Netflix partners with Airtel, Videocon d2h and Vodafone to increase foothold in India

In a bid to gain a bigger foothold in one of the world's most lucrative market, global video streaming service Netflix has announced strategic partnerships with Airtel, Videocon d2h and Vodafone in India to offer locally-produced series and films to Indian viewers.

With these partnerships, Netflix's critically-acclaimed programmes like 'House of Cards' and 'Narcos and The Crown' will be easily accessible to consumers across direct-to-home and mobile platforms throughout the country.

"India is one of the most important and vibrant countries in the world and we are delighted to be teaming up with three of its leading companies to make it much easier for consumers to enjoy Netflix," said Reed Hastings, Co-founder and CEO of Netflix.

Reed said that the company is planning to open an office in Mumbai to coordinate Indian operations and in the next few months they will also be investing heavily to focus on improved viewership. Netflix launched its service globally in January 2016, including India. "In 2017, we'll be working on making our Indian service better in every dimension," he further added.

For Bharti Airtel, the telecom provider will combine Netflix app into its direct-to-home service throughout the country. Videocon will add a dedicated Netflix button on the remote control and will integrate the service to the company’s set-up box. In the mobile segment, In the mobile space, Netflix will partner with Vodafone on pre-paid programs and will enable payment integration, allowing Vodafone customers in India to pay for their Netflix subscriptions via their monthly bill.