The $4.5 billion shift: how India is transforming from niche audio mkt into video-podcast powerhouse
The podcast market revenue is estimated to grow from $969 million in 2024 to $4.5 billion by 2030, according to a Deloitte report released on Tuesday, marking India’s move from a niche audio category to a video-first podcast powerhouse.As far as specific genres go, following 2023 and 2024, podcast consumption has rebounded, with renewed interest in favour of select genres, Deloitte’s media and entertainment predictions report showed. The report cites a 2024 consumer study that found 12% of Indians actively engaged with podcasts.“The trend of video podcasts has evolved in the past six months or so, and there is now traction for two-hour plus conversations versus 15-20 minute content pieces earlier.
That also has to do with mainstream influencers entering the space and producing meaningful content on specialized topics like business, finance, investing and so on,” said Chandrasekhar Mantha, partner, media and entertainment leader, Deloitte India.The sharp rise in mobile data consumption, combined with the mobile-first structure of India’s digital economy and a strong youth-driven user base, increased the podcast audience from 100 million listeners in 2024 to over 200 million in 2025.Podcasts are increasingly finding an audience in tier II and III markets, according to industry experts.Podcasts remain particularly popular with younger listeners aged 18–25 and 26-35. Gen Z forms a significant user base driven by mobile and on-demand preferences.The big change has been of users moving back to long-form from short content, Mantha added.Further, the media and entertainment economy will be fuelled by podcasts, live events and AI-driven content in the coming years, the report said.The live events economy is on course to double by
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