Is India’s Next Pop Culture Revolution Coming From Creators?

The NSCI Dome roared as YouTube Fanfest 2025 unfolded into a living, breathing celebration of entertainment and fandom culture. For one night, India’s biggest creators weren’t just behind the screen but on stage, proving the event’s tagline true: the stage is yours.

This year’s lineup featured the  who’s who of the creator economy, ranging from Sanju Rathod, Aaditya Kulshreshth, Payal Gaming, GamerFleet, Lisa Mishra and RJ Karishma, to name a few. Architects of a new kind of fame, they are pioneering both short-form virality and long-form storytelling. Together, they embodied India’s “orange economy,” a digital ecosystem rewriting the rules of entertainment. With 2.5 million active creators across cities and small towns, India has become one of the fastest-growing creator communities globally. And YouTube, with 460 million users in India, is its beating heart. For these stars, fan funding, virtual gifting, and brand partnerships were only part of the business. What mattered most was authenticity, the ability to connect with audiences, whether through a 30-second clip or a 30-minute set.

Among the standout voices at this year’s Fanfest was Marathi pop sensation Sanju Rathod, known for hits like “Shaky” and “Gulabi Saadi.” During rehearsals, he previewed his upcoming track “Sundari,” confidently rating it “a solid 10/10.” For Rathod, music and content are inseparable in today’s creator economy. “When I’m conceptualizing a sound, it’s always a combined audio-visual effort—one cannot exist without the other. He noted how musicians, who were previously associated with just playback singing, are now on the center stage, amplifying their voice and identity via ever-changing social media platforms.

YouTube Shorts, he added, had been key to reaching wider audiences: “It is heartwarming to see children and grandparents both enjoy my music.” His story mirrors that of a generation raised on YouTube—drawing early inspiration from Honey Singh, experimenting with mix-mastering, and learning production through trial and error. “Time shows its flaws, and one must learn from them as creators,” he reflected, crediting those lessons for his current success.

On the comedy flipside was stand-up comedian, writer and actor Aaditya Kulshreshth—better known online as “Kullu” or “Writer OP.” Over the years, he has carved out a persona as the internet’s quirky younger cousin, narrating his offbeat adventures with a mix of warmth and mischief. For him, the formats may change, but the goal remains the same: to create a sense of belonging, mirroring the comfort of hanging out with friends. “Even with formats like Tanmay Reacts, there’s always an effort to provide happiness, even if it be through short-form content,” he said.

In a media landscape often defined by the male and female gaze, Kullu has embraced what he calls the “friendly gaze,” drawing in audiences as varied as ghazal enthusiasts and cricket fans. A decade into his stand-up career, his comedy has grown alongside his community. “Our audiences are looking for glimmers of escapism, something that puts a smile on their face. If I could be that outlet, then I believe I’ve done my part,” he reflected.

When it comes to the business of comedy, Kullu is quick to credit the tightly knit support system among comics. “As comics, we lend accessibility of resources to one another. I can reach out to my peers to discuss anything—from ticket sales for specials to monetization tips. Some of the finest people, who also happen to be fans of the craft, are well-versed in the business and our temperament.” His expectations extend to the larger creator ecosystem as well. “It’s great where it’s at right now. However, we as creators need to up our game. However much we deny it, we are opinion shapers, and that responsibility of delivering well-informed content lies with us. Knowing is power, and it’s pivotal in nurturing our dynamic with our audience.”

Lisa Mishra, who first began uploading covers to YouTube back in 2007, approaches her journey with nuance. “I view being a creator and an artist through the same lens. The process of creating, be it scripting, acting out a bit—is your idea, your intellectual property, making you the artist,” she said, challenging the assumption that musicians spend all their time locked in studios. For her, experimenting with short-form visual content is as much about honing artistry as it is about reach.

At the same time, Mishra acknowledged how identities can blur in the creator economy. “There’s a third descriptor, the elephant in the room that kind of separates being a creator or an artist: influencer,” she said. Her fans have grown alongside her, watching her evolve from singing onstage to  on-screen roles in Call Me Bae and Royals. “The audience today also has autonomy of buying into this intimate process. Having a fanbase necessarily does not end up with a by-product of fame. They get to choose their heroes.”

She is quick to empathize with audiences’ short attention spans: “I have poor attention span myself. Making microcontent not only reduces your timelines as a creator, but improves your overall efficiency.” What once involved writing, composing, and mixing a single song has become a process of testing snippets, releasing shorter pieces, and offering audiences more access in real time.

On technology, she remains pragmatic. “As long as we’re not using it to replace human behavior, we’re good. I personally use AI to simplify processes, break down administrative stuff or technical jobs, that I am not the expert at. It shouldn’t be doing the creation or creative thinking for you.”

The gaming world at Fanfest was also represented by two of India’s most popular names: GamerFleet (Anshu Bisht) and Payal Dhare, better known as Payal Gaming. Dhare, one of the country’s top female gamers, thrived on versatility, be it through cosplaying characters from Arcane or creating beauty and lifestyle content. She credited her adaptable nature and team of editors for tailoring short-form videos with hooks and CTAs that worked seamlessly on YouTube Shorts. “Through my lifestyle and beauty-related partnerships, I create personality-driven content that appeals to non-gaming audiences too,” she said. Not one to be bound by a single niche, Dhare hinted at ambitions for reality TV and music videos, eager to expand her creative footprint.

Anshu Bisht, meanwhile, spoke about his deep passion for the evolution of livestreaming in the Indian context. “Through digitization, the pandemic and games such as PUBG and Fortnite, streaming became more accessible to the local public,” he explained. He also drew comparisons to global opportunities, pointing to companies like Twitch reportedly signing creators like iShowSpeed with $600 million deals. While India is still catching up, Bisht has built a balance between creative passion and business acumen. “I love adding personal touches to all my brand collaborations and partnerships. When they take a bet on me as a person, I aim to give it my all, hoping that the results and units make both me and them satisfied.” For trusted brands, he even went the extra mile with unpaid shoutouts and bonus stories, but he also wished for more creative freedom. “Standard campaigns sometimes have a lot of back-and-forth, with restrictive guidelines and integrations that feel forced. It would be great if brands could take a chance on the creator and trust their creative vision.”

RJ Karishma (Karishma Gangwal) added a theatrical dimension. From her OTT show Find The Farzi to scripting and performing every role in her nine-episode micro-drama series Bright Bhavishya Loading, she showed how creators could seamlessly wear the hats of writer, actor, and producer. “Earlier, there was more emphasis on self-written, original content. Although I am a little partial to the older generation, today we have trends that make regular production easier,” she reflected. For Gangwal, it is the act of writing and embodying her characters that continues to spark joy, even as trends shift.

She also pushed back against preconceived notions that creators can’t act. “We’re in a highly competitive space with so many talented artists fighting for a finite number of eyeballs. There’s a pre-conceived notion, too, that creators aren’t good actors. However, creators such as Prajakta Koli and Viraj Gehlani have proved that we too can do marvels on OTT and the big screen.” She spoke of friends who had trained in acting workshops, eager to show their craft. “I can’t wait to see more creators in acting projects—you’ll be surprised by what they have to offer!” Looking ahead, Agarwal envisioned creators building marquee brands, producing web shows, landing larger roles in films, and staging ticketed live events. “Even via brand positioning, PR and partnerships, I strive to reach my people by making them laugh,” she added.

Taken together, YouTube Fanfest 2025 made one thing clear: the future o f the creator economy is in capable hands. What was once dismissed as a side hustle has grown into a thriving industry shaping India’s cultural landscape. From RJs to gamers, musicians to comics, creators are united by an instinctual drive to tell stories, whether through thirty-second clips or long-format videos. As India’s top voices continue to raise the bar, the future of entertainment looks less like polished studio floors and more like laptops and phones in the hands of those who dared to hit “upload.”