Netflix continues to make heavy content investments in India and sees 2025 as its most expansive year in the country as it retains users and grows its subscriber base, said Monika Shergill, vice president of content.Globally, Netflix has raised its annual content budget for 2025 to $18 billion from $17 billion, with co-CEO Ted Sarandos recently stating that the platform will offer its strongest programming lineup since it began producing original content.Shergill, who has led Netflix India’s content strategy since 2019, outlined plans to expand original programming and film acquisitions.The 2025 lineup includes 28 titles across Hindi and South originals, romantic comedies, crime and action, and returning seasons of major franchises. Outside the original programming, the slate also includes theatrical blockbusters like Pushpa 2."We are not changing our investment levels at all. In fact, we are doing several big things at a tentpole level," Shergill said in an interview, acknowledging an industry-wide slowdown in OTT content spending.According to an Ormax Media report, the number of streaming originals declined to 315 in 2024 from a high of 383 in 2023."While there has been an external slowdown, I would say, in the interest of clarity and fairness, that as the market matures and streaming evolves, there is a natural right-sizing of budgets," she noted.Shergill said 2025 will be Netflix India’s biggest year yet, following a strong 2024 marked by significant growth. She highlighted successful titles such as The Great Indian Kapil Show (two seasons), Heeramandi, Amar Singh Chamkila and IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack, among others.Its 2025 slate includes high-profile productions like Jewel Thief: The Heist Begins, Akka and Aryan Khan’s Bollywood-themed series, alongside new seasons of The Great Indian Kapil Show, Khakee, Rana Naidu, Kohrra and Delhi Crime.Netflix, which boasts a 15 million paid base, is also strengthening its south Indian slate with Test, a Tamil cricket drama, and Super Subbu, its first Telugu comedy-drama series. The platform will premiere theatrical films from leading studios such as Ajay Devgn Films, Dharma Productions, Luv Films, Maddock Films, Roy Kapur Films, Salman Khan’s SKF and T-Series.According to Shergill, Netflix’s diverse content strategy aligns seamlessly with India’s varied audience, catering to different tastes and preferences.WWE, a long-standing property on Ten Sports and Sony Sports in India, will debut on Netflix with Hindi commentary starting in April. This is part of Netflix’s global $5 billion acquisition of WWE rights, which Shergill hopes will help the platform expand its audience base in India.