Mumbai: Social media has cemented itself as India’s go-to destination for entertainment and content consumption, cutting across age groups, genres, and interests. At the heart of this digital shift is short-form video, and leading the charge is Reels across Meta platforms, which has emerged as India’s top short-form video viewing platform, according to a new IPSOS study commissioned by Meta.
Surveying over 3,500 people across 33 centres in India, the study found that 92% of users prefer Reels over other short-form video formats. Nearly 95% of surveyed users watch Reels daily, making it the most viewed short-form format in the country—12 percentage points ahead of other platforms. Instagram Reels also delivers ~33% higher engagement for creators compared to other surveyed platforms, cementing its role as the cultural engine of India’s internet.
Highlighting Reels’ dominance, the study revealed that 97% of consumers watch short-form video at least once a day, with GenZ and NCCS A and B audiences ranking Reels as their top choice.
Arun Srinivas, Managing Director and Head, Meta (India), said, “India is leading the world in video adoption, and Reels is at the center of this shift. Five years since its launch, Reels is India’s leading short-form video platform—driving massive engagement, shaping culture, and delivering real business impact. We’ll continue to innovate with AI, support creators, and help businesses unlock the power of short-form video.”
Beyond its scale, the study underlines how Reels drives culture and trends in India—from dance challenges, memes, and beauty transitions to fashion and movie conversations. Consumption on Reels is significantly higher than other platforms, with content in fashion (+40%), beauty (+20%), and music/movies (+16%) categories dominating viewership.
For brands, Reels has also become a powerful discovery and growth engine. Meta is now the top platform for brand discovery, with 80% of Indians discovering new brands on its platforms. Reels ads deliver 2x stronger top-of-mind recall, 4x stronger message association, and are 1.5x more effective in driving brand metrics compared to long-form skippable video ads. Consumers further rated brand videos on Meta as the most refreshing and enjoyable across all platforms.
