India’s Streaming Universe Hits 601 Million Users as Connected TV Surges 87%

India‘s streaming audience has reached 601.2 million users, representing over 40% of the country’s population, according to new research from Ormax Media.

The fifth edition of The Ormax OTT Audience Report: 2025 reveals a maturing market where growth has moderated to 10% year-over-year, down from the 13-14% expansion rates seen in 2023 and 2024. However, the most notable development is the explosive 87% growth in Connected TV viewership, with 129.2 million active users now watching streaming content on television screens.

“The sharp rise in the Connected TV audience base is particularly striking for a market long regarded as mobile-first,” said Shailesh Kapoor, founder and CEO of Ormax Media, which conducted the study across 15,600 respondents in urban and rural India during June and July 2025.

The research defines streaming audiences as anyone who watched at least one online video — free or paid — during the past month. Active paid subscriptions, including those bundled with telecom services and streaming aggregators, total 148.2 million accounts.

The Connected TV surge translates to an estimated 35-40 million households now equipped with smart TVs or streaming devices, marking a significant shift in viewing habits that could reshape content strategies for platforms competing in the world’s most populous nation.

Legal dramas like JioHotstar’s “Criminal Justice: A Family Matter,” which topped Ormax’s recent streaming charts with 27.7 million viewers, demonstrate the appetite for premium content that benefits from big-screen presentation.

“In response to feedback from industry leaders, we have expanded the 2025 edition to include new sections on time spent on digital content, preferred languages, content formats, and media habits,” said Keerat Grewal, head of business development for streaming, TV and brands at Ormax Media.

The Mumbai-based media consulting firm launched the annual report in 2021 to provide credible third-party data for India’s streaming industry through primary research. Each edition has grown in scope and depth, offering insights for platforms, advertisers, content creators and investors navigating the competitive landscape.

The comprehensive study breaks down the 601.2 million-user universe by demographics including gender, age, economic status, geography and city tiers.