Hyderabad-based short video startup Chai Shorts has successfully raised ₹42 crore (approximately $5 million USD) in its first funding round. The investment comes from Mitcon Credentia Trusteeship, CG India Investment Holdings (a Cambridge-linked investment entity), and Disruption Fund, an early-stage angel syndicate backing consumer internet startups. The funds will be used to launch Chai Shorts’ regional-first microdrama OTT platform that delivers fiction under two minutes, built specifically for India’s next billion screens.
Founded in 2025 by Anurag Reddy Mayreddy and Sharath Chandra Ankaraju, Chai Shorts is on a mission to bring fast, bold, and deeply local storytelling to audiences across Bharat. The platform will focus on scripted short-form video content in regional languages including Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Marathi, and Bengali. With a mobile-first experience and culturally grounded content, Chai Shorts positions itself as a Bharat-native alternative to Reels, Shorts, and global OTT giants.
Chai Shorts describes itself as “a regional-first microdrama OTT platform,” and it is tapping into a rising demand for local, under-2-minute fiction in India. Unlike viral lip-sync or trend-driven formats, Chai Shorts is focused on scripted storytelling — spanning daily slice-of-life, youth drama, family themes, and festive fiction. The aim is to combine the accessibility of short-form video with the emotional pull of microdramas.
