New Delhi: YouTube‘s creative ecosystem contributed more than ₹18,000 crore to India’s GDP and supported over 9.6 lakh full-time equivalent jobs in 2025, according to a report by Oxford Economics released by the video-sharing platform.
The findings highlight the growing economic role of India’s creator economy, with independent creators increasingly operating as businesses and generating demand for professionals such as video editors, camera operators, scriptwriters and other production workers.
Creator economy expands across India
The report points to a shift from individual content creation towards more structured creator-led businesses. Creators are increasingly building teams and production operations around their channels, contributing to employment and economic activity beyond their own earnings.
The growth is not restricted to India’s major metropolitan centres. YouTube said creative clusters have emerged in non-metro cities such as Jaipur, Lucknow and Kochi, creating opportunities for people working in areas including editing, production and technical services.
The platform’s economic contribution has also increased from the previous year. YouTube’s earlier Oxford Economics assessment found that its creative ecosystem contributed more than ₹16,000 crore to India’s GDP in 2024 and supported over 9.3 lakh full-time equivalent jobs.
More channels crossing major revenue and subscriber milestones
The latest report found that the number of Indian YouTube channels generating six-figure annual revenue in rupees increased by more than 30 per cent year-on-year.
More than 18,000 Indian channels have also crossed the one-million-subscriber mark, underlining the scale of the country’s creator ecosystem.
YouTube India Managing Director Gunjan Soni said nearly two lakh new channels were monetised for the first time during the past year. The platform also reported that the number of channels reaching higher revenue levels continued to expand.
The report said 73 per cent of creators who monetise their content on YouTube consider the platform their primary source of income. This indicates the extent to which content creation has evolved from a supplementary activity into a source of livelihood for a section of Indian creators.
Regional content finds global audiences
Another key finding concerns the international reach of Indian content.
More than 15 per cent of the watch time for content produced by Indian channels comes from viewers outside India, according to YouTube. The company said regional-language and hyper-local content is gaining audiences internationally, giving creators from smaller cities and communities access to viewers beyond the country.
The global reach is also reflected in the media sector. About 81 per cent of media companies with a presence on YouTube said the platform helped them reach international audiences, according to the report.
Indian channels uploaded more than 160 million hours of content over the past year, highlighting the scale of activity taking place on the platform.
Creators support apprentices and local employment
The impact of the creator economy extends beyond direct employment. Monetising creators on YouTube supported more than 3 lakh apprentices during the past year, according to the report.
The wider ecosystem includes people involved in filming, editing, writing, music, production management, marketing and other services. As creators build larger operations, these supporting roles can become an important part of local creative economies.
The emergence of creator hubs outside traditional media centres is another notable aspect. Cities such as Jaipur, Lucknow and Kochi are seeing activity linked to the growing demand for creative and technical skills.
YouTube expands AI and digital skilling initiatives
Alongside the growth of the creator economy, YouTube is expanding its focus on artificial intelligence and digital skills.
The company said it is working with the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting and the Indian Institute of Creative Technologies (IICT) under the “Create with AI” initiative to support digital skilling.
YouTube is also partnering with the Ministry of Culture on initiatives aimed at preserving Indian heritage and taking traditional folk and tribal music to global audiences.
The platform is simultaneously introducing AI-based production tools, including conversational AI editing for Shorts and agentic channel-management features in Ask Studio.
Focus on AI-generated content and authenticity
As AI-generated content becomes more common, YouTube is also working on systems intended to address digital authenticity.
The platform said it is introducing AI Likeness Detection, alongside labels and disclosures for synthetic content. The objective is to give creators greater control over their digital likenesses while helping viewers identify AI-generated material.
Soni has said AI-generated content can remain eligible for monetisation when it follows YouTube’s monetisation and community guidelines and reflects the creative vision of the person using the technology.
India’s creator economy continues to grow
The latest Oxford Economics findings show the increasing economic footprint of YouTube in India, with the platform’s creative ecosystem contributing more than ₹18,000 crore to GDP and supporting the equivalent of over 9.6 lakh full-time jobs in 2025.
The growth is being driven not only by established creators but also by new channels, regional-language content and businesses that have developed around video production.
With more creators building professional teams, increasing international viewership and expanding use of AI tools, YouTube’s role in India’s digital economy is extending beyond video publishing into employment, entrepreneurship, skills development and the wider creative industry.