Applause Entertainment, a content studio under the Aditya Birla Group known for productions like “Scam 1992: The Harshad Mehta Story” and “Criminal Justice,” has entered into an exclusive partnership with Story TV, an Indian microdrama platform. This collaboration aims to co-produce and distribute a range of short-form content specifically designed for mobile audiences.
The partnership will explore multiple genres, with Story TV gaining the rights to transform Applause’s romantic-thriller series “Hello Mini” into a vertical microdrama format.
Founded in July 2025 by the Eloelo group, Story TV has quickly established itself in India’s emerging microdrama market. The platform offers episodes approximately one minute long and reports an audience of over 50 million users, alongside a library of more than 1,000 titles in Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu. According to Sensor Tower data referenced by the company, it ranks second among entertainment apps globally in terms of downloads.
“As pioneers in India’s microdrama arena, we are leading the charge in integrating storytelling with technology to bring this budding format to the mainstream,” stated Saurabh Pandey, founder and CEO of Story TV. “Our collaboration with Applause Entertainment will broaden the reach of microdramas, concentrating on premium storytelling not yet seen in India’s microdrama and entertainment sectors.”
Prasoon Garg, chief business officer at Applause Entertainment, described the venture as a cautious entry into a format still under scrutiny by the studio. “As newer storytelling formats like microdramas continue to gain traction, we see value in engaging with them through meaningful partnerships,” he commented. “Our unique collaboration with Story TV allows us to explore this emerging field with a platform that has a solid understanding of the format and its audience, while we continue to evaluate its creative and viewer potential.”
Under the leadership of media veteran Sameer Nair, Applause has carved a niche as a premier drama producer for platforms like Netflix, JioHotstar, Prime Video, Sony LIV, and ZEE5, with productions such as “Black Warrant,” “The Hunt,” and “Undekhi.” Additionally, the studio has ventured into theatrical films, documentaries, and has recently launched a children’s animation channel, “ApplaToon,” on YouTube.
