Chai Bisket, the pioneers of Telugu digital entertainment for over a decade, today announced the official public launch of Chai Shots, India’s first regional short-series OTT platform. Built specifically for the “Third Screen” – the smartphone, Chai Shots offers premium, vertical, scripted entertainment with episodes under 2 minutes, designed to turn daily micro-moments into storytelling experiences.
Backed by Info Edge Ventures and General Catalyst, Chai Shots aims to revolutionise how India consumes entertainment, moving beyond endless scrolling to structured, high-quality storytelling.
A “Creator-First” Revolution with Two Major Announcements :
During the launch event, the founders unveiled two game-changing initiatives aimed at democratising the OTT space and empowering the creator economy:
- The Creator Gateway: Shattering the industry norm of long waiting periods, Chai Shots launched the Creator Gateway. This direct-access portal allows storytellers to pitch ideas directly to the platform without middlemen. The brand promises a revolutionary timeline: “From Pitch to Live in just 45 Days,” streamlining the process from green lighting to shooting and release.
- ₹20 Crore Creator Fund: To fuel this ecosystem, Chai Shots announced a massive ₹20 Crore Creator Fund. Over the next six months, this capital will be deployed to fund and collaborate with 200+ creators to produce original shows, providing a launchpad for the next generation of writers, directors, and actors.
The event saw immense support from prominent names from the industry.
Quote from Rana Daggubati, Actor, Producer & Investor: “Storytelling has always been at the core of what excites me. While I have been a part of entertainment in various forms, seeing narrative storytelling adapt to the vertical, short-form medium through Chai Shots is very exciting. Anurag and Sharath are the true disruptors of the Telugu Film Industry. Nobody understands Telugu audiences better.
Quote from Ravi Yelamanchili, Producer, Mythri Movie Makers: “This is a very cool initiative. I see Chai Shots not just as a great entertainment platform in the short-form space, but also as a wonderful place for young creators to sprout into the mainstream entertainment industry. Platforms like this build the foundation for the future of our industry. Production houses believe that Chai Shots would be an intermediate platform to find the next bunch of talents.”
Quote from Rohit Chennamaneni, Co-founder, Darwin Box: “I was a fan of Chai Bisket for a very long time. The passion of the founders to build Chai Shots from Hyderabad to the world. Really, really happy to be a part of this and be a cheerleader.”
Marquee Investor Backing:
Chai Shots has raised a Seed Round of $5 Million, backed by institutional heavyweights Info Edge Ventures and General Catalyst. The platform also boasts a stellar lineup of Angel Investors comprising India’s most successful unicorn founders and entertainment icons, including:
- Rana Daggubati (Actor, Producer and Entrepreneur)
- Sri Harsha Majety & Nandan Reddy (Founders, Swiggy)
- Phanindra Sama (Founder, RedBus)
- Alakh Pandey & Prateek Maheshwari (Founders, PhysicsWallah)
- Aravind Sanka, Pavan Guntupalli & Rishikesh SR (Founders, Rapido)
- Rohit Chennamaneni (Co-founder, Darwinbox)
- Amar Nagaram (Founder, Virgio)
Industry Voices:
Quote from Padma Shri. Sanjeev Bikhchandani, Veteran Investor, Founder of Info Edge (through video byte): “Short form content is the future and Chai Shot will be front and center of it. It is a challenge to tell a story in a compelling, cogent in two minutes and produce a series. But, Chai Shots is doing a very good job on that.”
Quote from Rahul Humayun, Investor at General Catalyst: “Content is escape, and the most resonant stories are the ones we relate to. Combine that with India’s favourite format (short video) and a team deeply obsessed with storytelling, and you have the ingredients for real magic. We’re thrilled to back ChaiShots as they build a pan-India content platform and creator ecosystem that reflects the languages, cultures, and diversity of India.”
Quote from Phanindra Sama, Founder, Red Bus: “Chai Shots is a great reflection of Telangana Rising. To get investments from Sanjeev Bikhchandani and General Catalyst is a huge achievement. I’m very excited about the way they are building it.”
Quote from Rishikesh SR, Co-founder, Rapido: “With dropping attention spans, there needs to be a change in how content is consumed. And I’m happy that there is a startup in Hyderabad which is doing this in front of us. I wish to see Chai Shots as another unicorn in the entertainment industry.”
Quote from Sanjay Appan, Popular Educator: “Chai Shots tells stories that are so relatable from across the country”
Quote from Sharath Chandra, Co-Founder & CEO, Chai Shots: “The world is witnessing a shift. In markets like China and the US, vertical short-drama is already a multi-billion dollar industry. India, with its rich storytelling heritage and massive smartphone usage, is ready for this revolution. With Chai Shots, we are filling the gap between the 70MM theater experience and long-form TV – providing premium entertainment for the chai breaks, commutes, and in-between moments of life. India is the king of storytellers.India is ready to lead and start the new era of entertainment. The revolution of mobile entertainment is going to start in Hyderabad with Chai Shots”
Quote from Anurag Reddy, Co-Founder & CCO, Chai Shots: “At Chai Shots, we don’t just create content; we create creators. The heart and soul of Chai Shots is content and creators. We know the pain of waiting years for a ‘yes.’ With our Creator Gateway and the ₹20 Crore Fund, we are removing the red tape. We are launching today with 75+ original shows across genres like Love, Thriller, Horror, and Crime, and we are committed to releasing two new shows every single week.”
Quote from Krishna Mohan, CTO, Chai Shots: “At Chai Shots, we are building an amazing product. It has a personalized feed with a smooth and seamless interface so that you can find the content you want to watch easily.”
Expansion Plans:
While launching with a robust library in Telugu, Chai Shots is rapidly expanding its footprint. The platform is already working on content in Hindi, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Bengali and Assamese aiming to become the go-to destination for vertical entertainment across Bharat.
About Chai Shots:
Chai Shots is India’s first regional short-series OTT platform, delivering high-quality, vertical video content tailored for mobile consumption. A product of the Chai Bisket ecosystem, it combines data-driven insights with creative storytelling to offer episodes under 2 minutes. The app is available now on the Google Play Store and Apple App Store.
