New Delhi, Jan 23: Moj, India’s leading homegrown short video platform from ShareChat, today announced the launch of the Micro Drama Challenge, a first-of-its-kind accelerator programme designed to support and strengthen the micro drama ecosystem in India. The company has initially set aside over a ₹20 crore annual budget, to scout and groom upcoming studios in India’s rapidly growing short-form entertainment ecosystem.
This initiative opens doors to discover, finance and groom the next wave of storytellers building vertical micro drama series for India’s fastest-growing short-video audience, to showcase their talent and content capabilities. By fostering collaboration between content creators, filmmakers, production houses, and storytellers, Moj’s initiative aims to supercharge the micro-drama landscape, delivering fresh stories that resonate with millions of users nationwide and open up fresher revenue streams in the industry.
The application process open till January 26th, 2026, will enable Moj to shortlist 10 applicants by January 31st, 2026, and equip them with a grant of ₹10 lakhs each to craft engaging micro-dramas tailored for short-form vertical viewing. While the initiative provides complete creative freedom, these will need to adhere to basic guidelines of the format that entail it being at least an hour long, with each episode being 1-2 minutes long. Moj will also support these studios with deep consumer insights from state of the art recommendation systems allowing creators to craft their stories for maximum consumer engagement.
Thereafter, till March 31st, these participants dive into a high-stakes monthly challenge, showcasing their storytelling prowess through the genre of choice – ranging from action-packed narratives, emotional dramas, and culturally rooted tales. As these micro dramas get uploaded on Moj, it would face the real audience test with its 60 million strong micro drama viewer base.
In the end of the competition that enables creators to promote their series across mediums for driving viewership, the first placed team will secure a winning prize of ₹25 lakhs, followed by ₹15 lakhs for the second placed team, and ₹5 lakhs for the third team, not just enabling them to scale operations and produce even more compelling series’, but also be considered for future Moj Originals.
Manohar Singh Charan, Co-Founder & CFO, ShareChat & Moj, said,
“This recurring monthly accelerator program acts as a launchpad, building a robust ecosystem that enables discovery of new storytellers. We are committed to building an enabler ladder where independent studios and creators can thrive alongside industry giants. It not only accelerates talent development but also ensures a steady influx of diverse, culturally rooted stories from all parts of India, bringing out something of interest and relevance for everyone. Our state-of-the-art recommendation systems will sit on top of this treasure trove and enable discovery of the right audience for each of these stories. We are moving to a world where every user should be able to access a deep supply of content tailored to their own unique taste. With ShareChat and Moj uniquely positioned to democratize access to micro-drama content to its users, this initiative reflects our resolve towards enabling a cohesive ecosystem that fosters innovation and growth across the board.”
The initiative is in line with the company’s vision of innovation in India’s booming short-video space. Through this, studios gain professional resources, access to a larger pool of revenue, mentorship, and exposure, while users benefit from an ever-expanding library of binge-worthy micro-dramas.