 "YouTube CEO Neal Mohan. Image: X")
At the WAVES 2025 Summit, YouTube CEO Neal Mohan praised the fast growth of India’s creator economy and said the platform remains committed to supporting digital talent in the country.
Mohan revealed that YouTube has paid ₹21,000 crore to Indian creators and artists so far, showing its strong support for local talent.
He also announced a new investment of ₹850 crore over the next two years to help Indian creators grow and reach global audiences. The focus will be on training, creativity, and global exposure.
“YouTube is here to support the next generation of creators in India,” Mohan said.
He also noted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is the most-followed government leader on YouTube in the world, with over 25 million subscribers.
India’s creator community is expanding quickly — over 100 million Indian YouTube channels uploaded content in the past year, and the number of channels with more than 1 million subscribers rose from 11,000 to 15,000.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said the WAVES summit would help build a global platform for talent and creativity.
While launching the first World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit (WAVES), he said this is the right time for “create in India, create for the world,” as global audiences look for fresh storytelling and India has much to offer.
Modi also stressed the need for creative responsibility, saying that with technology becoming a bigger part of daily life, it’s important to preserve human sensitivity.