Applause Entertainment, the Aditya Birla Group content studio behind “Scam 1992: The Harshad Mehta Story” and “Criminal Justice,” has struck an exclusive partnership with Indian microdrama platform Story TV to co-produce and distribute a new slate of short-form content for mobile audiences.
The collaboration will span multiple genres, with Story TV also acquiring rights to Applause’s romantic-thriller series “Hello Mini” to adapt into a vertical microdrama format.
Launched in July 2025 by the Eloelo group, Story TV has grown rapidly in India’s nascent microdrama sector. The platform, which publishes episodes roughly one minute in length, says it has drawn more than 50 million users and built a catalogue of over 1,000 titles in the Hindi, Tamil and Telugu languages. Sensor Tower data cited by the company places it second among entertainment apps by global downloads.
“As an early entrant into microdramas in India we are at the forefront of blending storytelling and technology to expand this emerging format into mainstream territory,” said Saurabh Pandey, founder and CEO of Story TV. “Our partnership with Applause Entertainment will further expand the audience of microdramas with a focus on premium storytelling that is yet to be seen in the India microdrama and entertainment industry.”
Prasoon Garg, chief business officer at Applause Entertainment, described the tie-up as a measured entry into a format the studio is still evaluating. “As newer storytelling formats like microdramas gain momentum, we see value in engaging with them through meaningful collaborations,” he said. “Our unique partnership with Story TV enables us to explore this emerging space alongside a platform that has demonstrated strong understanding of the format and its audiences, while we continue to assess its creative and viewer potential.”
Applause, led by media veteran Sameer Nair, has established itself as a premium drama producer for platforms including Netflix, JioHotstar, Prime Video, Sony LIV and ZEE5, with credits including “Black Warrant,” “The Hunt” and “Undekhi.” The studio has also moved into theatrical films and documentaries, and recently launched a children’s animation channel, “ApplaToon,” on YouTube.
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