YouTube Shorts hit 1 lakh crore view milestone in India: CEO Neal Mohan

The CEO, at the YouTube Brandcast 2024 event held in New Delhi, highlighted the global impact of Indian content creators.

Neal Mohan, while speaking at the event, said YouTube has become a platform that enables people to tell their stories.

"Indian creators are making videos inspired by local trends that go on to define global culture. YouTube is number one in reach and watch time in India. And we just passed a huge milestone. Shorts, which we first launched in India, now have trillions of views here," the YouTube CEO said.

He said that YouTube is the most streamed service on Connected TVs (cTV) in India with viewership growing 4x in the last three years.

"These creators and artists have business strategies, writers' rooms, and production teams. They're creating programs that people love to watch. And along the way, they're redefining entertainment, news, and education. And they're driving growth on YouTube," Mohan added. "YouTube is the most watched streaming service on cTVs here."

YouTube launched a range of new ad formats for cTV and Shorts, in an effort to enhance engagement and augment results for brands, and it also unveiled interactive stickers and gestures, and animated image ads for YouTube Shorts.

YouTube also introduced Pause Ads and Branded QR codes for cTV, as per reports.

While Pause Ads enable non-intrusive viewer engagement during content pauses on the big screen, Branded QR codes extend reach beyond YouTube to premium broadcasters on OTTs via DV360, according to YouTube.

"These new ad formats will enable brands to harness the influence, cultural impact and interactive potential of Shorts and Connected TV, while catering to the evolving needs of advertisers," a company statement read.

Google India's Vice President - Marketing, Shekar Khosla, said, "YouTube is where India comes to connect, be entertained, and be inspired, regardless of whether it's a Connected TV screen or a mobile one."

"TV viewing in India has undergone a fundamental shift. We're committed to leading this change by providing the best Connected TV experience and creating ad formats that seamlessly connect marketers with their audiences, on any screen and any format," Khosla added.