Netflix’s Indian rival ALTBalaji eyes original shows for profits

A small rival of Netflix Inc. in India plans to ramp up production of low-cost web shows in order to turn profitable.

ALT Digital Media Entertainment Ltd. aims to produce about 60 new web shows through a joint venture over the next two years, helping it to break even at the net income level. That would add to the 42 shows already owned by the company, which is the online-streaming unit of Balaji Telefilms Ltd.

“We are a pure-paying model right now, but once we reach that threshold of around 100 originals, we may think on advertising,” Nachiket Pantvaidya, ALT Digital’s chief executive officer, said in an interview at his office in Mumbai last week.