The Swipe Before Type Generation: How India Is Rewriting The Rules Of Attention

The average Indian spends 10 hours a week on social apps. But they’re not merely scrolling, they are interacting and transacting.

The last decade of India’s digital story was defined by access. The next will be defined by immersion and agency.

A generation that once streamed, scrolled, and watched — now swipes, creates, and pays. The average Indian smartphone user spends more time interacting with content than ever before, turning every idle moment into an act of participation.

This is the story of India’s new attention economy.

From Lean-Back to Lean-Forward

According to the Lumikai Swipe Before Type 2025 Report, India’s interactive media universe has shifted from passive consumption to participatory engagement.

Nearly 80% of users consume more than 1GB of data each day, and more than two-thirds come from non-metro regions. Digital immersion has gone mainstream, powered by affordable smartphones and frictionless payment rails.

Across categories, users spend six hours per week watching videos, eight hours gaming, and ten hours engaging on social apps. But the format of engagement is changing faster than ever.

Short-form video now leads all other content formats, with 41% of users preferring it over long-form OTT. Meanwhile, one in five users watches microdramas, i.e. short, episodic 5-10 minute stories designed for in-between moment,s which have taken the world by storm.

What hypercasual did for gaming, TikTok did for social media, and now microdramas are doing for video. The next wave of entertainment is no longer scheduled; it’s ambient, participatory, and low friction.

India’s Pay-First Moment

The long-held belief that “Indians don’t pay” no longer holds. The Lumikai report shows that consumers across every interactive category are now spending and spending frequently.

• Nearly 44% of video users pay for content, led by OTT and microdrama platforms. 
• 57% of audio users pay for podcasts, music, or audio series. 
• 43% of social users purchase virtual gifts, subscriptions, or creator tips. 
• And one in three gamers makes in-app purchases, with more than half of them paying within their first week of install.

At higher ticket sizes above INR 1,000, games dominate with a 70% share of wallet. Video and social platforms lead mid-range spends between INR 200 and INR 500.

India’s digital consumers value frictionless, rewarding experiences that offer identity, status, or community in return.

The Rise Of The Participatory Consumer

Social media in India has become less of a feed and more of a feedback loop.

While Facebook and Instagram still lead in usage, real growth is being exhibited on active social platforms like Eloelo, Astrotalk and Snapchat. 

Users now spend over ten hours each week on social media, with a growing preference for interactive, live, and creator-driven formats.

Nearly 40% of these users have made virtual purchases or tips. Even spiritual and emotional categories are seeing a digital transformation. One in 10 Indians uses astrology or spiritual tech apps daily, seeking comfort, advice, and real-time connection. Spirituality-on-demand is now an emergent trend.

Gaming: India’s Playground Economy

Gaming remains India’s most engaged and diverse form of interactive media.

Women now make up 45% of the gaming population, with the largest segment aged 18 to 30. Most of them are based in non-metro towns. India is still predominantly mobile-first, with 97% of users gaming on their phones, but tastes are maturing.

Now, 30% of gamers have access to a gaming PC, and 22% have access to a console. Players juggle two to three games at any given time, driven by the need to relax, socialise, and progress.

Monetisation in gaming is also deepening. 33% of gamers pay for in-app purchases (IAPs), with purchases largely for cosmetic upgrades and power-ups.

More than 90% of gaming payments are made via UPI or wallets, underscoring the seamless integration between play and pay. 

While engaging in RMG was a dominant behaviour for Indian consumers, in light of recent government bans, there is user migration from RMG to free-to-play games (e.g. BGMI, Free Fire) and other video and audio interactive social platforms (e.g. StoryTV, Astrotalk, Kuku TV, etc). 

The Investor Lens

For founders and investors, this shift signals a profound market readiness. Today’s digital Indian doesn’t just consume content. They co-create it.

Interactive consumers represent a vast market, validating new business models built on engagement, community, and emotion.

They binge microdramas between meetings, tip creators during livestreams, and buy digital identities inside games. The gesture that defines them — the swipe is more about the way of being than merely convenience.

As the Lumikai Swipe Before Type 2025 Report notes, India’s digital evolution marks a shift from reach to revenue.

Thus, for builders and investors, the opportunity is clear. Building for interactivity is ever more critical for a consumer who seeks immersion and personalisation.

Additionally, deep monetisation design, engagement loops that connect a user and product, and a design that prioritises retention will be critical to capturing this new-age consumer.

The next generation of Indian consumers will be collaborators – shaping, sharing, and spending their way into the world’s most participatory digital economy.