Tanushree Basuroy
Research expert covering India
User-generated content in India - statistics & facts
Posting pictures and videos, writing tweets, commenting, and blogging have become second nature to India’s more than 600 million social media users. With the passing of time, user-generated content has taken on new forms and extended to the realms of online gaming, live streaming, and online reviews, allowing people to connect not only with each other but also with brands and companies.
Media-sharing sites were the preferred type of social media platforms in India, especially among Gen Z. Since entering the TikTok era and the Chinese-origin short-form video (SFV) app being banned in India, other platforms have tapped into the potential of the short video format. Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts have garnered a loyal consumer base and have been identified as essential tools in online advertising and influencer marketing. User-generated content has also been a key aspect of social media ad campaigns.
While the leading categories include fashion, beauty, food, and lifestyle, content creators have taken to producing gaming content as well. Given India’s buzzing online gaming sector and spurred on by global trends, game live streaming has taken off in the South Asian market.
Instances of influencers spreading misleading information have risen in number across genres. Additionally, Indian users have begun to lose confidence in online reviews, especially Google reviews. However, content regulation in India is a double-edged sword given the country’s consistent decline in internet freedom and freedom of expression.
User-generated content preferences
While Facebook and Instagram control most of the Indian social media market, the latest addition to the Meta ecosystem, Threads, has already found a dynamic user base in India, closely competing with microblogging site X (formerly Twitter). At the same time, indigenous platforms such as Moj, MX Player, ShareChat, etc. also gained popularity as users created, shared, and consumed content in their local languages.Media-sharing sites were the preferred type of social media platforms in India, especially among Gen Z. Since entering the TikTok era and the Chinese-origin short-form video (SFV) app being banned in India, other platforms have tapped into the potential of the short video format. Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts have garnered a loyal consumer base and have been identified as essential tools in online advertising and influencer marketing. User-generated content has also been a key aspect of social media ad campaigns.
Content creators in India
Influencers in India, across tiers, play an important role in shaping consumer attitudes. Online shoppers rely on their product reviews and collaboration with brands to make purchase decisions. Indian content creators and brands have zeroed in on Instagram as the social media platform with the highest return on investment and rate of audience engagement.While the leading categories include fashion, beauty, food, and lifestyle, content creators have taken to producing gaming content as well. Given India’s buzzing online gaming sector and spurred on by global trends, game live streaming has taken off in the South Asian market.
Regulation and guidelines
As user-generated content accounts for a large part of the Internet, accountability for what is posted and checking whether it adheres to certain standards and guidelines are necessary. In a world ridden with misinformation, fake news, and cybercrime, content regulation practices have become more stringent.Instances of influencers spreading misleading information have risen in number across genres. Additionally, Indian users have begun to lose confidence in online reviews, especially Google reviews. However, content regulation in India is a double-edged sword given the country’s consistent decline in internet freedom and freedom of expression.
