Video platform YouTube and Ekta Kapoor-led Balaji Telefilms have announced a partnership to launch five original shows spanning 200 episodes.

While Kapoor will lead the creative vision and own the intellectual property, YouTube will provide global distribution and monetisation pathways through advertisements and brand deals.

The slate will include returning titles as well as fresh narratives. The upcoming shows include Haq Se Season 2, Phir Pyar Ki Yeh Kahani Suno, Kehne Ko Humsafar Hai Season 4 and other projects currently under development.

Gunjan Soni, managing director, India, YouTube, said: “The future of TV has to be designed around a digital-first audience that wants the best of both worlds: high-quality shows on the biggest screen in the home, with the flexibility of on-demand.”

Soni added: “With Ekta Kapoor and her instinct for human emotion and creative storytelling, we’re making that future possible today on YouTube. I’m excited about this partnership and how YouTube continues to unlock distribution and monetization pathways for innovative storytellers to connect with audiences on their own terms.”

Produced in 4K, the digital-first shows will be available globally.

YouTube said it reached more than 75 million people aged 18 and above in India on connected TV (CTV) in April 2025. According to Comscore, YouTube ranked No. 1 in reach across CTV screens in India among media platforms in May 2025.

By launching the shows natively on YouTube, Balaji is taking high-production storytelling directly to living-room audiences already using the platform.

Ekta Kapoor, joint managing director of Balaji Telefilms, said: “As more and more viewers turn to YouTube to discover and engage with content, it presents an exciting opportunity to connect with audiences in the most innovative ways. Through this partnership with YouTube India, we’re opening a new chapter to share stories that entertain, inspire, and truly move people across the globe.”