YouTube's creative ecosystem added over ₹16K cr to India's GDP in 2024

YouTube said its creator ecosystem supported 9.3 lakh jobs, expanded AI tools for creators and announced new partnerships with IICT and AIIMS to strengthen skills and digital learning in India

YouTube on Monday announced that its creative ecosystem contributed over Rs 16,000 crore to India's GDP in calendar year 2024 and supported more than 9,30,000 full-time equivalent jobs, as per its release citing a report from Oxford Economics.

 

This follows the platform paying Rs 21,000 crore to Indian creators, artists and media companies over the last three years, as per its announcement in May during the World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit (WAVES). Building on its growth momentum in the country, the platform on Monday at its annual YouTube Impact Summit also partnered with the Indian Institute of Creative Technology (IICT), through which it will prepare students for careers in the animation, visual effects, gaming, comics and extended reality (AVGC-XR) industries, and another partnership with the College of Nursing at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) to bring expert-designed professional nursing courses to the platform. The release further stated that YouTube is also bringing new and expanded AI-powered tools to India to help creators bring their ideas to life and protect their work, like Edit with AI for creators and Likeness Detection.

 

How is YouTube framing its economic and creator impact in India?

 

“Our impact isn't just about views; it’s about livelihoods and shared economic growth,” said Gunjan Soni, managing director, India, YouTube, in a statement. “We see this when 63 per cent of our monetising creators agree YouTube is their primary source of revenue. Our role is to provide the infrastructure for that success. That is why we’re forging strategic partnerships that build skills and launching new AI tools that empower the next wave of entrepreneurs — all built with our commitment to responsibility at the core.”

 

What do YouTube’s new partnerships aim to deliver?

 

With 98 per cent of users in the country reporting that they use YouTube to gather information and knowledge, the platform will have three key programmes in IICT, including knowledge sharing, where Google will provide industry-led webinars, guest lectures and expert workshops for students; establishing the Create with AI programme, a new funding commitment to support innovative projects; enabling students and artists to use AI to develop new content in film, animation and gaming; along with YouTube providing support to help IICT launch and grow its own official YouTube channel, the release added.

 

“This partnership with YouTube is essential to bridge the gap between the classroom and the global stage, giving our students direct access to the technology and expertise they need to lead the next wave of Indian animation, film and gaming,” said Vishwas Deoskar, chief executive officer, IICT.

 

How will the AIIMS partnership expand digital learning?

 

Through its partnership with AIIMS, the platform will make critical training on topics like wound care and hospital infection control available to over 5,000 nursing students and practising nurses across India. Latha Venkatesan, principal, College of Nursing, AIIMS, noted that digital learning is a powerful tool for scaling access to quality education and this partnership will allow them to take AIIMS’ curriculum beyond its campus walls. This comes after health content in India saw over 300 billion views as of December 2024.

 

What new AI features is YouTube bringing to Indian users?

 

"India is not just a market; it's a source of global innovation and culture. The creativity we see here is extraordinary. By bringing our best AI technology and partnering with incredible institutions like IICT and AIIMS, we're not just investing in a platform; we're investing in the ingenuity of the Indian people. The future of the internet is being built right here, and we are proud to be a part of it,” Soni added.

 

Apart from this, YouTube will be launching a conversational AI tool that lets its viewers ask questions and get instant answers right within the video player, making the viewing experience more engaging and educational. This feature is available in English and will soon have a Hindi-language option, the release stated.