India's internet story has two chapters. The first chapter — roughly 2016 to 2022, accelerated by the Jio revolution — brought 600 million people online. Most of them lived in or near cities, had some English education, and consumed a mix of Hindi and English content.
The second chapter is happening now. The next 300 million Indian internet users are coming from smaller cities, rural areas, and linguistic communities that have almost no history of English media consumption. They speak Bhojpuri, Maithili, Chhattisgarhi, Marwari, Santali, Gondi, and dozens of other languages alongside — or instead of — Hindi.
The platforms they use will be the same. The content they need will be fundamentally different.
Who Are the Next 300 Million
India's internet expansion has not finished. JioPhone Next and similar ultra-affordable devices are reaching populations that were previously priced out. 4G and 5G infrastructure is rolling into districts that were on 2G until recently.
These new internet users have specific characteristics:
Lower English proficiency. Unlike India's first wave of internet users, who were concentrated in cities with English-medium education, the next wave is from Hindi-belt villages, tribal regions, and linguistic minority communities. English is not their media language.
Vernacular-first consumption habits. Their first encounter with the internet is in their native language. Content in Hindi or English may be accessible at a functional level, but it does not create the emotional engagement and habitual consumption that native-language content does.
Underrepresented in current content. A Bhojpuri speaker in Gorakhpur, a Maithili speaker in Darbhanga, and a Santali speaker in Jharkhand are all actively using YouTube. The content ecosystem for their languages is in its earliest stages.
The Languages of the Next Wave
Beyond the eight major regional languages that already have developing YouTube ecosystems, the next tier of vernacular languages includes:
| Language | Speakers | Location | YouTube Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bhojpuri | 50M+ | UP, Bihar, Jharkhand | Some music content; educational gap |
| Maithili | 34M | Bihar, Nepal Terai | Minimal content |
| Chhattisgarhi | 18M | Chhattisgarh | Very minimal |
| Rajasthani | 80M+ | Rajasthan | Minimal formal content |
| Dogri | 4M | Jammu region | Minimal |
| Santali | 8M | Jharkhand, Odisha, WB | Minimal |
| Konkani | 2.5M | Goa, coastal Karnataka | Small ecosystem |
Bhojpuri in particular is notable — spoken by over 50 million people, it has a significant film industry and music culture, but a nearly absent YouTube educational and informational content ecosystem.
Why Vernacular Content Is a Long-Term Investment
Vernacular languages present a different opportunity than the major regional languages. The audience is large but developing its digital habits now. The creator who builds a quality Maithili educational channel or a Bhojpuri personal finance channel in 2026 is not competing with an established ecosystem — they are building the ecosystem.
This is a longer road to scale than entering Tamil or Telugu today. But the position established at the beginning of an ecosystem is categorically different from the position available to a new entrant once the ecosystem matures.
The Platform's Role
Google and YouTube have both stated publicly that vernacular languages are a strategic priority. YouTube has launched Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu language support in various features over the past few years; Bhojpuri, Rajasthani, and other major vernacular languages are natural candidates for similar treatment as the user base expands.
Platforms follow their user base. As vernacular speakers become a larger share of India's YouTube audience, the recommendation systems, search features, and creator tools will be optimised for them. Creators who are already present when this optimisation happens will benefit disproportionately.
The Content That Matters Most
For vernacular language audiences in their early digital lives, the highest-value content is practical:
- Agricultural and rural livelihood guidance
- Government scheme and benefit information
- Health and first-aid information
- Basic financial literacy
- Job skill development
These are not glamorous content categories. But they serve audiences with genuine needs that no one else is meeting — and those are the audiences that become the most loyal.
Make your content available in vernacular Indian languages →