YouTube Pilots Premium Subscription Plan For INR 89 Per Month In India

In a bid to better monetise its presence in India, streaming giant YouTube has introduced a cheaper version of its subscription plan.

Priced at INR 89 per month, YouTube Premium Lite will offer users ad-free access to a wide range of content across devices including smartphones, laptops, and smart TVs. However,ads would still appear for Lite users while scrolling through YouTube Shorts. 

In a blog post today, the company has been testing Premium Lite to ensure the right balance of features and benefits under the plan. The rollout of the subscription plan is currently underway, with full availability expected across the country in the coming weeks.

It said that the expansion of YouTube Premium Lite to India comes as its subscription programs YouTube Music and Premium have reached over 125 Mn subscribers globally.

“Since launching YouTube Music and Premium, we’ve focused on giving subscribers a variety of ways to enjoy their favorite content, and Premium Lite is the latest step in that evolution. YouTube Music and Premium, and the expansion of Premium Lite, also continue to create additional revenue opportunities for our creators and partners,” it said.

The standard YouTube Premium costs INR 149 per month for individuals and INR 299 per month for a family plan, while students get it at INR 89 per month. Meanwhile, YouTube Music Premium starts at INR 119 per month for individuals, INR 179 for families, and INR 59 for students.

YouTube’s decision to launch its affordable Premium Lite subscription in India directly leverages the platform’s massive user base in the country, which is now the largest globally. Important to mention that India held its highest user base in 2025 at 491 Mn, almost double to YouTube’s audience from the US in the year.

With its new plan, it bids to address the Indian market’s preference for low-cost digital services while catering to viewers who have so far relied on the free, ad-supported version. 

To capitalise on its user base in the market, the streaming major announced plans to invest over INR 850 Cr in India over the next two years to support local content creators, artists, and media firms. It was a part of YouTube’s push to deepen its presence in India, which YouTube CEO Neal Mohan described as a “creator nation”. 

Back then, he had said over 100 Mn Indian channels uploaded content last year, and 15,000 of them now have over 1 Mn subscribers — up from 11,000 a few months ago. Mohan also said Indian content clocked 45 Bn hours of global watch time last year. 

Last year, YouTube introduced a shopping affiliate programme for creators to diversify their earnings and for viewers to discover products through the creators.