Netflix tests low-subscription plan in India for smartphones, laptops

Nirmal Yesoda
As the popularity of Netflix has witnessed a dramatic rise in Indian following the closure of movie halls due to coronavirus outbreak, the OTT platform is testing a new low-cost subscription in the country to gain more customers in the world’s second most populated country.

The new plan is priced at Rs.349 a month, and it allows users to watch movies in HD quality in their smartphones and laptops. However, under this plan, users will not have the privilege to watch movies on smart televisions.

The new plan is introduced to Indian customers just a few days after another plan priced at Rs.199 was launched in the country exclusively for mobile users. However, under this plan, users were not able to watch movies in HD format.

“We launched the Mobile Plan in India to make it easier for anyone with a smartphone to enjoy Netflix. We want to see if members like the added choice this offer brings. We’ll only roll it out long-term if they do,” a Netflix spokesperson told Tech Crunch.

Netflix’s traditional plans offer three tiers for its users in India, and all these plans allow people to watch movies and shows via the OTT platform irrespective of the device they use. The basic plan is priced at Rs 499, while the premium plan that allows users to access the OTT platform in Ultra HD is priced at Rs.799. The median plan costs Rs.649, and it offers HD resolution movies for users.

The online streaming giant is now apparently planning to introduce the mobile-only plan in countries like Malaysia.