Netflix NextGen India Writers' Program
Programme · 2026Prestige 74/100
Three lakhs, travel paid, eight weeks with Netflix executives. Your application script becomes Netflix's property from the moment you write it.
Deadlines & fees
- Registration closesNext deadline1 Sept 2026Asia/KolkataFree
Dates and fees checked against the official site 9 Aug 2026.
Key facts
- Formats
- TV Pilot
- Eligibility
- Free to enterEarly career only18+
- Open to
- India
- Required materials
- A response to the writer's challenge Stranded in a Lifeboat: a scene of minimum 5 and maximum 10 pages using two existing series characters stranded in a lifeboat, drawn from Taskaree, Glory, The Royals, Maamla Legal Hai, Kohrra or Single Papa · One original writing sample, complete and solely authored: a TV screenplay up to 60 pages, a feature screenplay up to 120 pages, or a play · A creative biography answering what kind of stories you want to tell, maximum 250 words · All files as PDF, each 10MB or under, via the online portal · Round 2: an interview plus a one-page series synopsis
A LONE WRITER APPLIES DIRECTLY, and must: no company, no attachment, and no co-writers. Quoted: you must be at least 18 years old, reside in India, and be proficient in speaking Hindi and English and in reading and writing both. The programme is open only to writers currently residing in India who can write for a Hindi-speaking audience. Career stage is capped, not floored: early career writers with a maximum of three years of experience in screenwriting, and no Created by credits. Co-writing is expressly barred, with submissions required to be authored by a single writer, and one application per applicant. All application documents must be in English, though scripts with dialogue in Romanised Hindi are accepted. In-person attendance in Mumbai is mandatory for the first and final weeks, and applicants are told to make the necessary personal and professional accommodations.
Prizes
PAID, AND THE FIGURE IS PUBLISHED BY NETFLIX ITSELF. Each selected participant receives INR 3,00,000, three lakhs, described as an option fee for their participation and towards optioning their original materials, paid in two instalments: 50 per cent at the time of selection and 50 per cent at the end of the programme, subject to a valid invoice and applicable tax. Up to five participants may be selected; that is a ceiling, not a count. There is no application fee, though you bear your own costs of preparing and submitting. TRAVEL AND ACCOMMODATION ARE COVERED: if your primary residence is not in Mumbai, LG India bears all costs of travel to and from Mumbai and accommodation for the periods you are required to be there. Other expenses need pre-approval to be reimbursable. RIGHTS, AND THEY BITE IN TWO SEPARATE PLACES. On your own series idea, you keep ownership, but a selected participant grants an exclusive, irrevocable, transferable and assignable option exercisable within 18 months from shortlisting to develop, acquire, commission, adapt, produce or otherwise exploit it, and during that window you may not offer, negotiate, sell, assign, license or otherwise exploit that idea or any substantially similar concept without prior written consent. If the option lapses you are free. The exercise price is not fixed and is to be mutually agreed in writing. ON THE APPLICATION SCRIPT ITSELF THE TERMS ARE HARDER, AND THIS APPLIES TO EVERY APPLICANT: because the writer's challenge uses Netflix's own characters, the scene you submit is an Adapted Material, and all rights, title and interest in Adapted Materials vest solely and exclusively in LG India from the date of creation, by irrevocable, exclusive, perpetual, universe-wide assignment with an express waiver of moral rights under the Copyright Act 1957. Also material: perpetual publicity rights over your name, likeness and voice without additional compensation, notification or permission; a confidentiality obligation; a similar-works waiver barring claims if Netflix develops something comparable; and Mumbai courts under Indian law.
Judging
Round 1 is judged on the written submission; Round 2 is an interview with the selection panel plus a one-page series synopsis. Barbara Nance is named as the instructor, with experienced instructors plural and Netflix executives referenced at the final pitch; Monika Shergill, VP Content at Netflix India, was quoted at launch. Feedback is not offered, and all applicants are informed by email in December 2026. A NO-AI WARRANTY APPLIES: materials must not have been generated, created, written, modified, enhanced or otherwise assisted, in whole or in part, using any artificial intelligence tool, generative AI or large language model.
The PreList verdict
The most substantial offer for an early-career Indian screenwriter we have seen, and it is open now. Three lakhs, paid half on selection and half on completion. Travel to and from Mumbai and accommodation covered in full if you live elsewhere. Eight weeks including a simulated writers' room, a pitch bible developed under a Los Angeles showrunner, and a final pitch to Netflix executives. No application fee, no company, no attachment and no credits needed; in fact credits disqualify you, since the cap is three years of experience and no Created by credit. Applications close 1 September 2026 at 23:59 IST.
Now read the terms, because the FAQ and the actual contract do not say the same thing. The FAQ tells you that if Netflix chooses not to move forward you will be free to pitch it elsewhere. The terms and conditions tell you that a selected writer grants an exclusive, irrevocable option over their idea for 18 months from shortlisting, and that during those 18 months you may not offer, sell, license or exploit that idea or any substantially similar concept without written consent. Both are true; only one of them mentions the eighteen-month holdback. The exercise price if Netflix does proceed is not fixed, and is left to be mutually agreed.
The sharper term applies to everyone who applies, not just the five who get in. Because the writer's challenge asks you to write existing Netflix characters, your submitted scene is an Adapted Material, and all rights in it vest solely and exclusively in Netflix's Indian entity from the moment you create it, perpetually and universe-wide, with an express waiver of moral rights. That scene is not yours and never was. Write it as an audition piece, not as work you intend to keep. Note also the no-AI warranty covering every submitted material, and perpetual publicity rights over your name, likeness and voice without further compensation or notification.
Dylian Salvatore, Founder of The PreList · Updated 9 Aug 2026
Frequently asked questions
How much do I get paid?
Three lakhs, INR 3,00,000, published in Netflix's own terms. It is paid as an option fee in two instalments: 50 per cent on selection and 50 per cent at the end of the programme, subject to invoice and applicable tax. Travel to and from Mumbai and accommodation are also covered if you live outside the city.
Do I keep the rights to my idea?
You keep ownership, but a selected writer grants an exclusive, irrevocable 18-month option from shortlisting, and during that window you cannot offer, sell or license the idea or any substantially similar concept without written consent. The FAQ says you are free to pitch elsewhere if Netflix passes; the terms add the holdback the FAQ omits. If the option lapses, you are free.
What happens to the scene I submit with my application?
It becomes Netflix's property, and this applies to every applicant rather than only the selected five. Because the challenge uses existing Netflix characters, your scene is an Adapted Material and all rights vest solely and exclusively in Netflix's Indian entity from the date of creation, perpetually and universe-wide, with an express waiver of moral rights. Treat it as an audition piece.
Who can apply?
Writers aged 18 or over residing in India, proficient in reading and writing both English and Hindi, with a maximum of three years of screenwriting experience and no Created by credits. Applications must be solely authored: co-written submissions are not accepted, and it is one application per person.
Will this run again in India?
There is no basis to assume so. This is a travelling programme that changes shape per territory, not an annual contest. India is the third country after France and the Netherlands, and the Netherlands edition ran a different window with a different cohort size. This is India's first edition.
Is your script right for Netflix NextGen India Writers' Program?
Upload your screenplay and The PreList scores how well it fits this programme: genre, format, eligibility and readiness, before you spend anything.
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