Fans outside a theatre in Bengaluru to watch ‘Kantara Chapter 1’, on October 2, 2025.
| Photo Credit:
ALLEN EGENUSE J
After years of disruption-led growth, the Indian media and entertainment (M&E) sector is sharpening focus on profitability and quality content as multi-platform consumption becomes the new reality.
Despite OTT’s increasing penetration and volatility seen in the performance of films at the cinemas through the year, the domestic box office revenues reached a new milestone. As per trade website Sacnilk, Indian box office ended 2025 with gross revenues of ₹13,160.19 crore, surpassing 2024 and 2023.
A report released by Ormax Media on December 16 noted that the cumulative India box office revenues for January-November period were up 18 per cent year-on-year (y-o-y) to ₹11,657 crore, with 2025 on track to become the highest-grossing year of all time (₹12,226 crore in 2023).
Dhurandhar has been an unstoppable juggernaut at the box office wrapping the year for the industry with a bang. The movie’s net collections stood at ₹784.50 crore on January 1, while it is still going strong after four weeks. In fact, the year saw successes across genres, whether it was Saiyaara, a romantic musical drama or the animation film, Mahavatar Narsimha.
“2025 has been a year of recalibration for the cinema industry. We clearly saw this year that when content delivers scale, emotion or spectacle, audiences still step out in larger numbers. With viewers becoming more selective, exhibitors are being pushed to raise standards across presentation, comfort, food & beverage and overall value,” said Bhuvanesh Mendiratta, MD, Miraj Entertainment Ltd.
He added that the content pipeline looks stronger and more balanced in 2026 at a time when consumers’ habit of going to theatres for the right film is steadily returning. “The opportunity now lies in consistency, offering a reliable, high-quality experience across weeks and not just opening weekends. For cinemas, growth will come from sharper pricing, premium formats, and making the movie-outing feel worthwhile every single time,” he noted.
While OTT has emerged as a primary consumption choice, India has evolved into a multi-screen ecosystem where digital streaming, linear TV, and theatrical experiences coexist, with different audiences gravitating to different platforms depending on type of content and personal choices , pointed out Rajesh Sethi, Partner and Leader Media Entertainment and Sports PwC India.
Multi-platform consumption “India’s M&E sector is entering a phase where OTT has st
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