Digital
Swipe right on India’s next digital revolution
MUMBAI: Forget just astrology, bollywood and cricket, India’s digital appetite now runs from A to G. According to the Swipe Before Type report unveiled at Lumikai Insignia 2025, Indians are now paying for astrology, bollywood, cricket, dating, education, fandom, and gaming, reflecting a seismic shift from the old offline A-B-C of entertainment to a mobile-first, monetised mosaic.
Launched by Lumikai, India’s first gaming and interactive media VC fund, the report unpacks how a generation raised on touchscreens is swiping, streaming, and spending its way into new digital frontiers. The insights, drawn from nearly 3,000 mobile users, reveal a nation that’s not just watching but participating.
Women now make up 46 per cent of India’s interactive media audience, two-thirds hail from non-metro regions, and a whopping 80 per cent use UPI for payments. Half of them subscribe to multiple apps, and one in two downloads a new app every week, proof that India’s entertainment economy is no longer passive, it’s passionately participatory.
Gaming, once a niche, now commands the biggest share of digital wallets, with players willing to pay for upgrades, skins, and ad-free experiences. Video streaming remains king, with 54 per cent of users paying for premium plans across Netflix, Prime Video, and JioHotstar. Social platforms, meanwhile, are transforming into mini marketplaces where virtual gifting, in-app purchases, and even astrology consultations drive recurring revenue.
New content trends are also taking hold. Microdramas and short-form storytelling are capturing bite-sized attention spans, while anime has gone mainstream, led by hits like One Piece and Naruto. AI adoption is accelerating too, metro users are 2.5 times more likely to integrate AI into their daily routines than their non-metro counterparts.
“India has moved from paying for A-B-C offline to A-B-C-D-E-F-G online,” said Lumikai founder and managing partner Salone Sehgal. “Cultural shifts and tech habits are creating entirely new monetisation frontiers.”
As Sehgal puts it, India isn’t just watching the digital future unfold, it’s swiping it into existence.
Digital
Newmbharat ride-booking app to launch with zero commissions
WEML unveils prepaid platform eliminating surge pricing, aims to stabilise driver earnings and fix fares for passengers.
MUMBAI: Ride-hailing in India is about to get a fare shake-up because when commissions vanish, the only thing surging might be driver smiles. World Economic Mobility Limited (WEML), governed by the Narayanihiti Trust, is gearing up to launch Nembharat, a new ride-booking app that scraps driver commissions and passenger surge pricing entirely. The prepaid, cashless platform promises drivers keep 100 per cent of their earnings while commuters enjoy fixed, predictable fares no dynamic pricing surprises.
The move lands amid ongoing tension in the sector: driver strikes over low take-home pay, passenger gripes about safety and erratic fares, and mounting regulatory scrutiny on platform accountability and gig-worker protections. Nembharat positions itself as a national transport network that integrates cabs, auto-rickshaws, and other modes under uniform safety standards aligned with Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) guidelines.
WEML director and CEO Deepak K. Shah said, “Our platform will address the lack of income predictability for gig workers. Nembharat is built to provide clear details on driver pay and passenger costs.”
WEML director and COO Kanchi Sharma added, “This system aligns with CCPA guidelines and acts as a tool to balance workforce standards with consumer protection.”
By removing the subscription and commission layer that dominates existing apps, WEML is betting on a leaner model that offers stability for fleet owners, individual drivers, and everyday riders alike. Whether it can scale across India’s chaotic roads and win over users tired of the status quo remains the real test but on paper, it’s aiming to turn every ride into a fair deal for both sides.
No launch date has been announced yet, but the promise is clear: in Nembharat’s world, the journey costs what it should nothing more, nothing less.
