YouTube ecosystem adds over Rs 18,000 crore to India's GDP, supports 9.6 lakh jobs in 2025

India's YouTube creative ecosystem added over Rs 18,000 crore to the nation's GDP and supported more than 9.6 lakh full-time jobs in 2025, according to a report by Oxford Economics. This surge reflects the evolution of independent content creators into full-fledged media enterprises, fostering economic activity both in major cities and smaller towns.

The number of high-earning YouTube channels in India surged by over 30% year-over-year, with more than 18,000 channels surpassing a million subscribers. A notable 73% of monetized creators rely on YouTube as their primary income source.

Beyond direct earnings, 3 lakh apprentices were supported by monetized creators over the past year. Creative clusters have emerged in non-metro cities like Jaipur, Lucknow, and Kochi, creating demand for video editing, camera work, and scriptwriting services. Hyper-local and regional-language content has gained traction globally, accounting for 15% of watch time on Indian channels outside the country.

81% of media companies on YouTube reported using the platform to expand their reach internationally. Over 160 million hours of content were uploaded by Indian creators in the previous year. YouTube is collaborating with the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting and the Indian Institute of Creative Technologies to enhance digital skills through the Create with AI initiative and is partnering with the Ministry of Culture to promote heritage and traditional music on an international scale.

The company is also introducing AI-driven production tools, such as conversational AI editing for Shorts and agentic channel management features in Ask Studio. To combat digital authenticity, YouTube is rolling out AI Likeness Detection alongside clear labels and disclosures for synthetic content.