Consumed: A Deep Dive Into Consumer Culture in India

Author: Ria Chopra & Varun Kashyap·16 Sep 2025

Topics

Digital Futures

Programming and Curation

Reporting and Evaluation

Consumed: A Deep Dive into Consumer Culture in India offers a compelling exploration of how content creation and consumption shape modern Indian culture. It raises essential questions about the forces driving these trends. How has our digital dependence redefined identity, authenticity, and community? As India’s cultural landscape shifts, this report invites readers to rethink not just how they consume but why. Based on insights from over 100 industry professionals, the study decodes five pivotal trends transforming India’s consumption ecosystem. In a world where every swipe, click, and share moulds culture, Consumed unearths how consumer behaviour not only reflects but actively redefines what it means to live, create, and belong in modern India.

As an integral contributor to this report, Rashmi Dhanwani, the founder of Festivals From India and the Art-X Company, emphasises the monumental shifts occurring within our cultural landscape. She notes, “There’s something incredible brewing in the world of culture. As technology collides with creativity, we need more than short burps of insta psychology to uncover trends. Like tattoo ink, the report gets under the skin to paint this picture.”

The report was collaboratively produced by Kommune and Stumble, gathering insights from creators, brand leaders, and marketing experts.

Key Findings

With over 930,000 content creators in India, the boundaries between consumer and creator are vanishing. The “Neo-Creator” class is redefining fame, social capital, and opportunity, all from the glow of their screens.
The battle between modern and traditional India plays out online, as voices from across regions demand space in a once monolithic narrative. The “Many Indias” are rising, where hyper-local content asserts cultural diversity in ways never seen before.
In an age of instant gratification, consumers are caught between impulse buys and the growing urgency of sustainability. The tension between indulgence and mindful consumption is shaping new spending habits.
The digital age has made life hyper-personalised and lonelier. As people retreat into curated worlds of their own making, they seek connection but often find isolation. Brands and creators who understand this tension are creating more intimate, empathetic content.
As tech invades every aspect of life, from work to relationships, humans are being reshaped by algorithms. AI, virtual reality, and digital ecosystem are altering not just how we live, but how we define ourselves.
In an era saturated with content, only the real survives. Consumers now crave authenticity, seeking creators and brands that offer unpolished, genuine narratives.
The battle for attention spans rages on. Short-form content may capture a moment, but long-form builds communities and lasting engagement. Creators are learning to master both worlds.
As India’s digital spaces reflect growing social divides, creators navigate a minefield of polarising content, from regional pride to political extremism. As competing ideologies clash online, the resulting polarisation is influencing everything from brand messaging to consumer loyalty.