New Delhi, Aug. 11 -- Regional content is booming across audio, and video streaming platforms. But for many small players, the growth wave hasn't translated into fair value or visibility.

Despite the surge in hyperlocal, regional-language content across audio and video platforms, smaller creators producing such films, shows, and music say they remain constrained by industry norms that favour mainstream languages like Hindi and English.

A key hurdle: ad rates. CPMs (Cost Per Mille, the cost an advertiser pays for 1,000 impressions) for regional content are usually lower, and smaller creators have little negotiating power. Platforms often offer standard rates, leaving them as "price takers, not price makers."

Adding to the challenge, alg...