How YouTube is reshaping Indian viewership with premium content focus

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TL;DR

YouTube is transforming its positioning in India from a user-generated video site to a premium entertainment destination, directly taking on traditional TV and streaming platforms. With booming usage on connected TVs and a rise in long-form and high-value creator IP, the platform aims to deepen both creator economics and audience engagement while pushing Indian content globally.

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YouTube, the Google-owned video platform, is aggressively reframing its India strategy as a premium content haven rather than just a repository of user-generated clips, according to executives speaking at its Brandcast 2025 event. With India now its largest user base globally by scale, YouTube sees an opportunity to position itself as the country’s next-generation “New TV” — where viewing habits are increasingly shifting to big screens and longer narratives. 

“We act as a powerful promotional flywheel that builds pre-release demand by nurturing deep-seated fandom and community around new content,” — Gunjan Soni, Country Managing Director, YouTube India. 

This strategic pivot comes amid rising consumption of both short-form content like Shorts and long-form pieces that mimic traditional television behaviour, with family co-viewing driving engagement on connected TVs. YouTube says more than 50% of watching time on connected TV in India is for content 21 minutes or longer, signalling that audiences are ready for deeper storytelling on the platform.  

Gunjan Soni, Country Managing Director of YouTube India, emphasised that the platform is now a “powerful promotional flywheel” that nurtures fandom and community around premium content before release, thereby helping creators amplify their reach and connect with audiences at scale. Soni highlighted new forms of digital IP, from cinematic shorts like Kusha Kapila’s Vyarth to travel series like Visa2Explore, and how these are creating a blend of entertainment formats that appeal to varied tastes.  

Beyond creator-driven IP, established media houses such as Sony Pictures Networks India and Zee Entertainment are using YouTube to extend the life of their programming, underscoring the platform’s appeal as more than a marketing channel. Pay-per-view partnerships — including releases such as Sitaare Zameen Par — further indicate YouTube’s push into premium content distribution, reducing the historical divide between ad-supported free video and subscription-style engagement.  

YouTube’s evolution also reflects broader monetisation opportunities, spanning advertising, memberships, subscriptions, and direct partnerships, enabling creators and media companies to diversify revenue streams. Importantly, the platform is facilitating the global distribution of Indian stories, with roughly 15% of watch time for Indian content coming from outside the country, highlighting its potential as a springboard for worldwide discovery.  

“As consumption habits evolve, we’re seeing content that was once primarily for Indian audiences now being recognised as world-class content, anchored by authentic voices and powerful narratives,” said Soni, underscoring the company’s belief in both the creative economy and India’s creative exports.  

Through these developments, YouTube aims to fuse the scale of its open platform with quality storytelling experiences traditionally associated with TV and streaming services, signalling a reshaped competitive landscape in Indian entertainment consumption.