Indians once paid for just three things offline: Astrology, Bollywood, and Cricket, i.e., the cultural A-B-C of entertainment consumption. Today, the story has transformed dramatically. Now they pay for many things, including games.
With mobile-first digital consumption reshaping behaviors, Lumikai, India’s pioneering interactive media, digital platforms, and games VC fund, shows how Indians now pay for A-B-C-D-E-F-G: Astrology (online consultations), Bollywood (via OTT platforms) Cricket (through gaming), Dating or Devotion apps, Education (including AI tutors), Fandom (live streaming and creator economy), and Gaming, Lumikai said.
This seismic shift was unveiled at Lumikai Insignia 2025, India’s premier interactive
media summit, where Lumikai launched its consumer research report: “Swipe Before Type – How Indians Watch. Listen. Play. Pay.”
The summit assembled over 100 industry pioneers and C-level executives from Amazon Prime Video, Spotify, JioStar, Intel, AMD, Stillfront, Mihira Visual Lab, MTG, and Oxmiq Labs to decode the new consumer trends reshaping India’s $12.5 billion interactive media sector, now spanning gaming, video, audio, social platforms, live streaming, AI companions, micro-drama, and astrology.
This year’s report combines consumer diagnostics with actionable trends, redefining the playbook for founders, creators, and investors.
Where attention goes, monetization follows
The research uncovers dramatic shifts in how Indians allocate their screen time.
Based on primary research from nearly 3,000 mobile users, the “Swipe Before Type” report reveals India’s digitally native audience is young, data-hungry, and highly willing to pay. Over 46% of India’s interactive media consumers are women (up from 44% last year), over two-thirds are from non-metro regions, and over 80% consume more than 1GB of mobile data. Critically, 80% use UPI for payments, 40% maintain three or more active subscriptions, and 52% download a new app weekly.
India’s entertainment universe has expanded from passive to interactive forms. Consumers are spending time on social apps, OTT, music, short-form video, and gaming. As expected, passive social media dominates at 83% usage (Facebook, Instagram), and AVOD (YouTube) stands at 67%. Gaming stands at 49%, while active social media/interactive apps are now at a meaningful 25% in terms of attention share. Regional preferences vary dramatically: the South leads in gaming consumption, the North favors passive social, the West enjoys gaming and active social platforms, and the East gravitates toward AVOD.
Games command a 70% share of wallet for ticket sizes above INR 1,000, signaling that propensity to pay amongst gamers is significantly higher than that across other forms of entertainment.
Video and social dominate share of wallet in the INR 200–500 ticket size with a 30% share each, while audio commands the highest share of ticket sizes under INR 200 at 30%.
Entertainment on Command
Video content follows strong monetization trends, with 54% of users paying for content, primarily through premium monthly subscriptions (33%), annual plans (20%), and data bundles (16%).
Access to premium content, seasonal sports streaming, and ad-free experiences drive payments, with Netflix, Prime Video, and JioHotstar leading preferences. Short-form video dominates consumption, while microdramas and spiritual videos emerge as new trends.
Interactive social platforms (e.g., ShareChat, Eloelo, Astrotalk, Bumble) have become the engine of habit formation and recurring payments. 43% of social platform users now pay for enhanced experiences through subscriptions, virtual gifting, IAPs, and social shopping.
Critically, 22% of users are now on UPI autopay, signaling the normalization of recurring digital payments. Users spend 10 hours weekly on social platforms, driven by desires to interact with friends, influencers, and like-minded communities, with 33% using astrology
apps regularly.
Audio streaming commands meaningful attention share and is no longer niche. Podcasts and audiobooks are becoming mainstream, with 35% of users paying for premium content on a monthly basis.
Gaming shifts to casual and midcore games
The gaming landscape is being redefined by women (45% of gamers), non-metro users (60%), and expanding device diversity. Nearly 30% of gamers now use gaming PCs, and 22% have console access. Users play 2–3 games simultaneously, driven by relaxation, boredom, and socializing motivations.
Casual and mid-core mobile games dominate both consumption and monetization as RMG and fantasy gaming see significant declines from previous years. Ludo King, Candy Crush, Free Fire, and BGMI top the charts for gameplay, while Free Fire, BGMI, Clash of Clans, and Coin Master lead monetization. 33% of gamers make in-game payments, primarily for cosmetic upgrades, power-ups, and ad removal, with UPI driving over 80% of transactions. Notably, 54% of paying users monetize within a week of install, and 22% pay at least once weekly.
Friend recommendations remain the top discovery channel, followed by online ads and
app store recommendations, with graphics quality, engaging gameplay, and social features driving selection criteria.
Emerging frontiers: Micro-dramas, anime, and AI
The report identifies surprisingly high-affinity areas with powerful monetization potential that represent India’s next cultural and revenue frontiers.
Anime Goes Mainstream: Roughly 30% of metro video users watch anime regularly, with Netflix (51%) and Crunchyroll (24%) dominating consumption. One Piece, Naruto, Death Note, Demon Slayer, and Attack on Titan lead viewership, showing Indian tastes align with
global trends.
Microdramas Capture Bite-Sized Attention: Platforms like StoryTV and ReelShorts are gaining traction with snackable storytelling that fits mobile-first consumption patterns.
AI Adoption Shows Innovation Momentum: While AI integration into daily life remains
cautious, metro users are adopting AI technologies 2.5x faster than non-metro users
(27% vs. 11%).
Industry leaders chart the way forward
Insignia 2025 featured perspectives from technology, content, and policy leadership,
including Gaurav Gandhi (Amazon Prime Video), Amarjit Singh Batra (Spotify), Raja
Koduri (Oxmiq Labs; former AMD/Intel), Kiran Mani (JioStar), Shobu Yarlagadda (Producer,
Baahubali Franchise), Alexis Bonte (Stillfront/MTG), Arnd Benninghoff (MTG), and Shri Rajeev Chandrasekhar (BJP Kerala State President and former Minister of State for
Electronics and IT, and Skill Development).
Leaders explored critical themes including the evolution of the Indian consumer from passive to participatory, the shift from reach-driven to revenue-focused strategies, and emerging formats like microdramas reshaping entertainment. Discussions examined global playbooks requiring local execution, M&A strategies for founders and acquirers, and building iconic IP through lessons from successes and failures. Significant attention
focused on AI’s transformative role, from content creation to India’s positioning as a global chip design and AI services hub, alongside the government’s role in maintaining India’s
competitive edge in the global AI race.
Lumikai perspective
Salone Sehgal, managing partner at Lumikai, said in a statement, “India has moved from A-B-C to A-B-C-D-E-F-G in just five years, from paying only for Astrology, Bollywood, and Cricket offline to now monetizing seven distinct digital categories. For founders, investors, and platforms, the message is clear: the playbook has changed. Success today requires
understanding not just where attention goes, but how cultural rhythms, regional preferences, and emerging formats like anime, gaming, and AI are creating entirely new monetization frontiers. India is writing its own rules for digital entertainment, and
the world is watching.”
Aditya Deshpande, vice president of investments at Lumikai, said in a statement, “Our ‘Swipe Before Type’ report unlocks the preferences of the digital consumer with data that
will surprise many: gaming captures the largest wallet share, new monetization models like in-app purchases and virtual gifting are no longer niche, and the need for interactive, personalized experiences is the new normal. These aren’t fringe behaviors, they’re mainstream consumption patterns that define India’s $12.5 billion interactive media economy.”
About the report
“Swipe Before Type – How Indians Watch. Listen. Play. Pay.” distills extensive primary
research from nearly 3,000 mobile users and incorporates third-party analytics.
The report is a major scale-up from prior years’ category sizing, offering granular diagnostics on consumer behaviors, cross-vertical monetization, and new cultural waves, crucial for product teams, founders, and investors.
The full report is available upon request.