Focusing on underserved languages and cultures, STAGE has emerged as India’s fastest-growing regional OTT platform, recording ₹180 crore in Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR), 4.4 million paying households, and over 20 million app installs across various app stores.
Since its inception, STAGE has redefined regional entertainment, fostering a thriving content ecosystem for Haryanvi, Rajasthani, and now Bhojpuri audiences. Over the past year alone, the platform has seen a remarkable 289% surge in revenue and a 286% increase in subscribers, driven by originals such as Videshi Bahu (Haryanvi), Kaand 2010 (Haryanvi), and Bhawani (Rajasthani), alongside the National Award-winning Dada Lakhmi, featuring Bollywood veteran Yashpal Sharma.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Vinay Singhal, CEO & Co-Founder of STAGE, remarked: “This funding isn’t just about capital — it’s a resounding validation of India’s regional cultures. For too long, dialects like Haryanvi or Bhojpuri have been seen as a liability. We’re proving otherwise. When Gen-Z users rediscover their cultural identity through constructive storytelling on STAGE, it fosters pride, not stigma. This is the revolution we’re building silently.”
Harsh Mani Tripathi, Chief Product Officer & Co-Founder, echoed this sentiment: “Our growth isn’t accidental. Every subscriber who joins STAGE isn’t just a user — they’re custodians of their culture.”
Backing this vision, Dr Ritesh Malik, Board Member of STAGE and Founder of Innov8 & Palaksha University, stated: “STAGE is rewriting India’s entertainment landscape. By amplifying underrepresented voices, empowering local creators, and making regional dialects aspirational, STAGE is not just shaping content—it’s shaping culture.”With Bhojpuri content now live, STAGE’s roadmap for 2025-26 is prioritising expansion into new cultures while deepening its impact within existing ones.Shashank Vaishnav, CTO & Co-Founder, affirmed: “This capital enables us to scale India’s only multi-regional content movement — one that’s rooted in constructive storytelling and cultural pride.”
Reflecting on STAGE’s journey, Karthik Reddy, Partner at Blume, said, “When we first met STAGE, we saw a mission to preserve local culture and language and create a sense of pride, identity, and employment within those regions. It was a free Haryanvi app waiting to take the first step towards subscription. To see it bloom to ₹15 crore a month when sceptics said no one would pay or watch this as primary content, is very satisfying. Onto breaking more barriers, strengthening more cultures.”
