At FICCI Frames 2025, the discussion featured a panel comprising of Mr. Bharath Ram – Chief Product Officer, JioHotstar; Ms. Shweta Bajpai, Group Director – Finserv, Media, Travel and Services, Meta India; and Mr. Siddharth Shekhar, Head of Industry for Tech, Media & Telecom, Google India
At FICCI Frames 2025, a power-packed panel explored how artificial intelligence is redefining storytelling, brand engagement, and viewer experiences across India’s rapidly evolving media landscape.
Speaking on “The AI-Powered Media Revolution: From Personalization to Interactive Storytelling,” the panel — comprising Mr. Bharath Ram, Chief Product Officer, JioHotstar; Ms. Shweta Bajpai, Group Director – Finserv, Media, Travel and Services, Meta India; and Mr. Siddharth Shekhar, Head of Industry for Tech, Media & Telecom, Google India — and moderated by Ms. Abira Dhar, Entertainment Editor, NDTV — discussed how AI is moving beyond content recommendations to actively shape creation, participation, and monetization.
Highlighting the platform’s India-built AI capabilities transforming both content and advertising innovation, Bharath Ram said, “The biggest advantage of developing AI solutions in India is the ability to iterate fast, learn fast, and build products rooted in local sensibilities,” ,further adding that JioHotstar’s homegrown teams are driving innovation tailored to diverse Indian audiences.
Bharath further shared how JioHotstar’s vast content catalogue from Special Ops and Bigg Boss to festival specials like Janmashtami and Ram Navami, serves as a powerful playground for AI experimentation.
“Our AI allows us to explore the full catalogue, understand what truly captures the viewer’s imagination, and connect brands to audiences more meaningfully,” he noted, adding that smarter prediction models are already helping advertisers reach the right viewers at the right time with measurable brand outcomes.
He also spoke about the next phase of viewer engagement, fandom participation.
“People no longer just want to consume content; they want to be part of it. The future lies in building interactive experiences that let fans express their passion for the shows and characters they love,” he said, hinting at JioHotstar’s plans to deepen audience participation across its entertainment IPs.
Together, the discussion painted a picture of a media ecosystem evolving from personalization to participation and co-creation, one where platforms like JioHotstar are leveraging AI built in India, for India, to define the future of storytelling and brand engagement.
