“Their voice is their megaphone.” The budding creator economy of India is already immense in scope, but a new evolution is happening in its midst, and it is a discreet one. Podcasts are not a fringe anymore, and more like the next big thing. Leading this sound revolution are the new-age podcast stars of India: creators who are reinventing the very definition of influence, story by story, and not selfie by selfie.
Welcome to a quiet revolution, where short-form noise is being outwitted by long-form ideas and the way that India is listening, learning, and leading.
The Indian podcast Wave Takeoff
India, the sluggard in terms of podcasting, has become the third-largest podcasting market in the world, posting 150 million-plus active listeners in the year 2023 itself. Industry estimations indicate that the market (which is worth USD 0.62 billion at present) will grow to USD 2.6 billion by 2030, surging on a tidal wave of mobile internet connectivity, regional content, and social media discovery.
It contains the influence of the form of its privacy, a voice speaking directly to you. As opposed to the fast framing of imagery, podcasts stimulate a more thorough look. Short clips are currently becoming viral on Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts, so podcasting now has an effective marketing companion in social media.
Meet India’s Leading Podcasters
Although audio entertainment is a major industry with celebrities and news organisations broadcasting programs, it is the creator masses who are bringing about the cultural transformation:
- Raj Shamani: A business podcaster and influencer whose show is called “Figuring Out” and has interviewed such names as Bill Gates and Vijay Mallya. His entrepreneurship, combined with his emotional message, attracts the young Indians who want to find more than just a profit.
- Rapid Rashmi: Rapid Rashmi is the host of the Kannada-English podcast, Just Curious, which combines gossip about celebrities, wellness, and social causes all at once.
- Amish Tripathi: Top-selling writer, cultural commentator, and creator of the book Immortal India, with Amish, which combines mythology, history, and contemporary affairs in his story format.
- Aarthi Ramamurthy & Sriram Krishnan: This techpreneur couple has a show that explores startups, Silicon Valley, and cross-cultural identification and appeals to both the Indian audience and the NRI.
- Manav Subodh: He has a podcast called Big Small Talk where he talks about youth innovation, social change, and civic issues, and makes his listeners leaders.
These talents are transforming the environment in the influencer market, depth over drama, faith not fads.
A Digital Symphony
The podcast platforms are not the only ones to be blamed: it is the social media that is making these voices turn into stars.
A minute of a long episode, a 60-second snippet of a celebrity quote, a punchline of a debate, or even a hard truth is now ubiquitous on Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, and Twitter (X). It is in this way that listeners are finding new voices and creators finding new listeners.
When Vijay Mallya junked a clip of his interview with Raj Shamani, it went viral- becoming the centre of political heat, meme-fests, and even making it to the television screens.
And that is the magic because when a podcast feels slow, it is going viral.
The Opportunity and the Hurdles
The creator economy in India is exploding- it has more than 3.5 million content creators by now. However, close to 90 per cent of them do not make full-time money with their content. The same can be said about podcasts.
Monetisation models include:
- Brand sponsorships
- Affiliate links
- Live events or workshops
- Merchandise
- Premium content or paid episodes
Stable income is also a hardship, though, especially when a web maker or mobile developer lacks both a studio and a platform. Also, there is the upcoming regulation, especially when it comes to the classification of influencers or wellness content, rather than influencers, as there can be destructive waves of misinformation or flawed claims.
Why India’s Youth Is Listening Differently
What’s behind the popularity?
- Authenticity: Unlike over-edited videos, podcasts feel raw, honest, and less filtered.
- Trust: When someone listens to your voice for 30+ minutes, regularly, the bond is real.
- Depth: Podcasts give space for nuance. They’re not fighting the algorithm; they’re fighting for attention spans—and winning.
The overall base of listeners in both metros and Tier-2 cities says that they relate more emotionally to the podcast hosts as compared to traditional influencers. It is as though you have a mentor and not a celebrity.
And although the creators of the podcast are not necessarily in line with the actors or cricketers, they are still more loyal. There is a pattern of replay of an episode. Fans binge. They return.
More Than Just a Mic
The rise of podcast influencers shows how India’s internet is maturing.
- From quick visuals to thoughtful voices
- From dopamine scrolls to sustained focus
- From hype to honesty
And as music streaming platforms such as Spotify, YouTube, Kuku FM, and Aawaz invest heavily in vernacular content, the up-and-coming generation of podcast superstars may have an accent that sounds like Hindi, Tamil, Bangla, or Bhojpuri, or even Hinglish.
It is not the noise that comes with this revolution. Nonetheless, it is long-term.
Final Thought
The creators preferred silence and words in a digitised, noisy world. It is not to go viral that they speak to go viral; they speak to be heard.
Thus, the second time you scroll a podcast piece, do not succumb. Hit play. It may surprise you to learn that your next favourite influencer does not speak loudly; instead, they speak.