YouTube Says It Now Reaches 80% Of All Internet Users In India

YouTube says it now reaches an overwhelming 80% of all internet users in India, as the video giant continues to invest in the country via specialized apps and a wealth of resources for creators.

YouTube added that it reaches 225 million monthly active users in India on mobile alone — marking the fastest audience growth of any country on earth, according to The Drum, which cited a YouTube study of 3,230 respondents in eight major cities about their video-viewing habits. The report found that 50% of working women use YouTube when making purchasing decisions about beauty products, cars, travel, and real estate, while 76% of male business professionals believe that YouTube stars shape culture.

“In the last few years, India has emerged as an incredibly dynamic content and user market for YouTube,” said chief business officer Robert Kyncl

, per The Drum. “We now have more than 300 channels with over a million subscribers, from just sixteen channels in 2014. We will continue to invest in programs to support creators and encourage more diversity and distribution of their content.” (There are upwards of 5,000 channels across the globe with more than 1 million subscribers, according to SocialBlade).

Some of YouTube’s biggest initiatives in India to date include a pop-up YouTube Space in Hyperabad and an ad campaign to spotlight local creators. Another growth driver is the launch of the YouTube Go app last year, which provides features for countries like India where mobile data is slow and costly. YouTube also launched a standalone YouTube Kids app in India in 2016.