APEX EXPO 2025: Shemaroo Contentino Marks Ten Years of IFE Leadership

Originally published on APEX

The in-flight entertainment (IFE) landscape in India has undergone a significant transformation in the last decade. A major force behind this change has been Shemaroo Contentino, the subsidiary of Shemaroo Entertainment dedicated to airline distribution. Celebrating its tenth anniversary, the company has cemented itself as a leading provider of premium Indian content for airlines worldwide, claiming to command an impressive 90 percent share of the market.

Building a Market from the Ground Up

Ten years ago, Indian IFE content was scarce and often overlooked, but Shemaroo Contentino established a clear and lasting framework for its growth and success. Entering a market with little structure, the company created a framework that brought together studios, content service providers (CSPs), and airlines in a way that worked for everyone. It ensured fair visibility for content owners, steady revenue for partners, and curated experiences for passengers. This became the foundation of its success, built on trust and openness. 

“Every stage of building Shemaroo Contentino has been special,” explained Shemaroo Contentino Managing Partner Murtuza Kagalwala. “From starting out as the youngest IFE content provider from India to leading the market today, it has been a fulfilling journey. Trust and transparency have been the core attributes of our success. Working with content partners with complete openness and commitment laid the foundation of our growth.”

Image via Shemaroo Contentino

Beyond simply filling a gap, Shemaroo Contentino helped redefine how airlines viewed Indian content as part of their overall IFE strategy. What once seemed niche soon became a key part of global programming, driven by the company’s data-driven insights into passenger demand. By showing airlines that Indian movies and television could drive both engagement and satisfaction scores, Shemaroo Contentino positioned local storytelling as a global asset rather than a regional add-on.

Expanding Indian Entertainment Across Global Airlines

Now, ten years later, Shemaroo Contentino believes it holds a 90 percent share of premium Indian content in IFE, offering more than 3,000 movies, 25,000 TV episodes, and 1,500 music tracks in over 15 languages.

Clients include major international names such as Emirates, Etihad, Singapore Airlines, Qatar Airways, Qantas, Delta, United, ANA, Virgin Atlantic, and Air New Zealand, among many others.

“Partnering with over 100 airlines, content partners, and more than 25 CSPs worldwide has been a major milestone,” Kagalwala said. Early on, it was a challenge to convince airlines to go beyond a few TV episodes and take full sets of web series. That said, “it proved worthwhile as today, more than 25 airlines regularly license OTT shows from us, which strongly validates that choice,” he continued.

The company’s strength comes from a network of over 125 content partners. Shemaroo Contentino works with top Bollywood studios like YRF, Dharma Productions, Applause Entertainment, Maddock, Jio Studios, Z Studios and JioStar, as well as regional studios such as SVF, Whitehill Studios, A P International, Homescreen, and Mango Movies. This reach ensures both Indian and non-Indian travelers can enjoy a wide variety of programming.

Showcasing the Future of Indian Content at APEX EXPO 2025

As Shemaroo Contentino celebrates its tenth anniversary, the company is focused on future opportunities. “The times are changing, and so are we,” said Kagalwala. “Our goal remains the same: make Indian content available on every airline in the world. With over 35 million Indians and South Asians living abroad, we know the demand is everywhere.”

The company is also preparing for new delivery models. “We’re exploring content created specifically for airlines and supporting carriers as they adopt wireless IFE systems,” he added. “Another exciting step is expanding into more international languages beyond Indian, including English. Many global producers and distributors are already in touch with us to bring their titles to the skies, and we are taking steady steps in that direction.”

This forward-looking vision is on display at the 2025 APEX Global EXPO, where Shemaroo Contentino is showcasing blockbuster films in Hindi and regional languages, and popular web series from India’s leading OTT platforms. They are also promoting Thriller Universe, a curated package of four major thrillers for airlines. The showcase highlights how the company continues to evolve while staying true to its mission of making Indian stories travel across the skies.