Netflix’s presence at the 55th International Film Festival of India looks impressive on paper, screenings, panels, skilling sessions, booths, partnerships with ministries, and a parade of talking points about inclusivity and innovation.
But beneath the gloss of corporate enthusiasm lies a familiar pattern: a global giant performing cultural celebration, while sidestepping the very structural issues that frustrate Indian creators, technicians, and audiences every day.
The “Netflix Connect Lounge,” the exclusive screenings, the star-studded conversations, all of it reinforces Netflix’s growing influence in India’s media space.
Yet the platform continues to struggle with something far more basic: making streaming accessible, affordable, and frictionless for its Indian users.
The platform still operates the costliest model in the country; it still avoids deeper regional investments outside a handful of predictable metros and genres; and it still falls short on features Indian viewers repeatedly ask for, from more languages to better parental tools to improved mobile viewing experiences.
The skilling initiatives, especially The Voicebox Program, deserve recognition.
But Netflix’s constant framing of these as “inclusivity breakthroughs” ends up sounding more like marketing than material structural change. Skilling a few dozen people while pricing out millions, or commissioning isolated partnerships while staying away from riskier regional storytelling, reflects a selective commitment rather than a systemic one.
Even the tech-heavy exhibition at Film Bazaar, dubbing booths, parental controls, kids’ content displays, feels symbolic. Netflix is showcasing the ideal version of the platform that it wants to be known for.
Meanwhile, a large portion of its subscriber base continues to complain about discoverability, feature gaps, limited device support, and a slate that increasingly feels safe rather than groundbreaking.
At IFFI, Netflix celebrates “India’s storytelling ecosystem.” The real question is whether it’s ready to participate in it fully, not just sponsor it, showcase it, or talk about empowering it, but support it with risk-taking, accessibility, and accountability. Right now, the festival performance is polished. But the platform’s ground realities tell a different story.
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