India's Streaming Revolution
India has 450+ million OTT users, making it one of the world's largest streaming markets. With JioCinema disrupting pricing and regional content gaining prominence, there's room for new players—especially those targeting niche audiences.
Traditional vs AI-Accelerated Development
Traditional Development
Timeline: 8-14 months
Cost: ₹80L-1.5 crore
- Large teams for video pipeline
- Complex DRM implementation
- Extended CDN configuration
- Manual multi-platform testing
AI-Accelerated (Boolean & Beyond)
Timeline: 12-18 weeks
Cost: ₹62L-1.2 crore
- Small expert team with AI tools
- Pre-built video infrastructure
- Rapid DRM and CDN setup
- Automated cross-platform testing
Types of OTT Platforms
1. Niche/Vertical OTT
Traditional: ₹40-70 lakhs, 4-6 months
With AI: ₹32-52 lakhs, 6-8 weeks
Focused content categories:
- Regional language content
- Kids' entertainment
- Fitness and wellness
- Educational content
- Religious/spiritual
2. General Entertainment OTT
Traditional: ₹1.5-3 crore, 8-12 months
With AI: ₹1.2-2.2 crore, 12-16 weeks
Full-featured platform:
- Movies and series
- Live TV integration
- Sports (if licensed)
- Multiple languages
- Premium and free tiers
3. Enterprise Video Platform
Traditional: ₹1-2 crore, 6-9 months
With AI: ₹82L-1.5 crore, 8-11 weeks
B2B use cases:
- Corporate training
- Event streaming
- Educational institutions
- White-label for content owners
Technical Architecture
Video Processing Pipeline
```
Source Video → Transcoding → Multiple Resolutions →
CDN Distribution → Player Delivery
```
Transcoding:
- AWS MediaConvert or Azure Media Services
- FFmpeg for custom processing
- Adaptive bitrate encoding (HLS, DASH)
Resolution ladder:
- 240p (for 2G connections)
- 480p (SD)
- 720p (HD)
- 1080p (Full HD)
- 4K (for smart TVs)
Content Delivery Network (CDN)
Options:
- AWS CloudFront
- Akamai (premium, expensive)
- Cloudflare Stream
- Azure CDN
Cost at scale:
- ₹1-3 per GB delivered
- Can be 50-70% of operational cost
DRM (Digital Rights Management)
Required for premium content:
- Widevine (Google) - most popular
- FairPlay (Apple) - for iOS/Safari
- PlayReady (Microsoft) - for Windows
Multi-DRM solutions:
Cost: ₹2-5 per active user/month
Video Player
Options:
- Shaka Player (open source)
- Bitmovin (premium)
- THEOplayer (premium)
- JW Player (popular choice)
Platform Features
User Experience
- Personalised home page
- Continue watching
- Watchlist
- Search with filters
- Parental controls
- Download for offline
- Multi-profile support
Content Management
- Video upload and processing
- Metadata management
- Series/episode organisation
- Scheduling and publishing
- Rights management by geography
Monetisation
SVOD (Subscription):
- Monthly/annual plans
- Free trial management
- Upgrade/downgrade flows
AVOD (Advertising):
- VAST/VPAID integration
- Ad insertion (SSAI/CSAI)
- Frequency capping
TVOD (Transactional):
- Pay-per-view
- Early access purchases
- Premium content unlocks
Analytics
- View counts and completion rates
- User engagement metrics
- Content performance
- Revenue analytics
- Churn prediction
AI-Powered Features
Content Recommendations
Algorithms that suggest relevant content:
- Collaborative filtering
- Content-based matching
- Trending and popular
Development cost: ₹15-25 lakhs
Automated Thumbnails
AI that generates engaging thumbnails:
- Scene detection
- Face recognition for actors
- A/B testing different options
Development cost: ₹8-12 lakhs
Auto-Subtitling
Speech-to-text for accessibility:
- Multiple languages
- Speaker identification
- Timing synchronisation
Development cost: ₹12-20 lakhs
Content Moderation
Automatic detection of:
- Inappropriate content
- Copyright violations
- Quality issues
Development cost: ₹10-18 lakhs
Cost Breakdown
Development Costs
| Component | Cost Range |
|-----------|------------|
| Backend & APIs | ₹25-40 lakh |
| Web platform | ₹15-25 lakh |
| Mobile apps (iOS + Android) | ₹20-35 lakh |
| Smart TV apps | ₹15-25 lakh |
| CMS & Admin | ₹10-20 lakh |
| Analytics dashboard | ₹8-15 lakh |
Operational Costs (Monthly)
For 100,000 active users:
- CDN: ₹5-15 lakh
- Transcoding: ₹1-3 lakh
- DRM: ₹2-5 lakh
- Hosting: ₹1-3 lakh
- Support: ₹2-4 lakh
Platform Options
Build Custom
- Full control over features
- Higher initial cost
- Own your technology
- Best for unique requirements
Use SaaS Platform
- Uscreen, Muvi, Vimeo OTT
- Lower initial cost
- Limited customisation
- Revenue share model
Hybrid Approach
- Core platform custom-built
- Use SaaS for specific features
- Balance cost and control
Why Boolean and Beyond?
Our Bangalore team has built streaming platforms for:
- Regional content providers
- Educational institutions
- Corporate training companies
- Fitness and wellness brands
We understand the unique challenges of the Indian market—low bandwidth, diverse devices, and price-sensitive users.
[Contact us](/contact) to discuss your OTT platform.
