WAVES 2025: YouTube paid Rs 21,000 cr to Indian creators, Rs 850 cr more to be invested, says CEO Neal Mohan

YouTube paid Rs 21,000 cr to Indian creators, Rs 850 cr more to be invested, says CEO Neal Mohan

At the WAVES 2025 Summit, YouTube CEO Neal Mohan highlighted the rapid rise of India’s creator economy, reaffirming the platform’s commitment to supporting the country’s digital talent.

Mohan shared that YouTube has so far paid ₹21,000 crore to creators and artists in India, highlighting the platform’s strong commitment to supporting local talent.

He also announced an additional ₹850 crore investment over the next two years to further boost the growth and global reach of Indian creators.

“YouTube is here to support the next generation of creators in India,” Mohan said. He explained that the new investment will focus on training talent, supporting creativity, and helping Indian creators reach a global audience.

He also mentioned that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is the most-followed government leader on YouTube globally, with more than 25 million subscribers.

India’s creator community is growing rapidly — in the last year, more than 100 million Indian YouTube channels published content, and channels with over 1 million subscribers increased from 11,000 to 15,000.