- By Talib Khan
- Wed, 24 Jul 2019 05:00 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
New Delhi | Jagran News Desk: Netflix, since its entry into the Indian market is luring its viewers with some content based programs, which surprisingly garnered the interest of Indian population who is habitual of viewing masala movies more often. Now Netflix has come up with another tactic to increase its viewers base, by launching a cheaper monthly mobile plan.
Aiming to come close to its rivals like Amazon Prime and Hotstar in India, American video streaming giant Netflix on Wednesday launched a new lower-priced mobile-only subscription plan in India, after months of testing. The monthly subscription plan is priced at Rs. 199, and it streams only in SD. This plan is only available for mobile and tablet users in India for now, and is much cheaper than the original monthly plans that start from Rs. 499. This plan has been tailored exclusively for Indian users, as Netflix looks to tap into a price-sensitive market where data consumption on smartphones is at peak.
This is Netflix's fourth Indian plan, in addition to the existing basic, standard and premium plans which are priced between Rs 499 and Rs 799.
The Netflix Rs. 199 monthly mobile plan is available from 24 July, and it brings features like SD streaming, one concurrent stream only, and availability on tablets as well. There's no support for casting on TV with this lower-priced plan. At the time of writing, the plan didn't appear to be accessible. Netflix says more people sign up on mobile in India than anywhere in the world, as a percentage of total sign-ups in India.
Ajay Arora, Director, Product Innovation, Netflix, said, "our members in India watch more on their mobiles than members any other country in the world, and they love to download our shows and films. We believe this new plan will make Netflix even more accessible and better suit people who like to watch on their smartphones and tablets, both on the go and at home."
"Indian consumers watch on the go. And you can't beat that freedom. According to a FICCI-EY 2019 report, Indians spend 30 per cent of their phone time and over 70 per cent of their mobile data on entertainment. Our goal is to get Netflix on as many devices as we can. Today, Netflix is present on 1700 plus device models," Nigel Baptiste, Director of Partner Engagement, Netflix said.
The company began testing the mobile-only subscription service in few countries in March, and it joins other plans priced at Rs. 499, Rs. 649, and Rs. 799. At the time of testing, Rs. 250 was the subscription fee charged by Netflix, and it appears to have rethought the decision and later launched the plan for Rs.199 only.
Netflix is investing heavily in Indian films and series across all genres and for all generations, includin much-loved hits like Sacred Games, Chopsticks and Mighty Little Bheem. According to the company, thirteen new films and nine new original series are already in the pipeline.