Discover how Reels is transforming video consumption in India, reaching across urban and rural areas with Gen Z, women, and premium audiences leading the trend.
Reels has become the defining short-form video platform shaping India's nationwide digital landscape. At least 97% of surveyed users in India watch videos on Meta platforms every day, indicating a rapid shift towards mobile-first, video-first behavior.
This transformation is not limited to urban areas; daily video engagement is nearly identical across urban (98%) and rural (94%) India. Gen Z, women, and NCCS A audiences are driving this trend, with 97% of Gen Z, 97% of women, and 98% of NCCS A users engaging in daily video consumption on Meta platforms.
At the heart of this revolution is Reels, which has evolved into a primary screen for content discovery, creator engagement, and commerce. Among Gen Z audiences, 89% use Reels daily, making it a key destination for content, culture, and self-expression. Similarly, women (85%) and NCCS A audiences (88%) are heavily engaged with Reels, underscoring the platform's broad appeal.
Reels is driving engagement across various genres such as beauty and makeup, fashion and trends, lifestyle, fitness and wellness, comedy and humor, sports, and travel. These categories resonate deeply with everyday interests and aspirations of Indian users. Creator-led content plays a crucial role in this ecosystem, delivering nearly 60% higher creator engagement than other short-form video platforms.
Reels is also becoming a key driver of discovery and decision-making beyond entertainment. The platform influences the consumer journey end-to-end, driving 81% product discovery, 66% consideration, and 47% purchase influence among users. This impact is particularly strong in high-intent categories like e-commerce, automotive, and financial services.
For instance, rural India shows significant engagement with our platforms daily, underscoring how financial inclusion and product discovery are increasingly unfolding through mobile-first video experiences. Women also emerge as a powerful audience within this category, with 54% engaging with creators on Meta platforms daily – the highest among all studied cohorts.
In the automotive sector, Reels leads across the entire purchase journey—from discovery (82%) to consideration (68%) and purchase (50%). This data highlights how car-buying decisions are increasingly being shaped through short-form video and creator-led influence.
These insights reveal that India's video boom is no longer an urban-led phenomenon. It is nationwide, cutting across Gen Z, women, and premium audiences. Creators, culture, and commerce are converging on Reels in unprecedented ways. For brands, this isn't just a content play—it’s an always-on Content-to-Commerce strategy where discovery starts, trust is built, and purchase decisions are made.
Reels is reshaping India's digital landscape, driving engagement across diverse demographics and categories. As the platform continues to evolve, it will likely become even more integral to how Indians discover trends, creators, and brands in their everyday lives.
