Netflix now available in India

The popular internet TV Service launches in India with subscription plans starting at Rs 500 a month.

In a much-anticipated development, the internet TV network Netflix has launched its service globally in more than 130 new countries, including India. The company made the announcement during a keynote by co-founder and chief executive Reed Hastings at CES 2016, with the service going live simultaneously.

"Today, you are witnessing the birth of a new global internet TV network," said Hastings. "With this launch, consumers around the world, from Singapore to St. Petersburg, from San Francisco to Sao Paulo, will be able to enjoy TV shows and movies simultaneously - no more waiting. With the help of the internet, we are putting power in consumers' hands to watch whenever, wherever, and on whatever device."

In India, the subscription plans are available at Rs 500-800 per month. While, a user can get access to one SD screen for Rs 500 per month, the content can be accessed in HD on two screens at a time for Rs 650 per month. The Rs 800 per month plan will give viewers access to 4K content on up to four screens simultaneously.

For the above monthly price, members around the world will be able to watch Netflix original series such as Marvel's Daredevil and Marvel's Jessica Jones, Narcos, Sense8, Grace and Frankie, and Marco Polo, as well as view a catalogue of licensed TV shows and movies. In 2016, the company plans to release 31 new and returning original series, 24 original feature films and documentaries, a wide range of stand-up comedy specials and 30 original kids series which will be available at the same time to members everywhere.

While largely available in English in most new countries, Netflix has added Arabic, Korean, and simplified and traditional Chinese to the 17 languages it already supports.

"We will now listen and learn, gradually adding more languages, more content and more ways for people to engage with Netflix," added Hastings. "We look forward to bring great stories from all over the world to people all over the world."

Since Netflix launched its streaming service in 2007, the service has expanded globally, first to Canada, then to Latin America, Europe, Australia, New Zealand and Japan, and now includes 60 countries.

Netflix is available on virtually any device that has an internet connection, including personal computers, tablets, smartphones, Smart TVs and game consoles, and automatically provides the best possible streaming quality based on available bandwidth. Many titles, including Netflix original series and films, are available in high-definition with Dolby Digital Plus 5.1 surround sound and some in Ultra HD 4K. Advanced recommendation technologies with up to five user profiles help members discover entertainment they'll love.

Netflix has over 70 million members in over 190 countries enjoying more than 125 million hours of TV shows and movies per day, including original series, documentaries and feature films. Members can watch as much as they want, anytime, anywhere, on nearly any internet-connected screen. One can play, pause and resume watching, all without commercials or commitments.