BBC Worldwide India is strengthening its content portfolio for the Indian market.

With both television and digital platforms showing promising growth, the company is working on both fiction and non-fiction shows catering to the domestic market.

It is also increasing its pie of local production to cater to the burgeoning demand for content.

“In India, we have a high brand recall with respect to news. However, we are a strong content company and have both fiction and non-fiction in our portfolio globally. In India, too, we are working to establish ourselves as a content company,” Myleeta Aga, BBC Worldwide's Senior Vice-President and GM, South East Asia and South Asia, told BusinessLine.

Premium channels Earlier this year as part of its strategy to expand its content portfolio, BBC Worldwide India had tied up with Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN) and launched a premium factual entertainment channel called Sony BBC Earth.

In April 2017, the company announced the launch of BBC First, a premium British drama brand that premieres as a block on Zee Café.

For the English cluster, BBC produces shows like Sherlock, Doctor Who, Top Gear, Citizen Khan, Luther, Orphan Black among others

Aga said the two partnerships were showing promising results.

OTT platforms Besides this, Aga said that BBC Worldwide India has also partnered with several OTT players such as Amazon Prime Videos, Hungama, Vuclip, Voot and Netflix for airing its content on various OTT platforms.

“We will be strengthening our production line up for OTT platforms. In India, our brand has started a journey and we will continue to focus on it,” she said adding the company has also started local productions for both digital and linear television.

Reality shows Recently, it did Stupid Man Smart Phone , India's first-ever digital survival series for an OTT platform. Aga said its other local productions include Taste Match , 2 Mad - a dance reality show on Colors Marathi and Nach Baliye – a dance reality show for celebrity couples on Star Plus and Jhalak Dikkhla Jaa, which has had a nine-season run.

BBC Worldwide India also produces scripted formats like Aye Zindagi and Kaisi Yeh Yaariyan.

Asked on how its pipeline of ad-funded shows was coming through, Aga said the idea is to work with brands to co-create shows without putting brands in the face of the show. “We are in discussions with various brands to create such shows.”

On whether it will bring its digital platform BBCPlayer to India, Aga said it is too premature to bring it platform to India right.

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