India’s Year in Search 2025: The A to Z of Trending Searches
This year, just like Google Search, India had a momentous year, reflecting a nation deeply engaged with the future yet rooted in culture.
We saw a vibrant mix of sports fervor, from the IPL to a breakout year for Women's Cricket (we are celebrating it with trending lists for Women’s Cricket Matches and Women Personalities). We witnessed deep curiosity for the AI world; Google Gemini soared to become the #2 top trending search, while people embraced Nano Banana trends. We celebrated national sensations, with Jemimah Rodrigues and Vaibhav Suryavanshi featuring as trending personalities, leaned into major events like the Maha Kumbh, while relying on Google for practical information like checking "Earthquake near me" and "Air Quality near me". We found time for joy, planning getaways to rising destinations like Phu Quoc, celebrating the Saiyaara craze, and asking about viral sensations like Labubu and the #67 meme, all while pausing to honor the legacy of icons like Dharmendra.
A to Z of what sparked India's curiosity in 2025
- A is for Aneet Padda & Ahaan Panday: The breakout stars of Saiyaara ranked as top trending entertainment personalities. Saiyaara made it the #1 top trending Movie search of 2025 while the film's title track became the #1 song people hummed to search this year.
- B is for Bryan Johnson on Nikhil Kamath's podcast: The #1 trending podcast search. A mid-show walkout due to poor air quality sparked a conversation on pollution. Air quality was on people’s mind, with ‘Air Quality near me’ as a trending “Near Me” query.
- C is for Ceasefire: The #1 trending Meaning query. As "What is ceasefire" spiked, it highlighted a nation staying informed on global events. Curiosity spanned the spectrum, with people searching the meaning for news topics like the mock drills and stampedes to viral terms like Pookie, 5201314, and Nonce.
- D is for Dharmendra: A tribute to a cinema icon. The legendary actor was the #10 Top Overall Search and #2 News Event, honoring a legacy that defined generations.
- E is for Earthquake near me: A crucial utility query. It was the #1 trending "Near Me" search, with Search as a go-to source in moments of uncertainty. We also looked for local joy, with trending searches for Dandiya Night, Durga Puja, Pickleball, and movies near us.
- F is for Final Destination & Floodlighting: A mix of nostalgic thrills and modern romance. Floodlighting emerged as the #1 Dating search as we decoded new relationship lingo, while horror fans searched for the return of Final Destination, which became the most trending international film search of the year in India.
- G is for Google Gemini: The year AI became an everyday companion. Google Gemini soared to become the #2 Top Overall Search. India explored a whole ecosystem of tools, with searches for DeepSeek, Perplexity, ChatGPT, Google AI Studio, and Flow, showing how we used multiple platforms to learn, create, and get things done. But it wasn't just about utility—check 'N' below to see how AI sparked our creativity.
- H is for Haldi Trend: Beyond high-tech, organic beauty stood out. The Haldi trend (turmeric water) took over social feeds as a notable non-AI phenomenon, proving that simple, aesthetic wellness rituals still capture our imagination.
- I is for the Indian Premier League: The undisputed champion of trends. IPL 2025 took the #1 spot on both the Top Overall Search and Top Sports Events lists, leading a massive year for cricket that also saw the Asia Cup and Champions Trophy trending in the top 5.
- J is for Jemimah Rodrigues: A breakout year for women athletes. Jemimah Rodrigues shone as the #1 Top Woman personality, leading a powerful list that featured other cricket stars like Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma as top trending women. This was just the start of the action: peek at 'W' below for the matches that defined this momentum.
- K is for Kantara: A celebration of India's linguistic diversity. Kantara was #2 Top Movie search, leading a wave of interest in South cinema that also saw fans searching for Coolie (Tamil), Marco (Malayalam), and Game Changer (Telugu). For more on our diverse entertainment tastes, check 'S' for the year's top show!
- L is for Labubu: The viral collectible of the year. From confused parents to eager collectors, "What is a Labubu?" spiked in searches, making the quirky character the #1 top collectible and toy trend.
- M is for Maha Kumbh: A moment of cultural significance. It was the #1 Top News Event, but also a massive planning moment, with searches for "Kumbh Mela itinerary" making it to the #1 Travel trend as millions prepared for the gathering.
- N is for Nano Banana Trends: Creativity met AI. Users flocked to Search for Nano Banana (our Gemini 2.5 Flash Image model) prompts for image editing, driving trends for "3D model trend", "Gemini saree trend prompt", and "new photo trend".
- O is for Operation Sindoor: A top news event and a moment of national solidarity. In the wake of the Pahalgam attack (which also ranked as a Top News search), searches for 'Operation Sindoor' spiked as millions followed India's military response. Citizens used Search to find "Live updates" and "Official statements," marking a moment of deep national solidarity.
- P & Q are for Phu Quoc: While we searched for familiar travel favorites, the new entrant Phu Quoc piqued our interest like never before (highest search interest for the destination to date), joining a list of "P" destinations that included the Philippines, Phuket, and Pondicherry.
- R is for Ranveer Allahabadia: We love to keep in the know of our celebrities and creators. Ranveer captured high interest as a top trending personality. People wanted to know the latest on him, also driving curiosity for terms like "Latent meaning". On the other hand, Saif Ali Khan topped the entertainment personalities list.
- S is for Squid Game & Sunita Williams: Local stories like Panchayat and The Ba***ds of Bollywood captured our attention, but Squid Game took the top spot. Our love for K-dramas remained strong, with When Life Gives You Tangerines also featuring on the list. We also looked to the stars, following the extended interstellar mission of astronaut Sunita Williams, who ranked as a top trending woman personality.
- T & U are for Thekua, Ukadiche Modak (and more!): While classic Idli topped the charts, cultural recipes dominated top recipe trends, from the festive crunch of Thekua to the sweet delight of Ukadiche Modak. We also searched for traditional favorites like Ugadi Pachadi and Thiruvathirai Kali, celebrating our heritage through food.
- V is for Vaibhav Suryavanshi: A teenage phenomenon. The cricket phenomenon took the world by storm, emerging as the #1 trending personality of 2025. He led a lineup of stars that also included Priyansh Arya and Abhishek Sharma.
- W is for Women's World Cup & Waqf Bill: From the pitch to policy. It was a historic year for women's sport, with the Women's World Cup and matches like India Women vs South Africa Women trending. We also stayed informed on key legislation, with "What is Waqf Bill" ranking as the #1 "What Is" question.
- X is for X's Grok: Expanding our AI toolkit. Curiosity for new tools remained high. Grok emerged as a trending Search and AI Term as users explored the wider landscape of innovation.
- Y is for Yorkshire Pudding: Global flavors at home. While we celebrated traditional favorites, our palates also traveled the world. Home cooks experimented with Yorkshire Pudding, driving it to a spot on the Top Recipes list.
- Z is for Zubeen Garg: A regional icon remembered. Fans poured out love for the artist, making him a trending search as the nation united to mourn the loss of a musical legend.
- # is for 67 Meme: The internet's inside joke. The 67 meme had us all searching for context in a moment of shared confusion and laughter. It was joined by other viral moments like the Arjun Kapoor meme and the Vishal Mega Mart Security Guard Job meme.
You can explore the detailed lists on our website. and also grasp this information in diverse formats.
*Trending Searches: What was hot in 2025? The "trending" queries are the searches that had the highest spike in traffic over a sustained period in 2025 as compared to 2024.
