India’s app downloads rebounded to 25.5 billion in 2025, fueled by AI assistants and microdrama boom

India is simply a state of extremes erstwhile it comes to app usage. The state continues to apical planetary app downloads, but doesn’t diagnostic successful the apical 20 markets successful presumption of user spending, according to a caller study by marketplace quality steadfast Sensor Tower. India was 1 of the lone markets successful the apical 10 to spot downloads turn year-on-year successful 2025, too Pakistan, the study found.

After downloads declined successful 2024 to 24.6 cardinal from 2023’s 25.9 billion, India bounced backmost successful 2025 with 25.5 cardinal app downloads.

Number of App Downloads Image Credit: Sensor Tower

People were besides much engaged, acknowledgment to AI and microdrama apps, arsenic clip spent successful apps roseate from 1.13 trillion hours successful 2024 to 1.23 trillion past year, according to the report.

Number of hours spent by users Image Credits: Sensor Tower

When it comes to class growth, societal media, societal messenger, and information apps dipped. Meanwhile, AI assistants, microdrama apps, video editing apps, societal discovery, and nutrient and transportation apps roseate (largely due to the fact that of the emergence of ultra-fast market transportation services).

Short play app downloads grew by implicit 350 cardinal successful the country, and AI assistants grew by 346 cardinal downloads, which is besides reflective of the planetary trend.

Users successful India downloaded generative AI apps 198 cardinal times successful 2024. Unsurprisingly, that fig jumped to 602 cardinal successful 2025. First, companies similar OpenAI and Google launched caller representation models that saw the request for AI assistants grow exponentially successful India.

Image Credits: Sensor Tower

Second, multiple AI companies started offering their premium plans for escaped to Indian users to summation marketplace share.

ChatGPT was the apical generative AI app successful presumption of downloads, followed by Google Gemini, Perplexity, and Grok. OpenAI’s adjunct besides gained rankings successful wide downloads and was conscionable down Instagram successful presumption of downloads.

Image Credit: Sensor Tower

Microdrama was different class that roseate successful 2025, some globally and successful India. Kuku TV, QuickTV (by the makers of societal web ShareChat and abbreviated video app Moj), and DashReels were first, fifth, and eighth successful the video streaming category.

Kuku TV, whose genitor institution raised $85 cardinal successful a Series C circular past fall led by Granite Asia, besides got the 4th ranking successful the class globally. In November, ShareChat co-founder Manohar Charan told CNBC that implicit 40 cardinal users were watching microdrama contented connected its Quick TV platform. Industry experts person already predicted that India’s microdrama marketplace could scope tens of billions of dollars by 2030.

Image Credits: Sensor Tower

A cardinal indicator for the category’s emergence was that aft the 3rd 4th of past year, users successful India downloaded much abbreviated play apps than OTT streaming apps similar Netflix and JioHotstar.

In India, the home app manufacture seems to beryllium rising arsenic the stock of downloads from section players roseate from 33.91% to 36.52%. However, this emergence could beryllium owed to radical downloading much apps related to speedy commerce, authorities services, and concern alternatively than amusement and different integer products, arsenic the stock of gross from in-app purchases for home publishers remained flat.