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Generation C powers YouTube’s growth in India
MUMBAI: Search engine giant Google has released new insights into India’s audiences on YouTube that reveal major opportunities for brand advertisers. More than 70 per cent of YouTube’s viewers in India are under the age of 35, while 72 per cent have a college degree or higher, according to an online survey by Google of more than 2000 Indians.
The research paints a picture of a new type of consumer Google terms Generation C: a young, tech-savvy group of trendsetters who define what’s popular in content and culture. This group thrives on 4Cs, each of which represents an opportunity for brands to reach and engage Gen C on YouTube.
Creation: YouTube users are deeply engaged with online video, spending hours watching, creating and uploading video on YouTube and creating opportunities for advertisers to engage with this prized demographic in the process.
Three quarters of Indian web users say YouTube is their first stop when looking for videos online. The same proportion claims it’s one of their favourite websites. The research also revealed that one in five Indian YouTube users creates video content on a daily basis.
Community: India’s Generation C constitutes an active online community, swapping videos with friends via email and social networks. More than half of Indian YouTube users share videos on social networks, and the same proportion also shares videos from YouTube over email.
But that’s not the end of the story: About three quarters of Indian YouTube users go on to visit the site mentioned in a YouTube video and a whopping 3 in 5, posted a comment about the video, while 7 in 10 scroll down to read comments others have written.
Curation: India’s Gen C cares about finding videos that matters to them, using subscriptions help manage their interests and content preferences–including branded content.
Connection: Gen C switches between devices 27 times a day, and Indian users watch nearly 30 per cent of their YouTube videos on mobile. Smartphone owners spend one quarter of their YouTube time on mobile, while tablet owners spend about 20 per cent.
YouTube Vice President of Marketing Danielle Tiedt said, “If brands create videos that Gen C loves to share, they will. If you create communities around your brand, Gen C will join and participate.” And with 2 in 3 Indian users visiting websites mentioned in the videos they watch directly, that’s a major opportunity.”
Google predicts that as smartphone penetration continues to rise in India, so will the opportunities for brands to personally reach Gen C. That’s good news for advertisers, because greater connectivity across multiple screens create more opportunities for brands to communicate with this crucial audience.
Applications
With 57 per cent single new users, Ashley Madison rebrands as discreet dating platform
Platform says majority of new members now identify as single
INDIA: Ashley Madison is shedding the “married-dating” label that defined it for two decades, repositioning itself as a platform for discreet dating in what it calls the post-social media age.
The rebrand, unveiled in India on 27 February, 2026, marks a structural shift in business model and identity. Once synonymous with married dating, the company now describes itself as the “premier destination for discreet dating” under a new tagline: Where Desire Meets Discretion.
The pivot is data-driven. Internal figures show that 57 per cent of global sign-ups between 1 January and 31 December, 2025 identified as single: a notable departure from the platform’s married core. The company argues that its community has already evolved beyond its original positioning.
“In an age where our lives have been constantly put on public display, privacy has become the new luxury,” said Ashley Madison chief strategy officer Paul Keable. He framed the platform’s offering as “ethical discretion” for singles, separated, divorced and non-monogamous users seeking private connections.
The shift also taps into wider digital fatigue. A global survey conducted by YouGov for Ashley Madison, covering 13,071 adults across Australia, Brazil, Canada, Germany, India, Italy, Mexico, Spain, Switzerland, the UK and the US, found mounting discomfort with hyper-public online lives.
Among dating app users, 30 per cent cited constant swiping and messaging as a source of fatigue, while 24 per cent pointed to pressure to curate public-facing profiles and early personal disclosure. Some 27 per cent said fears of screenshots or information being shared contributed to exhaustion; an equal share cited unwanted attention.
The retreat from oversharing appears broader. According to the survey, 46 per cent of adults actively try to keep most aspects of their life private online. Only 8 per cent feel comfortable sharing most aspects publicly, while 35 per cent say they are becoming more selective about what they disclose.
Ashley Madison is betting that this cultural recalibration towards controlled visibility can be monetised. By doubling down on privacy infrastructure and reframing itself around discretion rather than infidelity, the company is attempting to convert reputational baggage into a premium proposition.
