India is a ‘creator nation’: YouTube CEO Neal Mohan at WAVES Summit

Over Rs 21,000 crore paid to Indian creators; major investment announced tobBoost creator economy.

Neal Mohan revealed that over 100 million Indian channels uploaded content on YouTube in the past year. (File photo)

At the World Audio Visual & Entertainment Summit (WAVES) held in Mumbai, YouTube CEO Neal Mohan highlighted India’s explosive growth as a global content powerhouse, declaring the country a rising “creator nation.”

Mohan revealed that over 100 million Indian channels uploaded content on YouTube in the past year, with more than 15,000 channels crossing one million subscribers. Emphasizing the platform’s deep economic impact, he stated that YouTube has paid out over Rs 21,000 crore to Indian creators, artists, and media companies over the last three years.

“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’,” said Neal Mohan, CEO at YouTube.

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Mohan noted that Indian content is finding massive global audiences, with 45 billion hours of watch time from international viewers recorded last year alone.

To fuel further growth, YouTube announced a major investment of over INR 850 crore over the next two years aimed at accelerating the Indian creator economy. Mohan underscored how the platform is enabling creators to turn passions into thriving businesses while building loyal global fanbases.

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