India’s largest video streaming platform JioHotstar is expanding overseas for the first time, launching in Britain, Canada and Singapore as it seeks to tap millions of potential viewers in the growing South Asian diaspora.

JioHotstar is operated by JioStar, a media joint venture between Walt Disney Co. and billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Industries Ltd. It will offer more than 160,000 hours of content in over 12 languages, including English, Hindi and Gujarati, the company said. The platform will gradually expand to include popular franchises such as reality show Bigg Boss and new originals featuring Bollywood stars.

“South Asian audiences have a deep connection with Indian entertainment across languages, generations and households,” Amit Malhotra, head of international business at JioStar, said in a statement. “Audiences globally are increasingly seeking stories and cultures beyond their own. We see an opportunity to build for this broader, underserved global audience - not simply export an Indian streaming service to new markets.” 

The expansion gives JioHotstar a new avenue for growth beyond India’s fiercely competitive market, where it has amassed more than 500 million active users. It is betting its sprawling line-up, from hugely popular cricket and reality shows, and AI-powered personalisation can translate that reach into higher-value subscription revenue from diaspora audiences overseas.

India’s diaspora has grown to more than 37 million people, driven by decades of labour migration, an expanding pool of skilled professionals moving abroad and established Indian communities attracting new generations of migrants.

Canada is home to about 3.2 million people of Indian origin and Britain 1.3 million, while their broader South Asian populations, including Pakistanis and Bangladeshis, are also expanding. Singapore has about 483,000 overseas Indians, according to Indian government data.

Among the biggest draws will be Bigg Boss, India’s version of Big Brother, which has evolved over nearly two decades from a Hindi-language television show into a six-language franchise with a major streaming audien...