In a span of fourteen years after launching in India, YouTube’s annual revenues from the country have topped $1 billion for the first time. The time it needed to reach this financial stage does not detract from its influence or appeal in the country.
From $600 million in annual revenues in 2019 the company is $1 billion-plus now in 2022, with ads being the primary driver.
YouTube’s digital advertisements primarily helped YouTube hit the milestone; along with a smaller contribution from subscriptions. The platform clung to its prime spot on Indian home screens during TikTok’s explosive but truncated era.
In September 2020, YouTube tested an early beta of YouTube Shorts in India. Shorts is a new short-form video experience for creators and artists who want to shoot short, catchy videos using nothing but their mobile phones. Since then, creators started using Shorts to make creative and innovative content. Learning from this initial launch, the company took Shorts to more countries, and now it is available in more than 100 countries around the world.
In 2021, YouTube acquired simsim, a video-first shopping app in India to help small businesses and retailers in the country reach new customers in even more powerful ways. simsim is helping small businesses in India transition to e-commerce by using the power of video and creators. Videos are available in three local languages including Hindi, Tamil and Bengali, enabling retailers of all sizes to reach buyers through video in their preferred language.
Last updated: December 26th, 2025
