Story TV Bets Big on South India, Expanding Premium Vertical Storytelling Across the Region

Story TV, India’s leading microdrama platform from Eloelo Group, today announced a full-scale expansion into South India, its biggest regional content investment to date, anchored by original vertical series in Telugu, Tamil, Kannada and Malayalam.

The expansion is anchored in Story TV’s belief that regional storytelling will drive the next phase of growth in India’s mobile entertainment ecosystem, and that premium vertical storytelling can realise its full potential only when original stories are created in native languages. South India, home to some of the country’s most influential film industries and most engaged digital entertainment audiences, represents the strongest expression of this opportunity.

Story TV has committed to producing more than 1,000 original South Indian microdramas by March 2027, working with writers, filmmakers, actors and creative talent from across the southern states to build original IP in every language in the southern markets. It reflects the platform’s long-term vision of becoming India’s leading destination for premium vertical storytelling, with stories that are deeply rooted in local cultures, languages and audience preferences.

The Tamil slate brings together some of the industry’s most respected creative voices across cinema and television, including acclaimed director Alagar (Saravanan Meenatchi), cinematographer Laxman Kumar (Vennila Kabadi Kuzhu), Mahanathi Shankar (Dheena), Kumaran Thangarajan (Pandian Stores, Kumarasambavam), Jey Srinivas (Varisu), Ramji (Ramany vs Ramani), and Siragadikka Aasai actors Preetha Jenarthanan and Yuhani Shree.

The Telugu slate features an equally accomplished mix of filmmakers and performers, including acclaimed director Ajju (One Last Ride) and Nandi Award-winning cinematographer Om Prakash, known for acclaimed television serials such as Swathi Chinukulu and Ruthuragalu. It also includes well-known faces from Telugu films and television, including Charan Lakkaraju (Temporary Roommates), Raj (Bigg Boss Telugu), Anvitha (Devayani), Visalakshi (Lakshmi Nivasam), Raksha (Guppedantha Manasu), Rohith (Abhishekam), and Monika (Padmavathi Kalyanam).

The momentum is already visible. Hyderabad, Chennai, Bengaluru, and Kochi are among Story TV’s top cities across southern markets by consumption, while users across the southern states spend an average of 95 minutes daily on the platform.

“Entertainment has moved to the mobile screen, and viewing habits have moved with it. Audiences today want stories they can binge instantly and see themselves in their language, their culture, their world. Microdrama answers both. It is the most exciting format in Indian storytelling right now. The format has opened up opportunities for the entire creative talent community to tell richer and diverse local stories,” said GSN Aditya, Chief Operating Officer, Story TV.

“South India is central to that vision. It is home to some of India’s strongest storytelling traditions and most passionate audiences. Our focus is to build a local creative talent community, invest in original stories across languages, and raise the quality of premium vertical storytelling together. What we create here will not only strengthen our leadership in the region but also become the blueprint for how we take this category to other regions across the country,” Aditya added.

Story TV’s initial Southern slate has collectively crossed over 250 million views. Some of the platform’s most-watched shows include Vaarasudu Vacchadu, Paper Wife Bathiladi, VIP Card, Billionaire Maid, Srimanthudu, and several others.

The expanded slate will span romance, family drama, thriller, revenge, comedy and emotional storytelling, tailored to the preferences and nuances of each market, with Kannada and Malayalam originals rolling out as the catalogue expands continuously across the region.

The South India expansion anchors Story TV’s larger ambition to make premium vertical storytelling accessible across every major Indian market, with new and original titles, languages and creative partnerships to be announced in the coming months.