Netflix has announced a reduction in rates for the first time since its services in India in 2016, with the new pricing set to roll into effect from the user's next billing cycle. The move has come at a time when one of its prime competitors in the country, Amazon Prime Video, hiked its subscription rates recently, with Netflix looking to increase its user base amid rising demand for digital content. As per Netflix's latest announcement, subscribers who have been watching its shows and films in standard definition (SD) under the entry-level Basic Plan on a single mobile, tablet, computer, or television at a time for Rs 499 per month, will now be required to pay only Rs 199. Likewise, the Standard tier has been slashed to Rs 499 per month from Rs 649 per month and will offer high-definition (HD) content along with support for two concurrent screens. In that light, Netflix's most expensive, the Premium tier, which had been offering Ultra high-definition (Ultra HD) content at Rs 799 per month, is now priced at Rs 649 per month, and will support four concurrent screens. As for Netflix's mobile-only plan, which was launched in India in July 2019 at Rs 199 per month, will now be available for Rs 149 per month.

Netflix will be looking to expand its subscription base with its recent move as its costly pricing had been a major roadblock for the service's growth in India considering its rivals DisneyPlus Hotstar, Amazon Prime Video, Zee Entertainment's ZEE5, and Sony Pictures Network's SonyLIV among others have been offering their content at lesser rates. The move from Netflix has come at a time when some of its upcoming titles like the Malayalam-language superhero-comedy film Minnal Murali, the Madhuri Dixit-starrer Finding Anamika, R Madhavan-starrer romantic comedy Decoupled, followed by global titles such as the Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence, Meryl Streep-starrer comedy Don't Look Up, including the new seasons of The Witcher and Cobra Kai are set to premiere soon.