Bela Bajaria
Chief Content Officer, NetflixAbout
When Bela Bajaria joined Netflix in 2016, she was convinced about one thing: to entertain the world, one can’t just rely on stories from the U.S. A decade later, Netflix’s 325-million-strong subscriber base backs her conviction. “When we talk about local storytelling, it is important that you have creators from around the world, and you allow them this space,” says Bajaria. She believes entertainment brings people closer. “Stories such as Emily In Paris and Money Heist saw more people visiting Paris and Madrid. Indians love to watch Indian films, but they also want to watch Money Heist. Similarly, other markets took to Heeramandi in a big way.” So what does she love the most about her job? “To think about what will surprise an audience, what’s kind of the next bold swing,” says Bajaria, who sits with a content budget of $18 billion. An industry veteran lauds her for delivering both highbrow cinematic experiences and sticky, watchable mass programmes. In 2025, Netflix’s revenue grew by 16% YoY to $45.18 billion, proof that Bajaria has cracked the code of storytelling that transcends geographies.
