The State of the Creator Economy
Every day, Indians turn to YouTube to learn new skills, connect with others, and enrich their lives. It also provides a platform for a diverse range of content creators to share their interests and passions with audiences within India and beyond, creating opportunities to build new careers and businesses.
Download YouTube’s 2022 Impact Report by Oxford Economics. All data listed on this page has been taken from research conducted by Oxford Economics, unless otherwise stated.
- YouTube’s impact in India
- How creators earn on YouTube
- Democratizing opportunities for creators and businesses to thrive
- Empowering Indians with authoritative information
- Helping Indians learn and grow
- Taking India to the world
- Giving a voice to India’s diverse communities
- Explore how creators are embracing opportunity
YouTube’s impact in India
₹16,000+ Crores
YouTube’s creative ecosystem contributed more than INR 16,000 Crores to India’s GDP in 2022.
7,50,000+
YouTube’s creative ecosystem supported more than 7,50,000 full-time equivalent (FTE) jobs in India.
Ways creators can earn money from YouTube
YouTube aims to be the most rewarding place for creators by giving them multiple ways to earn money from their channel and videos.
From YouTube
Ads
YouTube Premium
Fan funding
Channel Memberships
Super Chat
Super Stickers
Super Thanks
Other ways to earn
Funds to support specific groups of creators
I started with zero and now I have an extended family of more than 15 Lakh subscribers. YouTube has helped me share my passion and build a supportive community.
- Yashi Tank, Suyash Fashion
Democratizing opportunities for creators and businesses to thrive
YouTube can be a valuable tool for Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in India, serving as a marketing platform for connecting businesses to new audiences, as well as a free information and training platform for workers. As a result, thousands of Indian creators have been able to earn through YouTube, ranging from individuals and entrepreneurs boosting their main income to professional content creators who make a living from their channel.
A seasoned vlogger, Yashi Tank's foray into entrepreneurship was built on the foundation of her successful YouTube channel. In 2022, she launched Suyash Fashion, a boutique specializing in Rajasthani print and featuring Sanganeri designs. Yashi was able to grow her business by leveraging her channel to share new designs and collections with her more than 15 Lakh subscribers. Within a year since launch, Suyash Fashion employs 20+ people and has shipped over 10K orders across India.
We've seen the enormous power of digital storytelling through YouTube in helping provide accessible healthcare information and improve people‘s lives.
- Karthik Rajagopal, COO of Manipal Health
Empowering Indians with authoritative information
YouTube enables users to stay informed about current affairs and news events of the day, providing trusted content relating to their local area and even that of national and international importance. As more people turn to YouTube for authoritative information in times of need, including on matters of personal health and in pursuit of knowledge and understanding, YouTube continues to expand the range of credible sources on important topics.
Manipal Hospitals - one of India’s foremost healthcare providers - wanted to make a difference by providing access to trusted health information. They started posting YouTube videos in 2010, and in the years since have reached millions of Indians, publishing over 1,100 videos and gaining 1 Crore views in the last year alone. Using YouTube’s multi-language audio feature, Manipal Hospitals is helping viewers discover more content from healthcare experts in their preferred language and lending a trusted voice at a time when it’s never been more important.
I wish to help children from different socio-economic backgrounds by providing quality education for free. YouTube gives me creative freedom and helps me create the best content I can make.
- Neha Agrawal
Helping Indians learn and grow
YouTube offers a place for creators to post content to support learners across different age groups and skill sets. Whether seeking to build a new technical skill, make a career change, expand a hobby, or simply improve oneself, YouTube offers learners access to structured courses, information, how-to guides and tutorials. Similarly, YouTube’s variety of educational videos can help equip parents and teachers with learning materials for students.
With a knack for numbers and equations, Neha Agrawal started her YouTube channel in 2017 with a simple goal - making mathematics easy. She creates videos adapted for different learning styles and that students can reference at their own pace. Neha uses jingles and stories to make her content both entertaining and relatable for students. Her creative approach to teaching has helped her earn tremendous success, with nearly 15 Lakh subscribers and a recently launched course on YouTube for 2023 Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) aspiring students.
YouTube is nothing short of a satellite launcher for a young artist and is one of the most revolutionary platforms in the digital era. It’s great to see YouTube’s continued support for the creator economy it has helped build.
- Arpan Kumar Chandel
Taking India to the world
The diverse creators, content, and communities on YouTube bring a sense of belonging and connection for many Indians, at home and overseas. The platform also allows local creators and artists to connect with a global audience, exporting Indian culture and content to the world. Arpan Kumar Chandel started his musical journey on YouTube back in 2012 and appeared on a music reality TV show in 2019. His original and distinct style of music released on YouTube helped his popularity soar to new heights. Known to his fans as King, the budding artist found a global audience on the platform, helping him earn 58 Lakh loyal fans.
King’s growing channel and fan following caught the attention of Warner Music India, which signed him to a deal and released his album. His hit song “Maan Meri Jaan” - now has over 40 Crore views on YouTube. He’s since been on a world tour and recently released a collaboration with American artist Nick Jonas. King continues to engage with his fans on YouTube, incorporating different formats including YouTube Shorts and a community page to share new music, updates on shows, and insight into his life and developing career as a global artist.
When people tell me that my content adds value in their life and gives them confidence and positivity, I feel fulfilled. I thank YouTube for providing a platform for many enthusiastic content creators to create their own unique niche.
- Urmila Nimbalkar
Giving voice to India’s diverse communities
YouTube’s equitable access gives a voice to creators of all backgrounds and communities across India, empowering them to share their culture, knowledge, and life experiences. YouTube bridges linguistic and regional barriers to build communities of users and creators with shared interests. In doing so, it can promote dialogue amongst diverse communities and generate positive impacts for the wider Indian society.
Urmila Nimbalkar is a successful actress who appeared in numerous Marathi and Hindi serials before launching her YouTube channel in March 2018. Urmila talks about all things lifestyle to over 9 Lakh subscribers on her channel, with content including makeup reviews, skincare routines, travel, and books, all produced in Marathi. More recently, she’s also started creating videos on parenthood. Now, Urmila has turned her focus to giving back to the community that supported her. She helps other regional creators grow their channels and explore potential career opportunities on the platform through her two-day YouTube masterclasses, which she teaches with her husband. The workshops have allowed her to share knowledge with over 150 participants, with more to come as they expand from Pune to other cities in Maharashtra.
Explore how creators all around India are embracing opportunity
Meet the creators, artists and small businesses from across India who call YouTube their home. Click on the different states and union territories on the map below to explore the stories of teachers, entertainers, farmers and other creators, and businesses who use YouTube to empower their communities, and share their culture and passions.
We’re always looking for impactful creators to add to our map. If you're a YouTube creator and feel that your story deserves to be featured here, please fill up this form.