Get up to date with all the digital trends in India with this comprehensive 60 page book from Google India. An absolute must for anyone in the marketing industry. Strongly recommended for all others.

1. The Year in Search
20152016

3. 3
PROLOGUE
-Rajan Anandan
2016 will be remembered as a transformational year for India.
India emerged as the second largest Internet and smartphone
economy in the world — with over 350 million connected
citizens and 220 million smartphone users. Affordable access
to high-speed internet turbo-charged appetites and opened up
a new online world for users across the length and breadth of
the country.
This has led to a fundamental shift in how Indians find
information, make decisions, engage with people, and make
themselves heard. For example, more and more people are
turning to Search for highly contextual and hyperlocal queries
such as ‘How-to’ and ‘Near-me’. 2016 saw the volume of ‘How-
to’ queries grow by 44%. Further, online video is growing at
an unprecedented pace with over 2X growth in watch time in
2016. Over 50% of Indian internet users are watching online
videos to learn something new.
Another much-anticipated outcome of this device and content
boom is the emergence of a new group of users. We call it the
emergence of Bharat. It’s interesting to witness the insatiable
pace at which this new wave of people are consuming
information and experiences online. Non-metros now account
for almost 30% of YouTube watch time, backed by regional
content, better devices, and the increase of accessibility.
Approximately one-third of all search queries now originate
from outside the Top 20 Indian cities. This group is also driving
several new trends such as the rapid increase in consumption
of Indic language content, which is expected to only grow
further. Over the next three years, India’s internet population is
expected to grow to 650 million and with nearly three-fourths
of users coming from smaller towns, the socio-economic
fabric of India is likely to change.
With this mass movement of users to online platforms and
explosion of content, Machine Learning is beginning to play
an impactful role in enabling brands to create more targeted,
relevant, and creative brand campaigns. A great example
of this is ‘Universal App Campaign’ which uses Machine
Learning to serve the right app specific promotional ad to the
right audience across Google’s platforms.
Given the mainstream role of digital, we started on a journey
last year to share with you an annual report on key online
trends that gives a flavour of evolving user preferences. And
this year too, I am happy to share a multi-segment view that
delves into Indian consumers and what’s top of mind for
them. I hope this will form a solid starting point for your brand
journey in 2017!

5. Section Page No.
Key Trends
Industry Insights
Auto
Banking, Financial Services and Insurance
Classifieds
Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG)
eCommerce
Education
Government
Retail
Media & Entertainment
Technology
Telecom
Travel
6 - 14
15 - 50
16 - 18
19 - 21
22 - 27
28 - 31
32 - 35
36
37
38 - 39
40 - 42
43 - 45
46 - 47
48 - 50
Coming of Age of Online Video
More on Digital Consumer
51 - 54
55 - 57
Sources 58
TABLE OF CONTENTS

6. 6
KEY TRENDS

7. 7
1. Evolution of Digital Bharat
Newer access methods, content choices, and a new class of users are evolving as a result of the Internet’s reach
going beyond 350M users
Watch time for ‘Tamil’, ‘Telugu’, ‘Kannada’, and ‘Malayalam’ content on YouTube has
more than doubled in 2016.2
10X growth in ‘Local language’ searches over the past 1.5 years due to
increasing availability of Indic keyboards and keypads on smartphones.1
Highest Indic searches were for ‘News’, ‘Bollywood’, ‘Religion’,
‘Social Networking’, ‘Education’, and ‘Jobs’.1
► Content is also Catching Up with Demand
► Consumers are Searching in their Preferred Languages
INDIC
10X

8. 8
► New Wave of Users are Driving Growth
5X
30% of job portal users want to see content
in local languages.3
Hindi content consumption on websites is
growing 5X faster than English content.*
Over 1/3rd of search queries are coming
from outside Top 20 metros.1
These Top 20 metros now account for more than 30% of YouTube watch
time, backed by regional content, better devices and access.2
*As per Adsense inventory on Google Display Network

9. 9
2. Digital is Becoming the New Age Mall
Consumers are increasingly researching and purchasing online across multiple industries
Over 15% of ‘eCommerce’ payments will take place through
digital wallets in 2020, up from current 6%.6
Interest for ‘Digital currency’ and ‘Plastic money’
grew up to 5X post-demonetization.1
► Newer Online Payment Methods are Evolving
► Beyond Traditional eCommerce Categories, Other Industries are Increasingly Seeing Online Fulfilment
50% of Air travel transactions
took place online in 2016.4
Over 40% of movie tickets
were booked online in 2016.17
1 in 5 car buyers are willing
to consider booking of a car
online in 2016.5

10. 10
► Across Sectors, Online Markets are only Set to Grow!
Online real estate market set to grow to
INR 900 Cr (US$135M) by 2020.3
INR 53,200-66,500 Cr (US$8-10B) of
Consumer Packaged Goods will be sold
online by 2020.7
eServices market set to grow to INR 900 Cr
(US$135M) by 2020.3
25% of organized retail sales will be online by
2020.8

11. 11
HOW TO
3. India Turns to Digital for Answers
From crisis to questions, to newer market needs, India searches for answers online
HOW-TO
1
W-TO
1
2
155%
68%
Find alternate solutions
High searches for ‘What is CVV’,
‘How to transfer money online’, or
‘How to fill a cheque’.1
Hunt for Cash
155% jump in searches for ATMs.1
Hideouts for Cash
68% jump in a day for queries
relating to ‘Black money’.1
► Digital Emerges as the Go-To Destination for Answers
► Demonetization Led to a Spike in Searches Related to Figuring Solutions and Alternatives
‘How-to’ queries increased by 44% in the year,
while queries for other questions (what, when, where, why) grew by 32%.1

12. 12
► Addressing New Market Needs
55% increase in searches for ‘Used
goods’ as this very unstructured
market gets organized.1
5X increase in queries to find things
‘Near me’ in the past year, with users
accessing information on the go.1
Searches for newer local services
grew by over 50% in 2016,
e.g. ‘Movers’ and ‘Packers’ (74% growth),
or ‘Home repair services’ (87% growth).1

13. 13
4. Online Videos - Not just Entertainment
► Online Videos are the Go-To Destination for Learning
36%
90% of car buyers who are online are
influenced by online videos during
their purchase journey.5
54% of internet users view online
videos to learn something new.9
‘How to’ searches grew by 3X on
YouTube in 2016.1
‘Education’ and ‘Jobs’ content
consumption on YouTube has
doubled in the past year, while ‘Recipe’
watch time has increased by 6X.2
36% of mobile phone buyers who are
online are influenced by online videos
during their purchase journey.9
20% of online users looking to plan
their travel are influenced by online
videos during their purchase journey.9
► Online Videos are an Integral Part of Product Research

14. 14
► Online Videos Let Users Stay Up-to-Date
32% of Internet users view online videos to
stay up-to-date with trends.9
210% growth in watch time for
‘Hindi news’ on YouTube.2
5X increase in watch time for ‘Beauty tips’
and ‘Styles’ content in 2016.2
54% growth in watch time for ‘Technology’ content on
YouTube; consumers are looking for reviews of latest mobile
phones and laptops, with ‘Unboxing’ becoming a big trend.2
NEWS

15. 15
INDUSTRY INSIGHTS

16. 16
AUTO
94% of car buyers rate Search as the most
useful touchpoint in the purchase journey.5
This indicates strong purchase intent during
research. 3 in 4 queries for cars were for
specific brands.1
‘Two wheeler’ queries have begun to spike
like never before. Queries for ‘Motorcycles’
grew at about 80% YoY; while queries for
‘Scooters’ grew at about 104% YoY.1
Over 100% growth in YouTube watch time for
‘Auto’ content.2
58% of car buyers say that online video has
altered their consideration set of brands.5
85% of car buyers took a follow-up action
after watching online videos.5
94%
100%growth
Over
Car Searches for brands grew at 42% YoY Scooters: 104%
Motorcycle: 80%
85%90%online car buyers
influenced by video
► Online Search is a Critical Touchpoint for Car Buyers
► Online Video Emerges as an Integral Part of Online Car Buyer Research

17. 17
AUTO
‘Dealer’ queries grew strong at 27% YoY — 5X of
the growth seen in the last year.1
► India Relies on Search Engines to Find Dealers
60% of the car buyers online looking for dealers rely on search engines to locate dealerships.5
car dealers near me
► Increased Traction for Car Financing
Strongest growth in Tier 3 towns for financing
queries: Tier 3 (66%) Tier 2 (40%) Tier 1 (23%)
Metros (18%).1
‘Auto financing’ queries grew by 26% YoY, with the largest traction during the earlier stages of the
purchase funnel, indicating that research and intent were a priority for consumers before visiting a
dealership.10
5X
CARS
26%growth

18. 18
AUTO
1 in 5 car buyers are willing to consider booking a car online (up from 13%
in 2013).5
‘Convenience’ trumps ‘Offers’ as the primary reason for booking
cars online in 2013.5
Top questions for ‘Auto’ on Google are ‘How to drive a car’ and ‘How to ride a bike’.
Did You Know?
► Booking Cars Online is Still New but Growing

19. 19
BANKING, FINANCIAL SERVICES AND INSURANCE
Interest for ‘Digital currency’ and ‘Plastic money’ grew up to 5X post-Nov 8.
‘ATM’ related queries went up 25X in the 3 weeks post the announcement.
Since December, ‘ATM’ related queries have reduced from peak by about
50%.1
‘Finance-related’ queries shot up ~40% with ‘Online banking’ and ‘Bill
payment services’ being the most-searched categories.1
► Demonetization Fuels Finance Searches
5X 25X
2.5X
6X
2X
Consumer interest in ‘UPI’ grew 15X post-
demonetization. Top ‘UPI’ related searches
include ‘UPI app’ and ‘UPI India’.1
Interest in ‘Credit cards’ grew by 22% while
‘Debit cards’ grew by 92%.1
Queries for ‘Mobile banking’ and ‘Netbanking’
grew by 460% and 128% respectively
in the 30 days post the demonetization
announcement.1
58%15X
UPI App
UPI India growth in mobile
wallet queries.
How to transfer money online
How to fill cheque
What is CVV
Online Banking
► Digital Currency and Digital Payment Queries Skyrocket

20. 20
BANKING, FINANCIAL SERVICES AND INSURANCE
Mobile now accounts for 50% of all
searches for ‘Personal loans’, with a YoY lift
of 60%.1
Mobile now accounts for 37% of all ‘Life
insurance’ searches versus 28% last year.1
‘Stocks and securities’ category has the
highest skew towards mobile queries, with
mobile’s share at 58%.1
50% 37% 58%searches insurance searches mobile queries
Most searched personal investment category was ‘Equity funds’, with 75% of the total share growing at 22% YoY.
Searches for ‘Liquid funds’ grew by 58%, while those for ‘Debt funds’ by 83%.1
75%
► Mobile Continues to Rule Finance Searches
► Personal Investing Goes Online

21. 21
VS
Generic searches for categories like ‘Mutual
funds’ (31% vs. 25%) and ‘Home loans’ (22% vs.
12%) grew faster than brand-related searches.1
‘Auto insurance’ has moved from 38% generic
searches at the start of 2015 to 50% by the
end of 2016.1
‘Life insurance’ and ‘Credit card’ categories
remain dominated by brand-related
searches, with 90% and respectively being
brand- related.1
50%
90%
While 77,000 PoS were installed in November 2016, almost 2M merchant apps for digital payments were downloaded. Searches for ‘POS’ and ‘Merchant
apps’ saw the same wide gap, with apps coming up as the go-to solution for receiving payments.11
2Mmerchant apps for digital payments were
downloaded.
88%
Did You Know?
38%
BANKING, FINANCIAL SERVICES AND INSURANCE
► Generic Searches Grew More than Brand Searches for BFSI Products

22. 22
CLASSIFIEDS
The online job market is set to double from INR 725 Cr (US$109M) to
INR 1,496 Cr (US$225M) by 2020.3
Searches for ‘Job affiliated’ areas like ‘Resume writing’ and ‘Interview
training’ grew by 2X.1
2016 saw a massive growth in searches for public sector jobs which
also included ‘Hindi’ searches; ‘रेलवे नौकरी 2016’ and ‘सरकारी नौकरी’ were
breakout searches.1
30% of job portal users want to see content in local languages.3
2x 2x
► जॉब की तलाश

23. 23
CLASSIFIEDS
Online real estate market set to grow 4X from INR 213 Cr (US$32M) to
INR 900 Cr (US$135M) by 2020.3
Over 50% of searches are from mobile. Key players such as MagicBricks,
Housing, and Makaan, have moved to PWA technology for their mSite.1
Searches for ‘Real estate’, grew by 38% in 2016, making it one of the fastest
growing sectors within ‘Classifieds’.1
1 in 4 searches for ‘Real estate’ were driven by NRIs.1
► Real Estate Emerges as a Strong Category
Real Estate 4X
38%

24. 24
CLASSIFIEDS
48% of searches came outside of the Top 6 metros; ‘Jobs’ (39%), ‘Matrimonial’ (49%), ‘Services’ (48%), ‘Real estate’ (51%).1
Consumers are increasingly looking at
buying ‘Used goods’. Searches for ‘Used
goods’ grew by 55%.1
‘Value-added services’ are playing a larger
role in increasing interest for ‘Used goods’.
Searches for ‘Home delivery’ of ‘Used goods’
saw a 5X increase.1
59% of consumers are willing to pay a
premium for services like ‘Quality verification’
and ‘Home delivery’ while purchasing ‘Used
goods’.3
55% 5X 59%increase
39% 49% 48% 51%
► Searches for Classifieds are No Longer a Top Metro Phenomenon
► Second-Hand Gets First Class Treatment

25. 25
► 2016 was the Year of eServices
Searches for ‘eServices’ grew by 50%
in 2016.1
‘eServices’ market is set to grow
7X from INR 60 Cr (US$9M) to
INR 440 Cr (US$66M) by 2020.3
Top services being searched for are
‘Dining’ (140% growth), ‘Astrology’ (140%
growth), ‘Movers and packers’ (74%
growth), and ‘Home repair’ (87% growth).3
CLASSIFIEDS
74%
50%
140%140% 87%
7X

26. 26
CLASSIFIEDS
Consumer interest in ‘Wedding’ affiliated categories like ‘Photographers’, ‘Wedding planning’, ‘Bridal wear’, etc., jumped by 30%.1
Searches & app downloads for ‘Dating’ were hand in glove in 2016. ‘Dating’ related searches grew by 50%, along with a 53% increase in downloads
for ‘Dating’ apps.11
50%growth in Dating related searches
30%increase in Wedding affiliated categories
► Searches for Matrimonial & Dating Moved Online

27. 27
More than a third of users found value in additional features like ‘Agent to
connect’, ‘Wedding planning’, ‘Photography’, and ‘Astrology’ on matrimonial
sites.3
Online matrimony market is set to double from INR 492 Cr (US$74M)
to INR 1,197 Cr (US$180M) 2020.3
10%
of searches for ‘Mobile phones’ in India are
for ‘Used mobile phones’.1
CLASSIFIEDS
Did You Know?
1 in 3 2X

28. 28
CONSUMER PACKAGED GOODS (CPG)
‘Beauty’ content consumption has exploded on YouTube, with a 5X
increase in watch time; 90% of top ‘Beauty’ content is created by YT
content creators.2
Consumers are turning to Google for their ‘Beauty’ needs with a 70% YoY
growth in searches; highest searches are around ‘Hair care’, followed by
‘Skin care’ and ‘Makeup’.1
The Internet will influence INR 73,150 Cr (US$11B) of ‘Beauty & hygiene’
sales in India by 2020, two-thirds of the overall ‘Beauty & hygiene’ industry.7
INR 19,950 Cr (US$3B) worth of ‘Beauty & hygiene’ products will be sold
online by 2020, a 10X growth from previous levels.7
2/3rd
70%growth in searches
5Xincrease in watch time
10Xgrowthof the industry to be
digitally influenced by 2020
► Beauty & the Digital Beast

29. 29
CONSUMER PACKAGED GOODS (CPG)
► Back to the Roots
Consumers are turning to natural remedies for their ‘Beauty &
hygiene’ needs with a 46% growth in searches in 2016.1
As per IMRB Kantar Worldpanel data, penetration of ‘Herbal/Natural
beauty’ products grew 3X faster than average.12
Indian men are turning to the Internet to get
answers for their grooming needs, with
43% online men using Google Search for
their research.9
Men are 3X more interested in ‘Trimmers’
than ‘Razors’, which can also be seen by
an 80% YoY growth in searches for ‘Beard
styles’.1
80%
growth in
searches for
Beard Styles
50% YoY growth was observed in searches
around ‘Male grooming’, with ‘Shaving’
having the highest search share, followed by
‘Deodorants’.1
3X
43%
50%
growth
46%
growth
► Male Grooming is on the Rise

30. 30
CONSUMER PACKAGED GOODS (CPG)
1 in 3 online parents are influenced by
search results in their purchase decisions.9
There is a 3X increase in searches for
‘Pregnancy’ related apps.1
Consumers are becoming more health
conscious with growing search interest
in ‘Weight loss’ (35%), ‘Dieting’ (50%), and
‘Exercise’ (45%). ‘GM diet’, ‘Paleo diet’, and
‘Ketogenic diet, were the top searched diets
in 2016.1
Consumers are also looking for healthier food
alternatives. Searches for ‘Healthy recipes’
grew by 50%, while ‘Green tea’ searches grew
by 40%.1
There is a 3X increase in searches for ‘Health
& Fitness’ related apps.1
Within ‘Baby’ related searches, highest
searches are around ‘Pregnancy information’
(40%), followed by ‘Baby names’ (25%).1
Highest searches are around
followed by
Pregnancy Info
Baby Names
3X
3X
Dieting (50%)
Exercise (45%)
Weight loss (35%)
Health is Wealth
► Parenting Moves Online
► Health Consciousness on the Rise

31. 31
CONSUMER PACKAGED GOODS (CPG)
► Searches for CPG go Beyond Metros
50% of searches came from outside the
Top 6 metros, growing at 75% YoY.1
‘Baby care’ has the highest skew with 55%
searches coming outside the Top 6 metros.1
Growing interest in ‘Indic’ content with
50% YoY growth in searches; 75% of ‘Indic’
searches are for ‘Hindi’ content.1
There is a higher search interest in ‘Virat
Kohli’s hairstyle’ than those of leading
Bollywood actresses.1
Did You Know?
>
50%

32. 32
eCOMMERCE
Every 2nd shopping search is related to
‘Lifestyle’, growing at 40% YoY.1
78% of online buyers have bought a ‘Lifestyle’
product online.8
‘Lifestyle’ will drive 35% of the ‘eCommerce’
revenue by 2020, making it the single largest
‘eCommerce’ category.8
A 5X increase was observed in ‘Near-me’
searches in the past year.1
39% of smartphone users who conduct a
local search visit a store within a day.8
Digital will influence 50% of ‘Organized retail’
by 2020.8
78%
39%
50%
35%revenue
5x
40%growth
STORE
OPEN
OPEN
Lifestyle
Lifestyle includes Fashion,Personal Care, Home Furnishing etc.
► Lifestyle Continues to be the Crowd-Puller
► Increasing Digital Influence on Organized Retail

33. 33
► eCommerce Goes Beyond Discounts
eCOMMERCE
High consumer interest in 2016 was driven by ‘Mobile phones’ (reduced
handset prices and data costs) and ‘Appliances’ (online platform adoption
by brands).1
After a muted growth in 2015 (7%), consumer interest in ‘Electronics’ saw a
resurgence with a 25% growth in 2016.1
9 out of 10 online buyers purchase products online for reasons beyond
discounting; 60% buy due to assortment, and 50% for convenience.8
Consumers searched for ‘Brands’ and ‘Products’ 5X more than
for ‘Discounts’ or ‘Offers’.1
Assortment - 60%
Convenience - 50%
5X
25%growth in 2016
Brands & Products
► Electronics Came Back on the Radar

34. 34
After a muted growth in H1, H2 shopping searches grew significantly at 35% YoY, on the back of festive sales by key ‘eCommerce’ players. ‘Mobile’ grew
1% in H1 and 33% in H2. ‘Furniture’ grew 25% in H1 and 36% in H2.1
91% of the growth in ‘Shopping’ searches were driven by searches
outside of the Top 6 metros.1
Consumers were increasingly looking for content in their preferred
language, with a 350% growth in Indic searches.1
33%for Mobile
36%for Furniture
350%growth
खरीदारी
eCOMMERCE
► H2 Riding High on Festive Sales
► Bharat Drives Growth in Shopping Queries

35. 35
► Emergence of the Female Shopper
‘Apparel’ (77%), ‘Beauty’ (62%), and ‘Electronics’ (59%) are the top categories being purchased by women online.8
The number of women online shoppers will increase 5X by 2020 (15M to
75M).8
By 2020, 42% of ‘eTail’ spend will be driven by women (up from 20% in
2015).8
77% 62% 59%
5Xby 2020
2016 saw a 2X increase in searches for
‘How to sell online’.1
Did You Know?
eCOMMERCE
42%by 2020

36. 36
EDUCATION
► Online Video for Education & Jobs
Searches for ‘Android and iOS app
development courses’ grew by about 25%.1
India is expected to have the largest
developer population globally, overtaking the
US by 2018, with 4M developers.13
Searches for ‘Online education’ from Non-Top
6 metros grew 10X faster than the Top 6
metros.1
► Online Education: Beyond Metros
Top searched terms are around learning ‘Spoken English’ followed by
‘Science experiments’.
‘Education’ and ‘Jobs’ content consumption on YouTube has doubled in a
year.2
25%growth
10Xfaster
App Development
India US
2X
SPOKEN
ENGLISH
Online Education
► India Gears Up for App Development

37. 37
GOVERNMENT
► Government Goes Digital
Post-demonetization, searches for PM
Modi app went up 50X.1
Searches for ‘Government services’ grew by
over 20% in 2016.1
Top 5 searched ‘Government services’ for
2016: ‘Indian railways’, ‘Aadhar card’, ‘EPFO’,
‘Post office’, and ‘Passport’.*1
Goods & Services Tax
(GST)
Bhim App
GST
Demonetization
Sabarimala
7th Pay Commission
Surgical Strike
PMO App
ISRO
Swachh Bharat
Unified Payment
Interface (UPI)
PMO
*excludes Government jobs
► Huge Demand for PMO App
► What India Searched for in 2016 in News & Politics.1

38. 38
RETAIL
► Consumers are Already Omni-Channel
► The Online Shopper is Brand Conscious, However Brand Loyalty is Up for Grabs
Over 60% of searches for ‘Offline retailers’ are for either ‘Location’ or ‘Offer’, indicating strong intent to visit offline stores.
- Brand (39%) Location (25%) Offers/Sale (14%) Online Assets (13%) .1
40% of ‘Apparel’ searches were brand-led. Searches for ‘Apparel brands’
were higher than ‘Apparel offers’, indicating that customers are willing to
pay for quality.1
However, users were undecided, and 2 out of 3 buyers considered more
than one brand before purchasing.8
60%
searches for offline retailers
are for either location or offer
2/3rd

39. 39
RETAIL
For ‘End of season sales’, search interest picks up almost 2 weeks before the sales begin for most brands.18
73% of users look for early inspiration and make initial discoveries online, and 55% users prepared online for an immediate offline purchase.9
Search interest for
picks up almost 2 weeks before sales begin
73%of users look for
early inspiration
55%of users prepared
online for an immediate
offline purchase
OPENOPEN
Sales
► User Interest in ‘Retail Sales’ Starts Long Before End of Season Sales

40. 40
MEDIA & ENTERTAINMENT
► From Cricket to Kabaddi, Digital is the New Playground for Sports
While ‘Cricket’ and ‘Football’ continue to
take the largest share of sports queries,
newer sports like ‘Kabaddi’, ‘Badminton’, and
‘Hockey’ have doubled their share.1
Cricket struggles with low traction for players
beyond ‘Kohli’, ‘Dhoni’, and ‘Sachin’. The next
most searched player is at 25% of query
volumes of the top ones. ‘Sindhu’, however,
rules ‘Badminton’ with 8X growth in queries for
‘Badminton’ after an Olympic win.1
Football’s appeal in the ‘Mid-tier’ audience
segment doubled in the last 2 years, while still
remaining the most popular sport among the
‘Premium’ audience. ‘Cricket’ and ‘Kabaddi’
saw distributed traction among ‘Premium’
and ‘Mass’ segments, while ‘Badminton’ and
‘Hockey’ had less support with the ‘Premium’
audience.1
► Online Video Skyrockets
50%growth in ‘Sports’
Queries since 2015
Most sports currently
face a void of heroes
and fandom.
Football remains the
most popular sport
among the ‘Premium’
audience
60%
‘Video OTT’ category on the Play Store grew
by ~68% from January to December 2016.15
Watch time of leading ‘OTT’ platforms
including YouTube grew exponentially on the
back of the free data offer by Jio and free
internet by Google at railway stations.2
Searches for ‘Watch online’ increased by over
60% with an increasing interest in ‘Online
video streaming’. ‘Watch TV online’ emerged
as a strong trend too, growing at over 40%.1
68%

41. 41
MEDIA & ENTERTAINMENT
Queries for the ‘Music’ category grew by
40% in the last 3 months of 2016.1
Women users are 1.3X more engaged on
music streaming apps than male users in
terms of time spent.16
YouTube emerges as the largest channel
for ‘Music’ with over 50M views for trending
‘Bollywood songs’ in just over a week after
their release.2
40%
Over 40% of ‘Movie tickets’ were booked online in 2016. The year also saw
a 25% growth in queries for online ticketing for movies.17
While ‘Bookmyshow’ remains the most searched term in the category,
2016 saw an increase in searches for ‘Offers’ (45%) and specific locations
(35%).1
45% 35%
► Growing Demand for Streaming Music
► Online Ticketing Space Heats Up

42. 42
A correlation of over 80% was observed
between YouTube views of the trailers and
first weekend box office collections for
movies.2
Studios have started using YouTube to pique
user interest much before release, putting
content as early as a year before release,
garnering traction before trailer launch.2
‘Songs and dance covers’, ‘Remakes’, and
‘Unplugged versions’ play a role in spiking
interest in ‘Movies’.2
3
Did You Know?
Top 5 most searched shows of 2016 were predominantly from ‘Hindi GEC’:
‘Yeh Hai Mohabbatein’, ‘Kumkum Bhagya’, ‘Yeh Rishta’, ‘Kya Kehlata Hai’,
etc. ‘Game of Thrones’ is the only English show to find space in the Top 5,
and ‘Bigg Boss 10’ in the ‘Reality show’ category.2
3
MEDIA & ENTERTAINMENT
► YouTube - The Battleground for New Movie Releases

43. 43
TECHNOLOGY
Over 60% of all ‘PC’ and ‘Smartphone’
buyers research online prior to a purchase.9
Over 80% of buyers use the Internet to search
for ‘Stores in their vicinity’.9
~2X growth in searches related to offline
stores selling ‘PCs and smartphones’.1
Search queries for ‘Chinese challengers’ witnessed 3.5X growth during
2016 while searches for ‘Indian brands’ increased only 1.4X.1
This reflects in shipment trends — volume share for ‘Chinese brands’
increased 2.5X to 21% while share of ‘Indian brands’ dropped from 40%
to 32% in 2016 over 2015.19
3.5X
GROWTH
1.4X
GROWTH
60%
电话
电话
电话
Chinese smartphone sales
increased by
2.5X
80%buyers
2x
Chinese Indian
► Online Research Extensively Aiding Offline Purchases
► Chinese Challenger Smartphone Players Rapidly Gaining Ground at the Cost of Indian Players

44. 44
TECHNOLOGY
► Mid-Priced Smartphone Segment Growing
India had the second highest search interest for ‘B2B tech’ and ‘SaaS’
globally in 2016 growing 5X faster than the Top 5 peer countries.1
Rise of new-age startups, a lack of legacy B2B software, and rapid digitization
of business processes led to a strong rise in searches for ‘SaaS’.20
Searches for ‘Mid-priced smartphone’ segment INR 9,975 - INR 29,925
(US$150-$450) grew 2.5X in 2016.1
This is reflected in shipment trends — ‘Mid-price’ segment shipments
increased 30% while shipments in the ‘Premium’ segment declined by
11% in 2016 vs 2015.19
► India is the Fastest Growing Major Economy in Cloud Services Adoption
$ $$$$$
$$
Mid-price segment shipment
increased
30%
Premium segment shipment
declined
11%
5X
B2B Tech / Saas

45. 45
TECHNOLOGY
In the ‘Smartphone’ category, 61% of all
searches were from mobile devices (39% in
2015) and grew at 100%.1
In the ‘Personal computers’ category,
searches from mobile devices accounted
for 35% of all queries (20% in 2015) and
grew at 80%.1
In the ‘Consumer electronics’ category, 63%
of all searches (30% in 2015) were from
mobile devices and grew at 127%.1
Smartphone 61% 35% 63%
Searches for traditionally popular ‘White
goods’ such as ‘Televisions’, ‘Microwaves’,
and ‘Washing machines’ continued to grow
by over 100%.1
‘Air purifiers’ generated a lot of interest in the
second half of the year with over 60% search
growth on account of deteriorating air quality
in metros.1
Searches for ‘Online software’ or ‘Web
services’ from India grew more than the
rest of the world combined in 2016.1
Did You Know?
60%search growth in Air
Purifiers
100%increase in searches
for white goods
► Mobile is Rapidly Overtaking Desktop as the Primary Online Research Platform
► Significant Increase in Search Interest Across Consumer
Durable Categories

46. 46
TELECOM
► Jio Launch Unlocks 4G Ecosystem
15X surge was observed in ‘Jio’ branded
queries after launch.1
Overall 4G queries grew by 8X in 2016,
coupled with a commensurate increase in
searches for 4G devices at 3X.1
An increasing number of users go online to
research and compare ‘4G plans’ (3X growth
in queries), figure out ‘Processes’ (5X growth
in ‘How-to’ queries), and assess ‘Speed and
network’ (6X growth in queries).1
15X 8X
4G
► Telcos Emerge as Strong OTT Players, Stepping Up the Acquisition Drive
Jio took almost 50% acquisition share in
the ‘Video OTT’ category in 2016, while
Airtel Wynk achieved ~30% acquisition
share in the ‘Music OTT’ category.15
Interest in ‘Content’ (music, movies, games,
etc.) for Telcos grew by 16X on Search,
with users actively seeking ‘Entertainment
content’ and ‘Apps’ from their service
providers.1
Telcos’ share in ‘Branded’ queries for ‘Music
genres’ is still 15%, compared to non-telco
players.1
15%

47. 47
TELECOM
Cat B & C Circles are evolving on mobile
data usage. They now account for 30% of
Search traffic.1
A Tier 2 user searches as much as a metro
user, quickly evolving to similar categories of
searches.1
These circles have shown increasing interest
in video, now accounting for almost 30%
of YouTube watch time, backed by regional
content, better devices, and increasing
access.2
Airtel launched their payment bank and saw
a jump of 2X in interest in just one day! Other
telcos such as Vodafone and Idea saw a 66%
growth in queries for their payment banks.1
Online recharge and bill payment remained
the largest use cases for telco wallets, with
1 in 3 users preferring them to any other
payment method.22
Searches for ‘Free internet’ grew by 100% in
2016, as hunger for data consumption grew.
‘Wifi’ searches grew by over 110%, with the
top 2 searches being ‘Wifi password’ and
‘Wifi map’.
$ $ $ 100%
$
Queries for Telecom wallets,
payments bank etc. grew by
Did You Know?
► Search Goes Non-Metro
► Telcos Gain Mobile Wallet Interest

48. 48
TRAVEL
► Air Travel Soars High Online
‘Air travel’ searches have grown by 3X since
2013, while the number of air travelers grew
by 45%.23
Generic queries grew at 19%, while ‘Route’
queries grew the fastest, at 43%.1
Half of all air travel transactions took place
online in 2016.24
58%
of Queries for air
travel are branded
50%
► Mobile in Travel is Now about Convenience and Simplicity
Mobile is driving growth in ‘Travel’ queries, with queries across all
segments growing at least 5X in the last 3 years.25
30% of queries on mobile are for ‘Last minute travel needs’, which grew
by more than 100% YoY.1
5x
1/3rd
of all ‘Travel’ searches
are related to micro-
moments

49. 49
TRAVEL
43% of queries in ‘Travel’ are now originating outside the Top 6
metros. Of all queries on mobile, 55% are from metros.1
In non-metros, ‘Car rental’ is the fastest growing segment at 100%. ‘Bus
& rail’ queries grew at 43%, while queries for ‘Destination activities’ and
‘Short trips’ grew at 38%.1
‘Hotels’ are the biggest segment in ‘Travel’,
capturing 38% of ‘Travel’ queries and
growing 16% in 2016.1
Searches for ‘Hotels’ grew at 42%, with the
most searched term being ‘Hotel’, indicating
Search to be one of the major starting points
of consumers on the path to purchase.1
‘Branded’ queries in ‘Hotels’ are only at 22%,
indicating that the consumer is undecided
during research.1
42% or
► Travelers Turn to Online to Find Hotels
► Reaching Travelers Beyond Metros

50. 50
TRAVEL
► Alternate Stays for Millennial Travelers
8M millennials searched and browsed for
‘Alternate stays’. Searches for ‘Alternate
stays’ now constitute 11% of searches for
‘Accommodation’.1
2016 saw 6X growth in queries for ‘Bed
& breakfast’, and 3X growth in those for
‘Vacation homes’.1
Searches for ‘Holiday homes’, ‘Homestays’,
‘Houseboats’, and ‘Luxury cottages’ grew by
over 2X.1
Queries for ‘Last minute travel plans’ are
on an all time high, growing at 123% for ‘Air
travel’, 113% for ‘Bus and rail’, and 32% for
‘Hotel bookings’.
Did You Know?

51. 51
COMING OF AGE OF
ONLINE VIDEO

52. 52
COMING OF AGE OF ONLINE VIDEO
► YouTube for Many Indias
Watch time for ‘Tamil’, ‘Telugu’, ‘Kannada’, and ‘Malayalam’ content on
YouTube has more than doubled in 2016.2
Users watching ‘Tamil’ and ‘Telugu’ content are 2X more engaged than
the average. Both categories saw explosive consumption of traditional
content like ‘Movie trailers’ and original content like ‘Web series’.2
► Entertainment. Entertainment. Entertainment.
‘Music’ (69%), ‘Movies’ (56%), and ‘TV shows’ (37%) are the fastest growing sources of online entertainment.9
2X
56% 37%
2X
69%

53. 53
COMING OF AGE OF ONLINE VIDEO
14,000 years worth of time was spent on
watching ‘Kids content’, growing at 80%
YoY in 2016.2
‘Rhymes’ was the most searched query
amongst kids’ content.2
YouTube Kids app, with over 10 billion views
per year globally, was launched in India. It
is customized for Indian children — with
localized language and highlighted Indian
content.2
‘Comedy’ (84%), ‘Beauty’ (61%), and ‘Cooking’ (58%) are the fastest
growing categories on YouTube search.2
A new wave of content creators crossed 1M subscribers with a
3X Increase in watch time; ‘Cooking’ (Nisha Madhulika), ‘Comedy’
(BBkiVines, Being Indian), and ‘Music’ (Vidya Vox, Sanam) gained
massive popularity.2
1M
80%
► Rise of the New Wave
► The New Playground for Kids

54. 54
COMING OF AGE OF ONLINE VIDEO
► YouTube on the Go
Indian YT Channels with over 1M subscribers
jumped up by 100% in 2016 to a total of 40. 2
Did You Know?
1M subscribers
Amongst YouTube’s Top 10 markets worldwide, India is one of the
fastest growing in mobile watch time.2
YouTube Go was built from the ground-up with insights from India and
will launch in 2017. The app has been designed to maximize user fun
without burning up data, working more effectively in areas with limited
connectivity.2

55. 55
MORE ON DIGITAL
CONSUMERS

56. 56
► India is More Curious & Unique ► India is More Photogenic
DIGITAL CONSUMERS
10% of searches in 2016 were for things
never searched for before.1
Searches for ‘Photography’ and ‘Cameras’
grew by 37%.1
100% growth in searches for ‘Selfies’.1
Photography / Cameras
37% 100%
► India is More Metro
Search behavior across non-metros is
increasingly mirroring that in metros.1
In 2016, 100 towns showed similar search
patterns as metros, up from 30 in 2015.1
Non-metros searched for newer categories
such as ‘Finance’, ‘Retail’, ‘Health’, and ‘News’,
beyond categories like ‘Entertainment’, ‘Jobs’,
and ‘Education’.1
$

57. 57
DIGITAL CONSUMERS
growth in ‘Near-me’ queries only within the past one year
Top searches on Google Maps in 2016
This is an indication that users are searching more and more on-the-go.1
‘Restaurants’, ‘Hotels’, ‘ATMs’, and ‘Tourist attractions’ were the top searches on Google Maps in 2016.
NEAR ME
5x
► India is More Hyperlocal

58. 58
SOURCES
1. Google Internal Search Data, 2015-16
2. Google Internal YouTube Data, 2016
3. Digital Classifieds in India 2020; A study by KPMG & Google, 2016
4. Phocuswright India Consumer Travel report 2016
5. Auto Gearshift Study 2016 (Google-led research through survey partner TNS Global)
6. Digital Payments Report: Making of a $500B ecosystem in India, Google and BCG, 2016
7. Impact of Digital on Beauty & Hygiene, A Google Bain study, 2016
8. Digital Retail in India 2020; A Google-A.T.Kearney Study, 2016
9. Consumer Barometer Survey, 2015-16
10. Google Internal Search Data, 2015-16, Google Kotak Consumer Querimetrix 1.1, 2015
11. App Annie, RBI, Google Search
12. IMRB Kantar Worldpanel Data, 2015-2016
13. Economic Times: India overtakes US in mobile developer courses
14. Google Internal Data; Google Playstore
15. Google Internal Playstore Data, App Annie, 2016
16. Nielsen Smartphone Analytics Report, 2016
17. KPMG FICCI Media and Entertainment Industry Report 2016
18. Google Trends
19. IDC Shipment data 2016
20. SaaS for Global Audience; A study by Accel & Google, 2016
21. Operator Quarterly Report, Hindustan Times
22. Google BCG Digital Payments Report, 2016
23. Google Internal Search Data, 2016. DGCA, Phocuswright India Consumer Travel report 2016
24. Phocuswright India Consumer Travel report 2016
25. Google Internal Search Data, 2013-16
While this report talks of various companies and industries, it only relates to information and insights based on data from Google products. Unless
otherwise specified, all statistics are based on analysis of internal Search queries data and YouTube Usage Data in 2015 & 2016. Joint reports by
Google cited in this Playbook are independent market reports and are not influenced by any party. Data from search queries used in this Playbook is
based on searches done by users independently on Google. Google doesn’t take any responsibility of the publically available data cited in the report.

60. For more information, please contact your
Google Relationship Team.