In 2020, we were surprised to see a new feature launched by YouTube called YouTube Shorts but what we didn’t know is that this was not launched in Europe or the US; instead, India was the first country to be chosen by YouTube to roll it out.

Here we are going to look at the reasons why India first?

1. The TikTok ban

TikTok was banned in India somewhere in the middle of 2020. Before that TikTok had single-handedly dominated the short video space and had huge control in this market.

However it suddenly disappeared. YouTube saw the gap and therefore launched Shorts in India.

2. Massive smartphone user base in India

India became the perfect ground to test for short-form video content; similarly  India is also large in the smartphone market in the world. People used to rely on the phone not just for communication, but also started becoming addicted to short content videos due to the craze over TikTok.

Ultimately, YouTube Shorts got the golden opportunity

3. Creators community.

As there were people, young, creative, and energetic who loved making videos; in fact because of the TikTok ban they desperately wanted more platforms and wanted the opportunity to showcase their talent.

Therefore YouTube Shorts gave them one.

4. India is a diverse country.

In India, we have different languages, cultures, and styles of entertainment.
Without a doubt, the diversity of India makes it a testing ground for YouTube Shorts as YouTube could see how the feature performs with different types of audiences.

Globally, whether it would perform or not it was somehow dependent on India’s response.

5. YouTube’s relevance.

YouTube was already popular in India but it wanted to be relevant and attract new users as people like to try new things and it wanted the audience to be engaged. There was already a craze for short-format videos;

Thus YouTube updated and brought a new exciting feature in the form of YouTube Shorts.

Conclusion

India became the perfect launchpad for YouTube Shorts; the TikTok ban has created a huge gap in the short video market, and YouTube smartly filled that. With millions of smartphone users, the hunger of content creators for the platform, and cheap data, India had everything YouTube Shorts needed to succeed. It was an ideal trusting ground because of the diversity of language, culture, and entertainment. YouTube Shorts entered India and has now become a global success.