Google-owned YouTube plans to invest a whopping Rs 850 crore over the next two years to boost the development of Indian artists, creators, and media companies, said CEO Neal Mohan. Mohan praised India’s growing digital landscape and the international reach of Indian content during his speech at the WAVES summit in Mumbai.
Speaking about the data, Mohan also stated that the content produced in India clocked over 45 billion hours of watch time from global audiences in 2023 alone. He continued stating that YouTube has paid over Rs 21,000 crore to Indian creators, artists and media companies in the last year.
“In the coming two years, YouTube will invest over Rs 850 crore to support the growth of Indian creators, artists, and media companies. This isn’t merely about numbers — it’s about creating real impact by opening up countless career and business opportunities for a vibrant and evolving India,” said Mohan.
Praising India’s digital landscape and transformation into a creator nation, Mohan also stated that over 100 million channels uploaded content on YouTube in the past year, with more than 15,000 channels surpassing the 1 million subscriber mark — up from 11,000 just months ago.
“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 Mohan.
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Meanwhile, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, at the WAVES Summit 2025, announced a new institute called the Indian Institute of Creative Technology (IICT) to support India’s animation, gaming, and visual effects industry. The government is investing Rs 400 crore, with help from big tech companies like Google and Microsoft. The first centre has opened in Mumbai and more will follow.