entertainment Category (GEC) audience — viewers traditionally hooked to Hindi television serials but increasingly shifting to mobile screens. With India’s GEC advertising market estimated at ₹11,500 crore annually, digital platforms are now attempting to replicate television-style retention and daily engagement online.

Story TV, launched in 2025 by the Eloelo group, claims to have crossed 9 crore downloads and built a library of over 1,500 titles within a year. The company believes “Dailies” can expand microdramas beyond younger audiences into mainstream household entertainment.

“Smartphones are the new TV and viewers are increasingly discovering content and spending most of their time on their phones,” said GSN Aditya, COO of Story TV. He added that the company sees the daily-format model as the next evolution of mobile entertainment in India.

Unlike OTT platforms that release episodes weekly or in batches, Story TV Dailies will release episodes every day. The strategy is aimed at creating appointment-style viewing habits around short-form content while boosting user retention and session frequency.

Why are microdrama platforms expanding beyond short-form storytelling?

The initial slate includes Jinn Ki Dulhan, Magic Pen Wala Hero, and Mast Maula Zindagi, spanning mythology, fantasy, and mystery genres. The company plans to expand further into categories that remain underpenetrated within India’s microdrama ecosystem.

Story TV is also introducing a dedicated in-app section for Dailies. According to the company, users already spend an average of 90 minutes daily on the platform, with peak viewing occurring during lunch breaks, commutes, and late-night scrolling sessions.

As competition intensifies in India’s digital entertainment market, platforms are increasingly blending television-style storytelling with mobile-first convenience. Story TV’s latest bet suggests India’s soap opera audience could increasingly migrate from living room TVs to vertical smartphone screens.