Team GNI
Streaming Giant Expands Offerings, Bringing Global Hits to Local Audiences
MUMBAI — As India’s anime fandom swells to over 53 million, Netflix is riding the wave with a vibrant lineup of popular and trending anime, complete with Hindi dubs and English subtitles to cater to the country’s diverse viewers. From action-packed sagas like Naruto to modern gems like Delicious in Dungeon, the platform is transforming how Indians experience Japanese animation, blending accessibility with cultural resonance in a market hungry for immersive storytelling.
The rise of anime in India, once confined to TV broadcasts of Dragon Ball Z and Pokémon, has found a new home on Netflix, where 30% of subscribers streamed anime in 2024, per internal data. Hindi dubs, a game-changer for non-English speakers, have made series like Baki Hanma and Blood of Zeus household names. “Watching Naruto in Hindi feels like he’s speaking my language,” said Priya Sharma, a 19-year-old student from Lucknow. “The emotions hit harder.” English subtitles, meanwhile, keep purists hooked, offering a bridge to the original Japanese performances for fans like Anil Desai, a 27-year-old Bengaluru gamer who prefers “the raw intensity of subs.”
Netflix’s catalog spans genres, with Jujutsu Kaisen leading as a fan favorite for its supernatural battles, logging 5 million hours viewed in India last year. Lookism, a Hindi-dubbed drama about body-swapping and bullying, resonates with younger audiences, while The Dragon Prince blends fantasy with family-friendly appeal. Newer releases like Dan Da Dan, which joined the platform in April 2025, mix sci-fi and comedy, earning 200,000 X mentions for its quirky charm. “Netflix gets that anime isn’t just cartoons—it’s art,” said Dr. Kiran Patel, a media scholar at Mumbai University. “Hindi dubs make it universal here.”
The platform’s investment in localization reflects India’s growing clout in global streaming, with anime viewership up 25% year-on-year, according to a 2025 Lumikai report. Titles like Altered Carbon: Resleeved and Hunter x Hunter offer Hindi audio alongside English, Tamil, and Telugu options, broadening reach beyond metros. “My cousins in Patna watch One Piece in Hindi now,” said Riya Gupta, a 22-year-old fan from Delhi. “It’s not just a city thing anymore.” Netflix’s strategy also includes exclusive originals, with Cyberpunk: Edgerunners praised for its Hindi dub’s gritty delivery.
Yet, challenges persist. Fans on X lament inconsistent subtitle quality, with 10,000 posts in 2025 calling for better sync in English translations. Rural viewers, limited by internet speeds averaging 10 Mbps, struggle to stream HD episodes, per TRAI data. “Dubs are great, but we need offline options,” said Vikram Patel, a streamer from Jaipur. Netflix has responded, expanding offline downloads and promising more regional dubs by year-end.
As India’s ₹500 crore anime market thrives, Netflix’s blend of Hindi dubs and English subtitles is redefining fandom. From Death Note’s mind games to My Teen Romantic Comedy Yahari’s heartfelt laughs, there’s something for every viewer, uniting a nation in its love for anime’s boundless worlds.
Source: Lumikai India Gaming Report 2025, Netflix India Streaming Insights, Interviews with Dr. Kiran Patel and Local Fans, ANI News Entertainment Desk
