What kept India scrolling in 2025: Instagram’s Year-in-Review reveals the trends that ruled the feed

Instagram’s 2025 Year-in-Review is out, offering a snapshot of what shaped India’s online culture this year, from cricket-fuelled celebrations and global cultural crossovers to nostalgia-driven trends, lo-fi aesthetics and micro-moments that kept the nation endlessly scrolling.

If 2025 felt like a year of constant cultural churn, Instagram’s year-end report confirms it. Major events arrived in rapid succession, each commanding attention before swiftly being replaced by the next. Through this turbulence, Indian culture not only dominated feeds at home but also continued its steady march across global stages.

Cricket dominated India’s feeds

Cricket remained the country’s biggest cultural engine on Instagram. India’s Champions Trophy victory triggered a nationwide wave of celebration online, while RCB’s long-awaited triumph set off the viral chant “Ee Sala Cup Namdu.” Virat Kohli’s emotional exit from Test cricket became one of the most-discussed sporting moments of the year, and the Indian women’s cricket team’s World Cup win added another high point to cricket conversations.

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Kolhapuris at Coachella, and India at the Met Gala

Indian cultural influence travelled far in 2025. Rapper Hanumankind took the Coachella stage, while stars such as Shah Rukh Khan, Kiara Advani and Diljit Dosanjh represented India at the Met Gala. Luxury brands embraced the traditional Kolhapuri chappal, and tracks by A.R. Rahman found new life on international runways.

At the same time, global pop culture swept effortlessly into India. Ed Sheeran’s tour, the viral Nicki Minaj pose, and announcements involving Taylor Swift and Cristiano Ronaldo all became major moments of engagement for Indian audiences.

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Nostalgia and lo-fi aesthetics ruled the feed

Nostalgia continued its stronghold, with renewed affection for Wake Up Sid, Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani’s Bunny, and songs like “Nadaan Parinde” and “Shehar Mein.” Alongside this, the lo-fi digital camera aesthetic surged in popularity, shaping carousels and reels for Gen Z and young adults across the country.

Faces that captured Instagram’s imagination

Several individuals unexpectedly went viral. These included the Mahakumbh attendee who drew comparisons to the Mona Lisa, the young boy whose pronunciation of “croissant” as “Prashant” became an online moment, and the Kolhapur mehendi artist who recreated Rihanna’s wedding look. Sudhanshu Shukla’s journey to the International Space Station, the first Indian to do so in 40 years, also became a widely celebrated achievement.

Comedian Samay Raina and the show India’s Got Latent stayed constantly in conversation, indicating their enduring grip on digital pop culture.

Micro-moments that kept India scrolling

Beyond major events, everyday viral trends defined much of the year. These ranged from the ‘langdi’ hook step by actor Veer Pahariya and the loud debate over a 90-hour work week to snippets from Shark Tank India Season 4 and a Coldplay concert clip that drew massive attention.

Other trending moments included the “fake wedding” party craze, the internet’s fascination with Labubus, the glowing turmeric skincare wave, Parineeti Chopra’s “meri body main sensations” dialogue from Hasee Toh Phasee, the ubiquitous “Vishal Mega Mart” meme and the rise of ultra-wide 5120×1080 thin reels.

Instagram’s 2025 review suggests that Indian users shaped — and reshaped — cultural conversations at a striking pace this year. With sports, nostalgia, global fandoms and meme culture all accelerating simultaneously, the platform offered a real-time lens into the trends that defined how India shared, posted and expressed itself in 2025.