Short-form reshapes India’s video playbook, but TV keeps its edge

India’s video economy is being redrawn. While television still rules household reach, short-form video has exploded into the mainstream, with nearly every internet user watching it daily. Advertisers, broadcasters, and platforms are scrambling to adapt as attention splinters across screens.

Since TikTok’s exit from India five years ago, Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts have become central to digital culture and commerce. A Meta-commissioned IPSOS study of 3,500 people across 33 Indian cities found that 97% watch short videos at least once a day.