Social Media Mania: Discover the Top 20 Platforms Shaping India's Digital Landscape
In India, where digital connectivity and participation are reaching new heights, welcome to the world of social media! We would like to introduce you to the top 20 social networking sites that millions of Indian users have found appealing in this changing environment.
These social media platforms, which range from powerful messaging services to thriving video-sharing sites, are influencing how Indians interact, communicate, and consume content.
As the social media ecosystem in India develops, it is essential for users, companies, and content creators to be educated about the leading platforms.
So have a seat, discover the wonders of the internet, and dive into the top 20 social networking sites that are influencing India’s social structure. These platforms offer a fascinating tour into the social media craze, with everything from chatting to networking, videos to music, and more!
Sr no | Social Media Platform | Launched | Active Users |
1 | 2010 | 324 million | |
2 | 2009 | 390.1 million | |
3 | YouTube | 2005 | 467 million |
4 | 2006 | 24.45 million | |
5 | 2003 | 134.5 million | |
6 | 2004 | 314.6 million | |
7 | Snapchat | 2011 | 200 million |
8 | 2010 | 176 million | |
9 | ShareChat | 2015 | 300 million |
10 | Threads | 2019 | 100 million |
11 | Netflix | 1997 | 6.1 Million |
12 | Facebook Messenger | 2011 | 132 million |
13 | Telegram | 2013 | 223 million |
14 | Skype | 2003 | 200 million |
15 | Moj | 2020 | 150 million |
16 | MX TakaTak | 2020 | 150 million |
17 | Josh | 2020 | 150 million |
18 | Koo | 2020 | 60 million |
19 | Chingari | 2018 | 30 million |
20 | Gaana | 2010 | 185 million |
Top 20 Social Media Platforms in India are as follows
Instagram is a popular social media platform that has gained immense popularity in India and worldwide. Launched in 2010, Instagram quickly became known for its emphasis on visual content, allowing users to share photos and videos with their followers.
Instagram’s visually appealing and user-friendly interface makes it simple for both people and companies to produce and distribute interesting content. Individual profiles can be created by users, who can also follow and be followed by other users. Before sharing their photographs and videos, users can enhance them using the platform’s selection of artistic tools and filters.
There were 324 million Instagram users in India.
Users can share brief content that vanishes after 24 hours using Instagram Stories. A more casual and spontaneous technique to share memories, communicate with followers, and add stickers, GIFs, and interactive features to the material, this feature has been highly successful.
WhatsApp is a widely used messaging platform that has gained tremendous popularity in India and across the globe. Founded in 2009 and acquired by Facebook in 2014, WhatsApp provides a convenient and secure way for people to communicate with friends, family, and colleagues.
The simplicity of WhatsApp is one of its distinguishing qualities. Within a user-friendly interface, users can send text messages, make phone and video calls, share photographs, videos, documents, and voice messages. The platform’s phone number-based approach enables users to immediately connect with their contacts.
End-to-end encryption provided by WhatsApp makes sure that calls and messages are private and can only be seen by the intended receivers. Its popularity is largely due to this privacy-focused strategy, which gives users peace of mind regarding the confidentiality of their conversations.
In India, WhatsApp has embedded itself into people’s daily lives and has emerged as the main method of communication for both personal and professional matters. It has mostly taken the role of conventional SMS messaging and provides a more affordable and feature-rich option.
With 390.1 million monthly active users, India leads the world in WhatsApp usage. monthly active users of WhatsApp.
WhatsApp has become an essential communication tool for millions of Indians, providing a convenient and secure platform to connect and engage with others. Its widespread adoption and continuous innovation make it a prominent player in the social media landscape in India and globally.
YouTube
YouTube is a dominant video-sharing platform that has revolutionized the way people consume and share video content. Launched in 2005, YouTube has grown into a global phenomenon and has gained immense popularity in India as well.
A rapidly evolving platform for news, education, entertainment, and more, YouTube enables users to create, view, and share videos on a variety of subjects. Users can set up their own channels and subscribe to channels that interest them, creating a personalized content feed depending on their choices.
YouTube’s extensive and varied content library is one of its main advantages. It offers a huge selection of videos, including music videos, vlogs, how-to videos, documentaries, comedy routines, and much more. Users can find content that appeals to their tastes thanks to this wide collection, which serves a variety of interests.
Youtube currently has 467 million users in India.
With its vast content library, engagement features, and opportunities for content creators, YouTube has solidified its position as one of the leading social media platforms in India and continues to shape the way people consume and interact with video content.
Twitter is a popular social media platform known for its real-time, short-form messaging and engagement. Launched in 2006, Twitter has become a significant player in the social media landscape in India and globally, serving as a platform for news, conversations, and networking.
Tweets, which have a character limit of 280, are short messages that can be posted and read on Twitter. These tweets, which can include text, images, video, and links, offer users a brief means of expressing their ideas, sharing updates, and interacting with others. Users have the ability to follow other users’ profiles and gain followers of their own, building a network of relationships and promoting dialogue.
Its emphasis on speed and real-time information is one of Twitter’s distinguishing characteristics. For breaking news, in-person coverage of events, and popular discussions, it has emerged as a go-to source. Users can follow accounts of news organizations, journalists, celebrities, and specialists to get updates and perspectives on a variety of topics
Twitter currently has more than 24.45 million active users in India.
Twitter has played a significant role in shaping public discourse, fostering online communities, and giving voice to diverse perspectives. Its ability to disseminate information quickly and facilitate meaningful conversations has made it a powerful tool for individuals, journalists, activists, and organizations in India and worldwide.
LinkedIn is a professional networking platform that has gained substantial popularity in India and around the world. Founded in 2003, LinkedIn provides a digital space for professionals to connect, build their personal brand, seek job opportunities, and share industry insights.
LinkedIn was created specifically for conversations linked to careers and business. Users design professional profiles that highlight their skills, qualifications, education, and achievements. These profiles act as digital resumes, allowing users to showcase their skills and portray themselves in a professional manner.
LinkedIn places a strong emphasis on networking, which is one of its primary features. Users can submit connection requests to connect with coworkers, classmates, industry peers, and possible employers. On LinkedIn, networking helps people to stay current on professional advances, participate in industry discussions, and use relationships to advance their careers.
Linkedin currently has more than 134.5 million active users in India.
LinkedIn has emerged as a hub for professionals, offering a space for career growth, industry networking, and knowledge exchange. Its focus on professional interactions and opportunities makes it a valuable platform for individuals and businesses in India and worldwide.
Facebook is a leading social media platform that needs no introduction. Founded by Mark Zuckerberg in 2004, it has grown into a global phenomenon with a massive user base in India.
With its user-friendly interface and extensive features, Facebook has revolutionized the way people connect, communicate, and share information online.
Users can create individual profiles on Facebook, add friends, and share updates, pictures, and videos with their contacts.
Through likes, comments, and shares, the platform enables users to share life moments, express their ideas, and interact with others. Facebook also provides a number of privacy options that let users manage who can engage with them and view their information.
Facebook has become an integral part of the social fabric in India, connecting individuals, communities, and businesses. It has transformed the way people stay in touch with friends and family, discover content, and participate in online discussions.
Facebook’s net worth as of 2023, is $728 Billion. Facebook is one of the biggest and most successful social media platforms today.
The latest data ranking Facebook users by country shows that India is home to 314.6 million of them, making it the country with the highest number of Facebook users.
Snapchat
Snapchat is a popular multimedia messaging app that has gained significant popularity among young users in India and around the world.
Launched in 2011, Snapchat is known for its unique features that allow users to share photos, videos, and messages that disappear after a short period.
Snapchat’s unique feature is its “Snap” feature, which enables users to take pictures and make videos that can be enhanced with augmented reality (AR) effects, stickers, filters, and remarks. These Snaps can be sent to specific friends or included in users’ “Stories” for public viewing.
Snapchat has introduced various features to engage users in creative and social experiences. For instance, “Snap Map” allows users to share their location and see the whereabouts of their friends on a map.
“Snap Games” provides a collection of multiplayer games that users can play with friends within the app.
Snapchat has evolved beyond being just a messaging app and has become a platform for content creators, influencers, and brands to connect with their audience.
The introduction of “Spotlight,” a dedicated feed for user-generated content, has provided an opportunity for creators to showcase their talent and potentially gain recognition.
Snapchat currently has more than 200 million users in India.
Snapchat’s engaging features, focus on self-expression, and its popularity among younger users make it a unique player in the social media landscape, offering a distinct experience for sharing moments and connecting with friends in a more ephemeral and playful manner.
Pinterest is a visual discovery and social media platform that has gained significant popularity in India and worldwide. Launched in 2010, Pinterest allows users to discover, save, and organize visual content related to their interests, hobbies, and inspirations.
Users can create and manage “pins,” or groupings of images and videos, on the virtual pinboard that is Pinterest. Users can browse a variety of categories, including fashion, home decor, food, vacation spots, and more.
Users can “pin” items to their boards when they come across something they like, which helps them categorize and arrange their collections.
Users can get fresh perspectives and motivation thanks to Pinterest’s simple search functionality. Users can browse a huge collection of pins relevant to their interests by entering keywords or utilizing visual search.
Because of this, Pinterest is a useful resource for discovering original concepts, do-it-yourself projects, recipes, fashion trends, and other aesthetically appealing stuff.
Pinterest currently has more than 176 million users in India.
Pinterest’s emphasis on visual content, curation, and aspiration has made it a valuable platform for individuals seeking inspiration, creators sharing their work, and businesses connecting with potential customers. Its unique approach to content discovery and organization has carved out a distinctive place in the social media landscape.
ShareChat
ShareChat is a popular Indian social media platform that focuses on regional language content and community engagement.
Launched in 2015, ShareChat caters to users across various regions in India, providing a space for them to connect, share, and consume content in their preferred languages.
Users of ShareChat can make user accounts, follow other users, and find a variety of content in different formats, such as text postings, photos, videos, audio snippets, and GIFs. The platform provides a number of features, including filters, stickers, and editing tools, to improve content production and sharing.
Through its emphasis on user-generated content and the opportunity to build and join communities around common hobbies, regional ties, or entertainment tastes, ShareChat has become increasingly popular.
These social networks, referred to as “Groups,” offer an environment for like-minded people to interact, exchange ideas, and have discussions.
ShareChat currently has more than 300 million active users in India.
ShareChat has grown in popularity as a result of its focus on user-generated content and the ability to create and join communities based on shared interests, local ties, or entertainment preferences.
Like-minded individuals can communicate, share ideas, and keep conversations in these social networks’ “Groups,” which are referred to as well.
Never miss a single conversation and get started with real-time social media listening on all the popular platforms
Threads
Threads is a messaging app developed by Facebook, designed as a companion app to Instagram. Launched in 2019, Threads focuses on facilitating intimate and private communication between close friends and groups.
The main purpose of Threads is to simplify communication between users and their Instagram “Close Friends” list. The app makes it simple to share content with particular groups of individuals by allowing users to create and manage various friend groups.
Threads integrates closely with Instagram, allowing users to access their Instagram Direct messages directly from the app. This integration enables seamless communication between the two platforms, ensuring that users can easily switch between the two apps without missing any conversations.
Threads currently has more than 100 million active users.
Threads offers a focused and streamlined messaging experience, specifically catering to sharing updates and connecting with Close Friends on Instagram. It provides a more intimate and private space for communication within a user’s inner circle.
Signal
Signal is a popular messaging app that focuses on privacy and security.
It is developed by the Signal Foundation, a non-profit organization, and Signal Messenger LLC.
The app is known for its strong end-to-end encryption, which ensures that only the sender and recipient of a message can read its contents, making it highly secure against interception.
In Signal App all messages, voice calls, video calls, and other data exchanged are encrypted, providing users with a high level of privacy.
Signal currently has more than 40 million active users.
Signal has gained popularity, especially among individuals and groups concerned about data privacy. It is available for free on both Android and iOS devices and has desktop versions for Windows, macOS, and Linux.
Facebook Messenger
Facebook Messenger is a standalone messaging app and platform developed by Facebook. It allows users to send text-based messages, make voice and video calls, share photos and videos, and engage in various interactive features.
Users can easily chat with their Facebook friends and acquaintances using Facebook Messenger. The application provides both individual and group chats, allowing users to converse privately or participate in group discussions with other people.
Users can also make crystal-clear voice and video calls to their contacts using Messenger’s voice and video calling features. Multiple people can join a single call by using the group voice and video calling features that are also available.
A broad range of media sharing options are supported by Messenger. To express themselves and improve their chats, users can send emojis, stickers, GIFs, audio messages, stickers, and images. Users can also respond to specific messages using emoticons, giving rapid reactions or expressing emotions.
Facebook Messenger currently has more than 132 million users in India.
Facebook Messenger is a versatile messaging app that offers a range of features for seamless communication and social interaction.
Its integration with the larger Facebook platform, extensive media sharing options, and interactive features make it a popular choice for staying connected with friends, family, and contacts.
Telegram
Telegram is a cloud-based instant messaging app and platform known for its focus on privacy, security, and versatility. Developed by Pavel Durov and launched in 2013, Telegram has gained popularity worldwide, including in India.
Telegram offers a range of messaging features, including individual and group chats, voice calls, and video calls. Users can send text messages, photos, videos, audio files, documents, and even share their location.
A platform for channels and groups is offered by Telegram. Channels are the best way for content producers, news organizations and companies to reach a wide audience since they let users broadcast messages to a limitless number of subscribers. Users can join communities based on shared interests through groups, where they can participate in discussions, share material, and communicate with other users.
Telegram currently has more than 223 million users in India.
Telegram is a feature-rich messaging app and platform that prioritizes security, privacy, and versatility. Its focus on encryption, large group chats, channels, bots, and cross-platform availability make it a popular choice for users seeking a secure and customizable messaging experience.
Skype
Skype is a widely recognized telecommunications platform that allows users to make voice and video calls, send instant messages, and conduct conference calls over the internet.
It was first launched in 2003 and has since become one of the most popular communication tools worldwide.
All free and premium services are available on Skype.
By registering them as contacts, users can create a Skype account and interact with friends, family, and coworkers.
The system enables users to share files, send instant messages, and conduct high-quality voice and video conversations to other Skype users anywhere in the world.
Skype is suitable for both personal and professional use because it has tools for conference calls and group communications.
Users can host audio or video conference calls with a bigger group of people as well as create group chats with many members.
Skype currently has more than 200 million users in India
Skype is a versatile telecommunications platform that provides voice and video calling, instant messaging, and conference calling features.
Its cross-platform availability, additional functionalities, and global reach make it a convenient tool for personal and professional communication.
Moj
Moj is a short-form video app developed by ShareChat, an Indian social media platform.
Moj offers a range of creative tools and features to help users create engaging and entertaining videos.
Users can add music, filters, special effects, and text to enhance their content.
The app provides a variety of video editing options, allowing users to trim, merge, and customize their videos before sharing them.
Moj became increasingly popular in India, especially among producers who were looking for a venue to share their work and interact with fans.
The app’s user base is expanding as a result of the active community of content producers, influencers, and users that it has attracted.
Moj currently has more than 150 million active users in India.
Moj offers a platform for users to create and share short videos, showcasing their creativity and entertaining others.
With its regional focus, diverse content, and user-friendly features, Moj has emerged as a prominent player in the short-form video space in India.
MX TakaTak
MX TakaTak is a popular short-form video app developed by MX Player, an Indian media streaming platform.
Launched in 2020, MX TakaTak aims to provide users with a platform to create and share short videos, similar to the format popularized by TikTok.
To help users in producing interesting and amusing videos, MX TakaTak provides a variety of creative tools and capabilities.
Users can modify their content by adding text, music, filters, effects, and stickers. Before sharing their films, users can trim, merge, and edit them using the app’s different video editing capabilities.
MX TakaTak currently has 150 million users in India.
MX TakaTak has gained popularity in India, particularly among content creators and users who enjoy creating and consuming short videos.
The app has attracted a diverse community of creators, influencers, and users, contributing to its growing user base.
Josh
Josh is a short-form video app developed by VerSe Innovation, an Indian tech company. Launched in 2020.
Josh offers users a platform where they can make and share short films in a variety of genres, including comedy, lip-syncing, dancing, and more.
With the software, users can improve their movies and add unique flair thanks to a variety of creative tools and features like filters, effects, and editing possibilities.
Josh encourages user engagement through features like likes, comments, and shares. Users can follow their favorite creators, engage in discussions, and participate in trending challenges or hashtag campaigns.
Josh currently has more than 150 million users in India.
Josh serves as a platform for users to showcase their creativity, connect with like-minded individuals, and enjoy short video content in multiple languages. Its rise in popularity demonstrates the demand for localized short-form video apps in India.
Koo
Koo is a microblogging and social networking platform developed in India.
Launched in March 2020, Koo is designed to enable users to express their thoughts, opinions, and ideas in regional Indian languages.
Users of Koo can publish and share postings called “Koos” that feature text, photographs, videos, and audio files.
Users have the option to converse, like and comment on posts, and follow other users.
The platform promotes thoughtful debate and gives people a forum to express their views on a variety of subjects.
Koo currently has more than 60 million users in India.
Koo offers an Indian-centric microblogging experience, prioritizing regional languages and promoting local content.
Its focus on fostering meaningful discussions and providing a platform for expression in Indian languages has contributed to its growing popularity among users in India.
Chingaari
Chingari is a social media platform and short video-sharing app that was launched in 2018 by two Indian entrepreneurs, Sumit Ghosh and Biswatma Nayak.
Users of Chingari can make and share brief videos with a variety of filters, effects, and music. It has features including lip-syncing, dancing competitions, comedy skits, and more. Additionally, users can like and comment on videos, find and follow other producers, and interact with the community through live chats and virtual gifts.
Chingari offers news and entertainment materials in a variety of languages in addition to the creation and sharing of videos. Users have access to a variety of content, such as popular videos, news, and entertainment news.
Chingaari currently has more than 30 million users in India.
Millions of users actively downloaded it, and they welcomed the site as a substitute for making and watching short movies.
Gaana
Hotshots is a platform launched by Gaana in 2020. Hotshots platforms provide users with better user experience.
Gaana Hotshots platform allows users to create short videos and live stream the content.
Gaana Hotshots has tied up with many influencers of India.Company has created Hotshots Challenge.This category will include music, dance and various art forms.
Gaana Vertical platform allows influencers,singers,celebrities to connect with users.
Gaana Hotshots currently has more than 150 million active users in India.
Gaana Hotshots has gained a significant user base in India and has become one of the leading music streaming platforms in the country. It is available for both iOS and Android devices.
Conclusion
These platforms support a variety of interests and goals, from content creation and professional networking to communication and enjoyment.
It’s critical to remember that the social media environment is dynamic and that user preferences and new trends can quickly change which platforms are popular.
