Gen-AI boom pushes India's app downloads to 25.5 billion in 2025: Report

India reportedly saw a rebound in app downloads last year as Gen-AI assistants and short-form microdrama apps drove higher installs and user engagement, even as spending remained relatively low

India recorded 25.5 billion app downloads in 2025, marking a recovery from the dip seen the previous year, according to Sensor Tower’s State of Mobile 2026 report. The rebound was largely driven by rapid adoption of generative AI apps and the rise of short-form “microdrama” platforms, which together reshaped download and engagement trends across the country.

 

After falling to 24.6 billion downloads in 2024 from 25.9 billion in 2023, India was among the few major markets to post year-on-year growth in 2025. Sensor Tower’s data shows that the country continued to lead the world in total app downloads, even as consumer spending remained relatively low compared to other large markets.

 

Generative AI drives download growth

Generative AI apps emerged as one of the fastest-growing categories in India last year. Users in the country downloaded generative AI apps 602 million times in 2025, up sharply from 198 million downloads in 2024.

 

AI assistant apps accounted for a significant share of this growth. ChatGPT was the most downloaded generative AI app in India, followed by Google Gemini, Perplexity, and Grok. Sensor Tower data shows that ChatGPT ranked just behind Instagram in overall app downloads in the country during 2025. 

  The surge was likely fuelled by a combination of factors, including the launch of new image and multimodal AI models, as well as AI companies offering premium features for free or at discounted rates in India to expand their user base.

 

Quarterly data from Sensor Tower also shows a sharp acceleration in AI assistant downloads through the second half of 2025, far outpacing other generative AI subcategories such as AI content generators and AI companion apps.

Time spent on apps also rises

Higher downloads were accompanied by increased engagement. Time spent in apps in India rose from 1.13 trillion hours in 2024 to 1.23 trillion hours in 2025, according to the report.

 

Globally, users spent a total of 5.3 trillion hours on apps in 2025. While gaming continued to account for a large share of time spent, categories such as social media, short drama, and AI apps increasingly competed for user attention.

 

Sensor Tower noted that generative AI apps and short-form drama platforms stood out as outliers last year, posting year-on-year download growth of 148 per cent and 278 per cent globally.

Microdrama apps overtake OTT streaming in downloads

Short-form drama, often referred to as microdrama, was another major growth driver in India. Downloads of short drama apps grew by more than 350 million in 2025. 

  Platforms such as Kuku TV, Story TV, QuickTV, and DashReels featured prominently among the most downloaded video apps. Sensor Tower data shows that after the third quarter of 2025, short drama apps in India were downloaded more frequently than traditional OTT streaming apps such as Netflix and JioHotstar.

 

In the video streaming category, Kuku TV ranked first by downloads in India in 2025, while JioHotstar, MX Player, and Sony LIV followed across OTT streaming subgenres.

Category shifts across the app ecosystem

Not all categories saw growth. Downloads for social media, social messaging, and security apps declined in India during 2025. In contrast, AI assistants, video editing apps, social discovery platforms, and food and grocery delivery apps recorded strong gains.

 

Sensor Tower also pointed to a rise in food delivery app usage, driven in part by the expansion of ultra-fast grocery delivery services. Finance apps showed mixed trends, with credit and lending apps growing, while investment and cryptocurrency apps declined.

India leads in downloads, not spending

Despite topping global charts for app downloads, India did not rank among the top 20 markets for consumer spending on apps in 2025. In-app purchase revenue in the country remained modest, even as engagement rose.

 

Sensor Tower’s data suggests that domestic developers increased their share of total downloads, rising from 33.9 per cent to 36.5 per cent in 2025. However, the share of in-app purchase revenue from local publishers remained largely unchanged.