"The pilot of the world's most powerful distraction machine is surprisingly mellow. He's quiet-spoken, deliberative and hard to ruffle.
He likes watching sports, going to his daughters' dance recitals, and open white shirts, just normal stuff. His favourite candy is the not-very-exciting Butterfinger. If you ask him to be in your YouTube video, he'll probably do it. He won't be great in it, but neither will he be horrible. In an era when tech titans are also sometimes trying to win medals in Brazilian jiujitsu or dismantle a government agency or take tourists into space, Neal Mohan is focused on one thing. He just runs YouTube." Thus described US based TIME magazine's write up on Neel Mohan, as the CEO of 2025. Neel Mohan, is a US born Tamil Indian, who had grown up in Lucknow in his early years before going back to USA for higher education.
A global media insight data put YouTube being patronised by over 2.70 billion people universally per month out of it, 491 million are from India. 16.4% of YouTube traffic comes from the US, 9.2% from India, and 4.8% from Japan. 63% of the YouTube users access it on their mobile devices accounting for 25% of the world's mobile data traffic too. YouTube's global ad revenue for Q4 2024 stands at $10.47 billion in 4th quarter of 2024 and Apple is the biggest single advertiser for the video conglomerate.
"In 2024, YouTube contributed ₹16,000 crores to India's GDP, supporting more than 930,000 jobs," Mohan pointed out in the India report. "We launched the YouTube Partner Programme in 2007, which laid the foundation of the creator economy as we know it today. At that time, the term 'creator' didn't even exist. Now it's a dream career for millions," Mohan explained. YouTube itself was launched in 2005 by three US techies and later taken over by Google.
When one hears of new media people having their own channels on YouTube and sustaining media and other organisations, one wonders who is funding it and the answer is clearly here. "By giving 'Creator Nation' more ways than ever to make money on YouTube, we're giving them more opportunity to reinvest in their content, teams and operations." Mohan explained the business model of these content creators nourished by YouTube. With over 1000 subscribers and few hours of viewing time for the content creators are entitled to over 50% of advertising revenue which YouTube is able to make on it.
In India alone they have been able to establish a Rs 16,000 crore economy with the creators. "Today, YouTube is the home of India's creativity and its stage for delivering global impact. A vibrant community of Indian storytellers now use YouTube to create and share outstanding entertainment, education and cultural content with the world," the India report pointed out.
The model is simple, creators make videos and upload. Interested subscribers search out the content, and advertisers by time on the content. Then YouTube shares 55 % of the revenue with the content creators. In 2024 data pointed out that YouTube shared over ₹21,000 crore to creators, artists and media companies in the last three years in India. Through partner programmes the video channel is also adding to the earnings of the content creators. They have launched nine different ways to increase the earnings of the creators. They included YouTube premium, YouTube shopping, Brand connect, channel memberships,Superchats, stickers, super thanks and Ticketing. "Super Chat is a fan engagement feature where viewers can purchase a highlighted message in a video's chat stream that stands out from the crowd to get more attention from their favourite creators."
The overall vision for the Indian creator economy of YouTube includes: Access revenue from the YouTube Partner Programme and other empowering monetisation options. Simplify and accelerate the content creation process with our innovative AI tools. Demonstrate India's vibrant cultural diversity and abundant creativity to the world.
India report says, small businesses, music companies and media groups are the biggest beneficiaries of this creator economy. Due to its highly personalised nature of views, the contents directly reach the individuals facilitating business growth and brand awareness. "These tools lead to a more engaging shopping experience, a wider audience, greater reinvestment in the business, and a sales pipeline that can't be found anywhere else," YouTube claims. Music companies are the 92% beneficiaries of this new channel.
Citing a success story with 12.8 million subscribers and 4.4 B views the India report pointed out that "Shreemani Tripathi's journey from digital marketing and scriptwriting into tech-focused YouTube content creation is a testament to the platform's power to transform passion into a thriving career. Inspired by a gap in the market for a female perspective on tech, Shreemani launched her channel with simple, scripted videos that quickly found an audience. Despite experiencing some initial resistance to her presence in the tech space, Shreemani's perseverance paid off. After a few months and around 30 videos, audience trust began to grow - as did her own creator confidence." Alongside monetisation, YouTube has helped Shreemani build leadership skills, develop a team and explore AI tools to streamline content creation.
The biggest beneficiary of this video platform remains the music industry. Not just earnings, but the platform makes it easy for new entrants and experiments in the music industry to flourish.
"We make it easier for music artists to launch and promote new releases - from spectacular videos and live performances to spirited DJ sets and covers. Artists are also better able to connect with other artists and create exciting collaborations," the report pointed out.
Citing the example of Hanumankind, a music channel with 2.7 million subscribers and over 500 million views, it was pointed out.
Hanumankind credits YouTube with helping him level up every aspect of his artistry - from visual storytelling and aesthetics to production and self-promotion. As he's evolved, so has the content: more intentional, more refined and designed to leave a legacy."
YouTube, which celebrated its 20th anniversary this year, is both a brand and a universe. Born on the internet and nurtured on mobile phones, the video platform has now metastasized to the biggest screen in the house and almost every genre of entertainment. In 2025 it cemented its place as part of the living room, both via YouTube TV, which has emerged as people's favorite cable replacement, and, overwhelmingly, via the free app. Half of YouTube's viewership is now through a TV screen. It's also invaded the compact end of the market: YouTube Shorts reports 2 billion logged-in monthly users, similar to recently reported numbers watching Meta's Reels, said the Time Magazine report.
(V K Cherian, is writer who worked in the telecom sector)