From Squid Game to Kumbh Mela: What India watched most on YouTube in 2025

As 2025 slowly moved towards its final days, one thing stayed constant across India. YouTube continued to be part of everyday life. From quick scrolls during tea breaks to long videos playing late into the night, the platform remained a trusted space for news, music, entertainment and trends. Now, YouTube India’s 2025 end-of-year list is out, and it clearly captures what the country watched, shared and talked about the most.

This yearly wrap is more than just a list of popular names. It reflects how people used YouTube throughout the year. It shows what made them pause, what made them replay a video and what stayed in their minds long after the screen was locked. The platform itself underlined this growing dependence by stating, “76% of Gen Z users in India relied on the platform to stay informed about world events and trends.” That one line explains why YouTube trends today feel like a mirror of daily conversations.

The big topics that ruled screens

The trending topics list for YouTube India in 2025 brings together very different kinds of content. There is entertainment, culture, sport and internet-driven trends, all finding space side by side. The list is not ranked, but each topic received wide attention during the year.

These are the topics that trended on YouTube India in 2025:

Squid Game

Saiyaara

Coolie

Kumbh Mela

Ip/2025

Sanam Teri Kasam

Tungtungtungsahur

Labubu

Asia Cup

Kpopdemonhunters

The list clearly shows how Indian viewers moved smoothly between global shows, local stories and online trends without sticking to just one type of content.

Music that played on loop all year

Music remained one of the strongest reasons people kept coming back to YouTube in 2025. Certain songs became part of everyday routines and stayed popular for months.

“Saiyaara” emerged as the most-played song of the year on the platform. Along with it, several other tracks also enjoyed steady popularity across regions.

Other popular songs included:

“Ranu Bombai Ki Ranu”

“Shaky”

“Raanjhan”

“Teri Ramjhol Bole Gi”

These songs travelled easily across language barriers and reached listeners from different parts of the country.

Shorts sounds that went viral fast

YouTube Shorts continued to shape quick trends and fast entertainment. The music that trended on Shorts showed how diverse listener tastes have become.

Some of the most popular Shorts tracks were:

“Year Down, YUNG DSA - YEDA YUNG”

“Knockwell, Lata Mangeshkar - Tune O Rangeele (Brazilian Funk Mix)”

“Kajal Hathrasi, Anil Rawat - Payal Ki Khanak”

This mix highlighted how Indian viewers enjoy both familiar voices and experimental sounds in short format content.

Creators who connected without borders

The 2025 end-of-year list also pointed to a clear shift in the creator ecosystem. Language and geography are becoming less important than ideas and presentation.

MrBeast reached Indian audiences by offering multilingual audio options, making his content easier to access. KL BRO Biju Rithvik built a huge following of 79 million subscribers through silent comedy, proving that humour does not always need words.

Creators like Sejal Gaba and Raj Shamani also stood out by showing how content creation is evolving into credible digital businesses.

What this year says about India online

YouTube India’s 2025 year-end list reflects a shared digital culture that continues to grow. Viewers are comfortable moving between long videos and Shorts, between music and major events, and between global and local content.

As 2025 comes to a close, this list serves as a simple but clear snapshot of what India chose to watch, listen to and talk about on YouTube throughout the year.

Thumb image: Canva (for representative purposes only)