Neal Mohan’s Post

It was a privilege to join the inaugural World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit (WAVES) in Mumbai, brought to life by Honorable Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and Maharashtra Chief Minister Fadnavis. Thank you to the Indian government for the invitation and warm hospitality. Throughout the back-to-back events, what really struck me is how India is rapidly becoming a “Creator Nation.” Today, India’s creator community is bigger and stronger than ever. The numbers speak volumes: over 100 million Indian channels uploaded content to YouTube last year and more than 15,000 of those channels have over 1 million subscribers. That’s more than double what it was two years ago. During my keynote address, I talked about how India’s creator economy is filled with entrepreneurs, entertainers and artists who are following their passions and building successful businesses. And these businesses are contributing directly to the country’s booming economy. In the last 3 years, YouTube paid out over ₹21,000 Crores to creators, artists and media companies across India. At YouTube, we’re deeply invested in India’s future as a global powerhouse in entertainment. Over the next two years, we’ll invest over ₹850 Crores to accelerate the growth of Indian creators, artists and media partners. And beyond numbers, we’re forging meaningful partnerships with the Ministry Of Information & 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. YouTube’s global reach has made us a powerful engine of cultural export, and it has been amazing to see nations like India tap into this. Creators like Roshni Mukherjee of LearnoHub and artists like Arpan Kumar Chandel (better known as King) are sharing their knowledge, history, culture and passion with viewers around the world. Last year alone, content produced in India racked up 45 billion hours of watch time from viewers outside the country. I left WAVES feeling even more excited about India’s journey to become a global hub for creativity and can't wait to be back!