Netflix India marked ten years of domestic operations by unveiling an expansive 2026 programming slate designed to reflect the diverse cultural fabric of the nation.
Netflix India hosted a landmark event at Mumbai’s J.W. Marriott Hotel on February 2, 2026, to celebrate its decennial anniversary in the country and reveal an ambitious roadmap for the upcoming year. The five-hour presentation, hosted by personalities Jamie Lever and Aparshakti Khurana, served as both a retrospective of the platform’s growth and a showcase for dozens of new original series and films. Executives emphasized that the last decade has transformed the Indian media landscape, moving from traditional broadcasting to a hyper-personalized streaming era that serves a multitude of regional and linguistic demographics.
Monika Shergill, Vice-President of Content at Netflix India, addressed the gathering of industry stakeholders, creators, and media representatives, noting that the milestone was a collaborative achievement. Shergill remarked that the story of Netflix in India has been written alongside bold creators and dedicated technical teams who consistently raised the bar for storytelling. She observed that a decade of streaming has reinforced the reality that there is no singular way to tell an Indian story, nor a single audience to serve. The 2026 slate, she noted, is designed to embrace the many “Indias” that exist within the nation, spanning genres from gritty crime dramas and reality television to heartwarming comedies and historical epics.
The platform enters 2026 riding a wave of recent successes, including the global performance of the thriller Taskaree and record-breaking viewership for The Great Indian Kapil Show. Building on this momentum, the new slate features several high-profile returns and fresh intellectual properties. Among the most anticipated returning series is the fifth season of The Great Indian Kapil Show, featuring the core ensemble of Kapil Sharma, Sunil Grover, and Navjot Singh Sidhu. Additionally, the digital creator Bhuvan Bam is set to return for a second season of Dhindora, where he continues his signature style of portraying multiple characters within a single narrative framework.
The 2026 lineup places a significant emphasis on prestige drama and complex character studies. Director Hansal Mehta will helm Family Business, a modern take on corporate succession starring Anil Kapoor and Vijay Varma. The series is described as a darker, contemporary reimagining of the classic 1980s serial Khandaan, focusing on the internal power struggles of India’s largest conglomerate. In the crime genre, Kohrra returns for a second season with Mona Singh and Barun Sobti, while R. Madhavan leads Legacy, a gritty portrayal of an aging gangster fighting to preserve his empire against a looming prophecy of downfall. These productions highlight the platform’s continued investment in high-production-value noir and suspense narratives.
Netflix is also expanding its footprint into the reality and unscripted space. Desi Bling will offer a look into the extravagant lives of wealthy Indian expatriates in Dubai, featuring television stars Karan Kundra and Tejasswi Prakash. Meanwhile, the captive reality format Lock Upp returns, placing controversial public figures in a simulated prison environment where they must navigate the “court of public opinion.” These offerings reflect a strategic move to capture the growing audience for high-stakes reality entertainment that generates significant social media engagement and cultural conversation.
The film slate for 2026 appears equally diverse, featuring collaborations with some of the most respected names in Indian cinema. Hum Hindustani, directed by Rahul Dholakia and starring Saif Ali Khan and Pratik Gandhi, will explore the monumental task of organizing India’s first democratic election following independence. In the realm of action and suspense, Sunny Deol and Akshaye Khanna reunite for Ikka, a courtroom thriller that marks their first collaboration since the iconic film Border. Taapsee Pannu stars in Gandhari, a revenge thriller centered on a mother’s quest to dismantle a trafficking network, while Manoj Bajpayee leads Ghooskhor Pandat, a Delhi-based conspiracy thriller directed by Ritesh Shah.
Linguistic and regional diversity remains a core pillar of the 2026 strategy. Netflix will debut its first Telugu original series, Super Subbu, a comedy starring Sundeep Kishan that tackles the humorous challenges of an unlikely sex education teacher in a rural village. The Tamil-language film Made in Korea, starring Priyanka Mohan, explores the experiences of a young woman from Tamil Nadu who travels to East Asia, bridging the gap between Indian and Korean cultural aesthetics. In the Telugu film Takshakudu, director Vinod Anantoju presents a revenge tale featuring a blind tribesman, further diversifying the platform’s genre offerings across different regional markets.
Socially relevant storytelling remains a key focus, as evidenced by Hello Bachhon, a film based on the true story of the “Physics Wallah” phenomenon. Starring Vineet Kumar Singh, the project follows the journey of a teacher who inspires millions of students to overcome socioeconomic hurdles to pursue careers in medicine and engineering. This focus on aspirational, real-life narratives is balanced by the return of the Emmy-nominated anthology Lust Stories 3. The new installment features four chapters directed by acclaimed filmmakers including Vikramaditya Motwane, Kiran Rao, Shakun Batra, and Vishal Bhardwaj, exploring the complexities of modern relationships through a critical and artistic lens.
The event also highlighted the return of beloved franchises in the young-adult and romantic genres. Mismatched will conclude its run with a fourth and final season, bringing the story of Dimple and Rishi to a close. New romantic projects include Musafir Cafe, starring Vikrant Massey, and the startup-themed drama Love, produced by Soundarya Rajnikanth. For audiences seeking lighthearted entertainment, Chumbak features an ensemble cast including Neena Gupta and Deven Bhojani, aiming to revive the “old-world charm” of neighborhood interactions in an increasingly digital society. These titles suggest a balanced programming strategy that seeks to retain long-term fans while attracting new subscribers through varied tonal shifts.
As Netflix enters its second decade in the Indian market, the 2026 slate indicates a shift toward larger-scale productions and deeper integration with established cinematic talent. The sheer volume of content—spanning from the Himalayan heights in Operation Safed Sagar to the courtrooms of Patparganj in Maamla Legal Hai—demonstrates the platform’s commitment to becoming a primary destination for Indian entertainment. By leveraging both established stars and digital-first creators, Netflix aims to maintain its competitive edge in one of the world’s fastest-growing streaming markets, ensuring that its content remains relevant to the evolving tastes of the Indian consumer.
The 10-year anniversary celebration concluded with a look toward the future of technology and storytelling. Executives noted that the next decade will likely be defined by even greater interactivity and the integration of emerging digital tools to enhance the viewing experience. However, the core mission remains the same: to provide a global stage for Indian stories that resonate on a human level. With a 2026 slate that prioritizes both local nuances and international quality standards, Netflix appears positioned to continue its trajectory of growth and influence within the Indian subcontinent and beyond.
