Mumbai, May 1 YouTube CEO Neal Mohan on Thursday hailed India as a rising ‘Creator Nation’, revealing that the video platform has paid over Rs 21,000 crore to Indian creators, artists, and media companies in the past three years.
Speaking at the 'World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit' (WAVES 2025) here, he announced that YouTube will invest more than Rs 850 crore over the next two years to boost India’s fast-growing creator economy.
“Over 100 million Indian channels uploaded content in the past year alone. Among them, more than 15,000 channels have crossed the one-million subscriber mark -- underscoring the explosive growth of content creation in the country,” Mohan told the gathering during his keynote address at the mega event attended by top celebrities and leaders.
“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’,” he stated.
He added that YouTube has empowered Indian creators to turn their passions into thriving businesses and build loyal fanbases around the world.
“Last year alone, content produced in India recorded over 45 billion hours of watch time from international audiences,” he said.
The announcement comes as Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his inaugural speech at the WAVES summit, underlined the importance of creative responsibility in a tech-driven world.
He called on creators to preserve emotional depth and cultural richness even as technology advances rapidly.
PM Modi said WAVES would serve as a bridge between Indian talent and global platforms, inviting investors and storytellers from around the world to explore India’s vibrant creative ecosystem.
He encouraged Indian youth to share their “one billion untold stories” with the world, highlighting their potential to shape a more compassionate and culturally enriched future.
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