The report examines changing consumer behaviour, viewing habits and storytelling preferences around microdrama, while also assessing its potential for creators, brands and advertisers.
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The study finds that 54% of viewers return for a repeat viewing session, suggesting that microdrama is moving beyond novelty and becoming part of regular entertainment consumption. Social media also plays a key role in discovery, with 77% of viewers saying they discover microdramas through social feeds.
The report highlights the broad demographic and economic profile of the audience. Some 68% of viewers belong to households with annual incomes above Rs 10 lakh, while 63% own a home and 64% travel more than twice a year. The findings indicate that microdrama’s audience extends across different economic segments rather than being limited to a particular consumer group.
Everyday-life stories emerged as the most preferred storytelling category, selected by 36% of respondents. The report suggests that relatability, combined with the convenience of short-form viewing and the continuity of episodic storytelling, is helping drive engagement with the format.
The study also points to opportunities for advertisers. According to the report, microdrama generated 84% brand recall and 82% purchase intent in the advertising assessment, with the format showing stronger performance on these measures than traditional short-form content.Commenting on the findings, Neha Markanda, Chief Business Officer, ShareChat & Moj, said that microdrama has evolved from an emerging format into a distinct entertainment category. She said audiences are seeking stories that fit naturally into mobile-first lifestyles, combining the convenience of short-form consumption with the continuity and emotional depth of long-form storytelling.
The report also highlights the growing role of microdrama for creators, brands and platforms, with episodic storytelling offering opportunities for deeper audience engagement and more narrative-led brand communication.
Ebu Isaac, Head of Media and Analytics, Kantar South Asia, said the research reflects a broader evolution in India’s digital content landscape, with audience attention increasingly shaped by new formats and viewing behaviours. He said microdrama is building engagement through frequent, mobile-first consumption combined with episodic storytelling, pointing to its potential as an emerging entertainment category.
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The State of Microdrama in India report was commissioned by ShareChat and Moj in partnership with Kantar to examine the emergence of microdrama as a mobile-first entertainment format and its impact on consumer behaviour, content consumption and advertising effectiveness.
The quantitative study covered 1,045 respondents across 14 Indian cities between May 4 and May 25, 2026. Participants were smartphone and social media users aged 18–44 years across NCCS A, B and C segments. The study examined audience preferences, viewing habits, storytelling behaviour and engagement with microdrama.
An additional attention module, conducted between May 21 and May 29, 2026, included 450 respondents and compared audience attention across microdrama, long-form content, and short-form videos/reels.