Chai Bisket Raises $5M to Launch Microdrama Platform Chai Shots

Hyderabad-based digital content startup Chai Bisket has raised $5 million in a seed funding round led by InfoEdge Ventures and General Catalyst to launch Chai Shots, a mobile-first OTT platform featuring microdramas in two-minute episodes. The platform targets Gen Z and audiences in Tier 2 and Tier 3 Indian cities, initially offering original content in Telugu before expanding to other regional languages, with plans to release over 100 original shows within six months. The funding round attracted prominent angel investors including actor Rana Daggubati, Swiggy co-founders Sriharsha Majety and Nandan Reddy, and PhysicsWallah co-founders Alakh Pandey and Prateek Maheshwari. Chai Bisket, founded in 2015 by Sharath Chandra and Anurag Reddy, has built a strong regional digital presence with over 2 billion lifetime views and 50 million monthly video views across YouTube and other platforms. Krishna Mohan Varma recently joined as technology co-founder to drive product vision and engineering for Chai Shots. Investors emphasize that Chai Shots aims not only to capitalize on the growing demand for short-form videos but also to elevate microdramas as culturally resonant storytelling tailored to local preferences.