India’s digital story hasn’t just grown – it has flipped in last 10 years
And that flip has huge implications for creators and brands
A phone that was once a privilege is now basic infrastructure, even for the bottom 40% of households
Cheap smartphones + ultra‑low data costs turned the mobile into India’s primary screen for work, money, entertainment and learning. For many families, one device has replaced the TV, PC, bank branch & shopping mall
India is on track to cross 900M internet users and 450M+ social media users, with almost all of this being mobile‑first
The average Indian spends 4–7 hours a day on their phone; ~9 in 10 active users go online daily
Entertainment dominates (online video & OTT usage is near‑universal), but the same feeds are also where people learn new skills, follow news, discover products and transact via UPI
The real growth engine is Bharat: rural + Tier 2/3
These markets are adding users fastest and driving a big chunk of digital payments and e‑commerce growth
This new consumer is young, mobile‑only, price‑sensitive and influenced far more by people than by logos
That’s exactly where the creator + UGC opportunity lies
For creators, infrastructure is solved. The upside now is in:
– Owning niches in vernacular and Tier 2/3
– Using short‑form for discovery, long‑form & communities for depth
– Moving beyond only brand deals to digital products, courses, live commerce and memberships
For brands and D2C founders, the new playbook is:
– Portfolios of micro/nano‑creators instead of one big celebrity
– UGC (reviews, Reels, unboxings) as always‑on social proof, not one‑off campaigns
– Treating social platforms as full‑funnel: discovery → trust → checkout on the same screen
India isn’t just adding “more users”; it’s onboarding new digital consumers every year who live on their phones and buy inside their feeds
Whoever learns to serve that user best – with the right mix of content, community and commerce – will own India’s next decade
One line that matters:
India is not just adding more users; it is onboarding entirely new consumer classes who live on their phones, trust people over logos, and discover, learn and buy in the same feed
Whoever learns to serve that user best, with the right mix of content, community & commerce: will own India’s next decade
