Instagram tops user attention, North India favours Tinder; Gaming up by 30%: Lumikai
Users in South also spend the most time on interactive media platforms (Instagram, Music, OTT etc.) clocking in at 1.6x the baseline usage, compared to 1.3x in the West, and just 1x in the East and North
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Lumikai, the media and gaming VC fund, has officially released its consumer survey report titled, “From Swipes to Stories: India’s Interactive Media Consumer Unlocked" at WAVES 2025. With a respondent pool representing all geographies and demographics, the report was presented by Salone Sehgal, Founder and Managing Partner, and Aditya Deshpande, Vice President at Lumikai.
Lumikai’s report reveals how new media platforms are driving a lean-forward, participatory experience, leading to the rise of the new age media consumer.
Key findings highlighted the growing gender diversity in gaming communities, with 44% of players now being women, up from 41% the year prior. This shift, coupled with the fact that 66% of players hail from non-metro cities, reshapes India’s interactive entertainment landscape, with a broader, more inclusive audience, validating the country's emergence as a tier-2+ interactive entertainment powerhouse.
• In the South, 77% of users pay for interactive media services, compared to just 51% in the North.
• Users in South also spend the most time on interactive media platforms (Instagram, Music, OTT etc.) clocking in at 1.6x the baseline usage, compared to 1.3x in the West, and just 1x in the East and North.
• Social media is the top alternate entertainment category across all regions, with platforms like Instagram dominating user attention.
• Interestingly, dating apps (such as Tinder) rank as a top three entertainment apps, only in the North, suggesting a unique regional preference for dating platforms there.
• Gaming now consumes 13 hours per week on average (up by 30% since FY23), nearly double the time spent on social platforms.
• 99% game on smartphones; consoles and PCs are niche (only 21–30% in any region). Yet, data consumption, ads, and hardware issues are top blockers.
• Primary motivations for gaming in India are relaxation (75%), social connection (51%), and self-expression (45%), placing gaming on par with music and storytelling as a form of emotional release and creative outlet.
• Only 32% make in-game purchases immediately after installation. But within a week, 56% of users convert to paid models via microtransactions.
• Top motivators to pay include unlocking new levels (50%), improving performance (49%), and ad-free experiences (48%).
Commenting on the report launch, Salone Sehgal, Founder and Managing Partner, Lumikai, said, “One of the report’s most defining conclusions is the evolution of the Indian user from player to creator. Interactivity has emerged as the core currency of engagement, and platforms that enable connection, competition, and expression will lead this next chapter. It is deeply meaningful to have presented the report at WAVES 2025, a global stage that reflects our shared vision for India as a global powerhouse in new media and gaming. It is evident how India is building its own interactive entertainment paradigm where UPI-powered microtransactions meet mobile-first storytelling. With improved access and infrastructure, India’s interactive media market touched $12.5 Bn in FY24, driven by vernacular content, microtransactions, and social gaming experiences that resonate with Bharat's cultural fabric.”
Doubling down on interactivity as the way forward, Aditya Deshpande, Vice President, Lumikai, said, “The report delineates how the opportunity to build lasting value in India’s interactive media ecosystem lies in building sustainable, culturally resonant models. These are ecosystems where monetization aligns with user psychology, discovery is inherently social, and localization drives depth of engagement. For developers, this means designing experiences that optimize for low-data usage and micro-transactional access. For investors, it means backing models that prioritize long-term retention over viral spikes. And for policymakers, the signal is clear: gaming is no longer peripheral. Interactivity is the language, and systems of play are the engines driving this economy forward.”
