Netflix launched its cheapest subscription plan in India on Wednesday. The new plan costs Rs 199 with a validity of one month. However, for the first month or we can say the trial period users can experience Netflix for free on their smartphone. Under the Rs 199 Netflix plan, users will be able to watch their favorite series or movies on their smartphones and tablets only which clearly means that the subscription plan will not be able to stream shows or movies on their televisions or laptops. Hence the users won’t be able to cast or mirror shows or movies on TV.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Netflix has launched a new subscription plan specially designed for Indian users.
- Netflix calls it a Made-for-India plan and it costs Rs 199 per month.
- Netflix has announced that India is the first and the only country to get this plan.
Netflix Rs. 199 Plan in India
It is believed that the world’s largest video streaming service has done this in order to add users in the country where video content consumption has surged, with data prices plunging to among the lowest in the world. Though Netflix will have to tussle with several local and overseas rivals such as Disney-owned streaming service Hotstar and Amazon Prime Video, which are tempting the users with free or low-priced offers.
Senior vice president (research) at Edelweiss Securities, Abneesh Roy said, “The pricing move is interesting given that users in India were finding Netflix to be an expensive service. It should help them increase their overall pie of paid subscribers, though rival platforms like Amazon Prime and ZEE5, with more content and even lower prices, will still prove to be a challenge.”
Ajay Arora, Director, Product Innovation of Netflix said, “Our members in India watch more on their mobiles than members anywhere else in the world. In India, more people sign up on the mobile than anywhere else in the world.”
Netflix now offers four plans in India that the company has divided into – mobile, basic, standard and premium.
The mobile plan costs Rs 199 per month and with this, the users get to stream their favorite shows and movies only on smartphones and tablets. This plan supports only one screen at a time in 480p resolution.
The basic Netflix plan costs Rs 499 and with this, the users get to stream shows and movies on mobiles, tablets, laptops or TVs. Similar to the mobile plan this plan also offers one screen operation at a time and supports 480 resolution only.
Under the Standard Plan that is slightly more expensive i.e. Rs. 649 per month, Netflix offers HD streaming and access to two screens at the same time. Under the Standard Plan, users can stream content on any device of their choice i.e. laptop, TV, smartphone or tablet.
The fourth plan i.e. the Premium Plan for which the user will need to pay Rs 799 per month. Under this plan subscribers get four screens at a time, HD and Ultra HD streaming support.
Netflix believes the combination of right product features, an appropriate price point, and nuanced content will help it go beyond India’s metros. Long seen as the most elite streaming service in the country, it has recently announced a slew of narratives set in small towns and content in vernacular languages.
