Reels Is Shaping India’s Video-First Future Across Gen Z, Women & Bharat
India’s video story is no longer defined by metros. Today, daily engagement spans cities, towns, and villages alike, signalling a new phase of truly nationwide digital behaviour. New insights from Meta-commissioned studies by IPSOS show that video has become the default mode of content consumption across the country with Reels emerging as India’s primary screen for discovery, culture, creator engagement and commerce.
This shift is happening at a remarkable scale: at least 97% of surveyed users in India now watch videos on Meta daily, reflecting the country’s rapid move toward mobile-first, video-firstbehaviour. Importantly, this is no longer an urban-only trend. Daily video engagement is now nearly identical across urban India (98%) and rural India (94%), signalling that India’s video-first transformation is being shaped as much by Bharat as it is by metros.
Surveying 4000+ respondents across 23 cities including Metros, Tier 2/3 and Rural India, the study highlights that Meta has emerged as the primary daily video platform across audiences, with 97% daily usage among Gen Z, 97% among women, and 98% among NCCS A audiences – reinforcing Meta’s leadership across both mass and premium consumer segments.
At the centre of this shift is Reels, which has rapidly evolved into the defining short-formvideo surface for the next generation of consumers.
Increasingly, Reels is becoming India’s personal and primary screen – a place where people discover content, creators, communities and brands throughout the day. Among Gen Z audiences, 89% use Reels daily, making it a primary destination for content, culture and self-expression. Daily Reels engagement is similarly strong among women (85%)and NCCS A audiences (88%), reflecting how short-form video, led by Reels, is increasingly and democratically shaping how India discovers trends, creators and brands.
Saugato Bhowmik, Director, CPG, D2C, Automotive, (India) at Meta, said, “India’s video boom isn’t urban-led anymore — it’s nationwide, cutting across GenZ, women and premium audiences. Creators, culture and commerce are converging on Reels in ways we haven’t seen before. For brands, this isn’t just a content play — it’s a always on Content-to-Commerce play. Reels are where discovery starts, trust is built, and purchase decisions are made.”
Gen Z and Bharat Audiences Driving Next Wave of Digital Growth
One of the strongest signals emerging from the insights is the role of key demographic groups in shaping how India consumes and discovers content online.
Reels has become a key discovery engine for these audiences, deeply embedded in everyday entertainment and exploration habits. Among younger users, 84% of Gen Z consumers discover new products and brands through Meta platforms, underscoring the role of short-form video in influencing preferences, trends, and purchase journeys. Similarly, 73% of rural users discover new products and brands through Meta platforms, highlighting how creator-led content is resonating far beyond metropolitan markets.
The findings signal that the next chapter of India’s internet economy will increasingly be shaped beyond metros – by mobile-first users consuming culturally rooted, creator-driven video content.
Lifestyle, Comedy, Fitness and Sports Are Emerging as India’s Most Engaged Reels Genres
The study also reveals that strong engagement around content categories is rooted in everyday interests and aspirations.
Beauty and makeup (52%), Fashion and trends (52%), Lifestyle (42%), Fitness & Wellness (42%), Comedy & Humour (39%), Sports (38%), and Travel (37%) have emerged among the most engaged genres on Reels, highlighting how audiences are gravitating toward culturally relevant and highly relatable content experiences.
Creators are playing a central role in driving this engagement. Reels delivers nearly 60% higher creator engagement than other surveyed short-form video platforms, reinforcing the growing influence of creator-led storytelling in shaping conversations, trends and brand discovery. Importantly, the influence of the ecosystem itself is evolving.
They are no longer just content producers – they are trusted entertainment and discovery engines. Rural India, Gen Z, Women, and NCCS A audiences actively engage with creators on Meta platforms, making creators a key driver of culture, trends and brand discovery.
Reels Is Becoming a Key Driver of Discovery and Decisions
Beyond entertainment and engagement, the studies reveal Reels’ growing influence across the consumer purchase journey.
Reels influence the consumer journey end-to-end, driving 81% product discovery, 66% consideration, and 47% purchase influence among users, positioning short-form video as a critical driver of modern commerce behaviour.
The platform’s influence is particularly strong across high-intent categories includinge-commerce, auto and financial services.
Even in financial services, there is a pronounced effect in Bharat markets. 76% of rural financial services users engage with Meta daily, underscoring how financial inclusion and product discovery are increasingly unfolding through mobile-first video experiences.
Women are also emerging as a powerful audience within this category, with 54% of women financial product owners engaging with creators on Meta daily – one of the highest among all audience cohorts studied.
The auto category reflects a similarly full-funnel pattern. Meta leads across the entire automotive purchase journey – from Discovery (82%) to Consideration(68%) and Purchase (50%) – reinforcing how car-buying decisions are increasingly being shaped through short-form video and creator-led influence and impact.
Key Stats from the IPSOS Reports:
India’s Video-First Reality
97% watch video on Meta at least once a day – video isn’t a trend, it’s the default.
This isn’t a metro story: 98% urban and 94% rural daily usage shows video has gone truly pan-India.
Meta leads daily video usage across India’s most sought-after audiences – Gen Z (97%), Women (97%), and NCCS A (98%).
Reels: The Next-Gen Screen
Reels is where Gen Z lives – 89% use it daily, making it the defining surface for youth culture and content.
For Women (85%) and premium audiences (NCCS A, 88%), Reels is now the primary short-form video screen.
Genres & Creators
Beauty & makeup, Lifestyle, Fitness, Comedy, and Sports are driving outsized engagement on Reels – proof that culturally rooted content wins.
Reels drive ~60% higher creator engagement than other short form video platforms, making it the go-to surface for creator-led storytelling.
From Discovery to Purchase
81% stronger product discovery on Reels – it’s where consumers first meet brands, build an interest that further leads to review and commerce.
47% influence on purchase decisions – short-form video is now a commerce engine, higher than other surveyed short-form video platforms and TV
Reels leads the full path-to-purchase across Gen Z, Women, NCCS A and Rural categories including Online Shopping, Auto, and Financial Services.
