YouTube’s India commitment: INR 21,000 crore paid out to Indian creators, commits INR 850 crores to power India’s "Creator Nation"

At the World Audio Visual & Entertainment Summit [WAVES] in Mumbai, YouTube CEO Neal Mohan established India's emergence as a "Creator Nation," revealing that over 100 million channels in India uploaded content in the past year, with more than 15,000 of these surpassing one million subscribers. He underscored YouTube's significant economic impact, stating that the platform has paid over INR 21,000 crore to Indian creators, artists, and media companies in the last three years alone. Neal emphasized how YouTube has empowered these creators to transform their passions into successful businesses and cultivate loyal global fandoms. He announced a substantial investment of over INR 850 crore in the next two years to further accelerate the growth of India's burgeoning creator economy.

Neal Mohan, CEO YouTube, said

Good afternoon. It’s truly a privilege to be here with you all at the inaugural WAVES summit.

I’m honored to be a part of an incredible and unprecedented collection of Indian businesses, entertainers, actors, producers, directors, and contributors to Indian culture.

My profound thanks to Honorable Prime Minister Modi, honorable Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, Chief Minister Fadnavis, and the Ministries for bringing this extraordinary event to life.

Prime Minister Modi's visionary leadership has made India a beacon for creators worldwide, evidenced by his own remarkable digital presence. With more than 25 million subscribers on YouTube, Prime Minister has the largest YouTube following of any head of government in the world.

His vision extends to this one of a kind event that brings together India's rich cultural heritage, entrepreneurial spirit, and global leadership.

Just a few days ago, on April 23, we marked the 20th anniversary of the first video ever uploaded to YouTube.

It’s hard to imagine how much the world and YouTube have changed in those two short decades.

What began as a site with grainy, unscripted videos is now a force driving global culture.

And I truly mean global…YouTube's ability to connect a creator anywhere with audiences everywhere has made it a powerful engine of cultural export, and few nations have leveraged this as effectively as India.

Today, India isn't just a world leader for film and music – it's rapidly becoming what I'm excited to call a “Creator Nation.”

In India, over 100 Million channels have uploaded content in the last year. And more than 15,000 of those channels have over 1 Million subscribers.

For two decades, YouTube has enabled these creators and countless more to not only share their passion with the world, but also build loyal fandoms and successful businesses.

In the last 3 years alone, we’ve paid more than INR 21,000 Crores to creators, artists, and media companies across India.

And as amazing as it's been to witness, we're even more excited about India's future as a global powerhouse in entertainment.

In the next 2 years, YouTube will invest over INR 850 Crores to accelerate the growth of Indian creators, artists, and media companies.

And beyond numbers, we’re forging meaningful partnerships with the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and the Indian Institute of Creative Technologies to nurture world-class creative talent, and help share India’s diverse culture with more people around the world.

This is tangible impact, creating countless career and business pathways for a vibrant new India.

Whether it’s creators like Roshni Mukherjee of LearnoHub, who simplifies math and science for millions of students, especially empowering young girls in remote areas or artists like Arpan Kumar Chandel, better known as King, whose unique sound resonates with audiences worldwide or one of my favorite creators, KL Bro Biju, a bus driver turned creator who shares his family’s day-to-day life on YouTube. He’s now the biggest creator in India with 70+ million subscribers across 40 countries.

Indian creators exemplify what is special about YouTube – the ability to share history, culture and passion with viewers in every corner of the world.

Last year, content produced in India racked up 45 billion hours of watch time from viewers outside the country.

At YouTube, we are committed to providing a platform where every story can be told and every creator can find a global audience.

We’re excited to truly partner with India on its journey to becoming the global hub for creativity and creation.

Neal’s compelling address underscored the real-world impact of YouTube's thriving ecosystem in India. Today, YouTube is not merely a space for content consumption but a powerful engine forging countless career and business pathways, opening doors for those who otherwise would not have had the opportunity to participate in the digital economy. As India rapidly builds towards its ambition of becoming a trillion-dollar digital economy, YouTube remains steadfast in its commitment to providing a platform where every story can be told and every creator can find a global audience.