Bharat - The Neo India

&
Index

INTRODUCTION 03

FOREWORD 04

RISE OF BHARAT 06

DECODING THE BEHAVIOURAL PATTERNS OF BHARAT 10

BHARAT’S DIGITAL PRESENCE: MYTHS V/S REALITY 15

KEY FINDINGS 22

ADDRESSING BHARAT – A CHECKLIST 23

SHARECHAT – THE TORCHBEARER FOR BHARAT 27

METHODOLOGY 39
 Introduction

We acknowledge that India has witnessed a digital revolution in the past few
years, becoming the second largest internet user base, only next to China. As current context.
the entry barriers reduced with a decline in the cost of data and technology
access; the ecosystem evolved to make its way for newer internet users who
Contrary to the common perception, this group is spread uniformly between
would prefer to use the internet in Indic languages. Language enablement of
big cities and smaller towns and across economic strata. They have an
social media, increased investments on localized content and introduction of
appetite for experimenting with technology and lifestyle products and most
short video platforms led to a paradigm shift – The Rise of Bharat – the Indic

With this segment becoming larger, more addressable, and imperative for the
with Group M commissioning YouGov as their knowledge partner for a primary
growth of brands; it’s essential that we dive deeper to understand who they
survey and Kantar as their knowledge partner for Indic language urban

choices.
for everyone who is keeping an eye on this ever evolving space of internet in
India.

Understanding India Vs Bharat

India – Social media users who prefer English as Bharat - Indic language active urban internet
their main language for using social media. users.

Bharat – Social media users who prefer Indic

languages as their main language for using social
media.
 Foreword

It is important to get a deeper understanding of Bharat. This report

Ajit Varghese, Bharat - The Neo India, is an attempt to delve deeper into the user
behavior, lifestyle choices and interests of Bharat, and also break some
ShareChat & Moj common myths associated with the persona of this non-metro,

The last two years have been game-changers for the digital and social
The ease of using Indic languages online has translated into Bharat’s
adoption, social media and short video adoption especially from
non-metros is 2X of that. Advertisers and publishers echo the same
observation in terms of increased transactions and user growth metrics. becoming Bharat’s social commerce companion. User-generated
The next 3 years will be the years to see Bharat shift gears and accelerate
this growth not just in terms of user adoption but also in terms of
consumption metrics, commerce metrics and driving India’s economic communicate in Indic languages to the end consumers.
growth.
Bharat audience is no longer just about being labeled as ‘potential
The Indian digital space is on a high growth trajectory with more than audience’ or ‘untapped potential.’ It is the current growth frontier and
approx 800 mn internet users. Today, we are closer than ever to the reality
that 1 billion Indians will be online soon. This growth in internet users is aspirations, it would be a missed opportunity for brands to overlook this
also fueling the growth of Indic language users online. While it may seem
that this trend is only visible in rural India, almost 50% of urban active which will enable marketers to make informed decisions to drive
internet users are also Indic language users, whom we refer to as Bharat. business growth.
 Foreword

and are continuing to see a great appetite for the online world. This
Prasanth Kumar, report is a great treasure to understand where and how India and Bharat
CEO, Group M are progressing and how brands and marketers can see an opportunity
South Asia to reach out to Bharat. Group M is delighted to have partnered with
ShareChat for this insightful report and we are certain that this will

India is a country that is witnessing a massive change in its digital plans.

ecosystem. Social media usage, consumption, and online behaviour have
revolutionized the word ‘internet’ for us. The power of digital, the power of
the internet, and the power of language have changed India’s usage and
consumption habits.

Not only the urban consumer but even the rural consumer has an
increased purchase and consumption habit. We are a country full of
curious and loyal consumers. Words like data, the internet, social media,
social commerce, brands, television, smartphones, have changed the
world for us. This change is not only across cities but across various pop
strata. Our country is diverse and has Indic languages across the region.
Consumers in the country are fragmented and display their own sets of
consumer behaviour traits bringing their own set of challenges and
opportunities. It is India and Bharat both, that is seeing an enormous
development in various walks of life.
 Rise Of Bharat

496 Mn
49%
341 Mn

167 Mn

Source: Kantar ICUBE

1
Bharat: Urban internet users who prefer Indic languages
Preference for Indic language grows as Strong presence in towns in the middle
we move away from the top metros of the population spectrum
Bharat on Social Media

39% 21% 19%

27% 30%
53%
20%
Source: YouGov Study for ShareChat, Dec 2021 34% 40 Lakhs+
Mohalla Tech Private Limited claim based on research conducted by YouGov, [3432, Male:Female::65:35, NCCS A:B::81:19]
10-40 Lakhs
32% 1-10 Lakhs

16% Less than 1 Lakh

Overall* Source: Kantar NICS 2021

23 Town Class

Bharat has a higher male skew 48% Overall 42%

users* users*

52% 58%

Source: Kantar NICS 2021

https://www.thehindubusinessline.com 3economictimes.indiatimes.com 4Census 2011

2
 Overall* `
Overall*

30% NCCS A 33% 18% Illiterate / Std I -IX 15%

33% NCCS B 47% SSC / HSC /

34% 45%
Some College

37% 33% 35% Graduates / 39%

NCCS C
Postgraduates

Source: Kantar NICS 2021

Source: Kantar NICS 2021
 Bharat is brand aware and brand loyal
preferences as overall internet users Bharat exhibits a stronger loyalty to brands it prefers. It is also
Bharat’s choices in leisure activities are similar to those of India. more socially conscious when buying products and services.

Visit Restaurants 26%

29%

Visit Shopping 50%

Tend to stick to brands they like 110%
Mall
54%
Pay extra to personalize products
that suit them 105%
Visit Festivals, 21%
Cultural / Social Overall*
Events 23%
Buy products from the company
Source: Kantar NICS 2021
that gives back to society 105%

Source: Kantar NICS 2021

Jogging / Running 11%

13%

Walking / 25%
Brisk Walking
27%

Yoga 13%
Overall*
18%

Source: Kantar NICS 2021

Decoding the behavioural
patterns of Bharat
From entertainment to information, Bharat is moving online
Bharat, just like its India counterparts, turns to the online medium for its entertainment, shopping, and food. With increasing digital penetration
and accessibility of services even in remote corners, Bharat is mirroring India in its online behaviour.

Top online activities that keep Bharat and India engaged

INDIA BHARAT

Listening to music 61% 37%

Shopping online 54% 36%

Streaming free videos / Movies 53% 33%

Watching / Reading the news 49% 30%

Ordering food 42% 24%

Streaming on subscription based websites / Apps 40% 24%

Learning about something new 38% 25%

Source: YouGov Study for ShareChat, Dec 2021

Mohalla Tech Private Limited claim based on research conducted by YouGov, [3432, Male:Female::65:35, NCCS A:B::81:19]
 Wading through the sea of apps

Most engaged app categories across Bharat and India

62% 52% 47% 46% 39% 33% 32%

Social Music Entertainment Shopping Video / Games Education /

Media Photo Learning /
Productivity

32% Reading / Books 21%

Games

35% 24%
Travel

News 28% Health / Fitness 18%

31% 23%
Food and Health and
drinks
Food / Drinks 24% Travel 14%

28% 21%

India Bharat

In certain categories, Bharat drives higher engagement and traction.

Source: YouGov Study for ShareChat, Dec 2021 Mohalla Tech Private Limited claim based on research conducted by YouGov, [3432, Male:Female::65:35, NCCS A:B::81:19]
Social media - A platform to express Bharat’s emotions
Bharat is more open to expressing online. Bharat tends to create and share more content on social media compared to India.

Social media activity

Bharat 29% VS 22% India

Posts content at least once a day

Bharat 21% VS 17% India

Posts content 4-5 times a week

Bharat 33% VS 32% India

Shares content atleast once a day

Source: YouGov Study for ShareChat, Dec 2021 Mohalla Tech Private Limited claim based on research conducted by YouGov, [3432, Male:Female::65:35, NCCS A:B::81:19]
 Entertainment is one of the top
content categories
Comedy and Music are preferred genres.

87% 86%
Comedy Music
Source: ShareChat Consumption, 2021

Social media gives wings to Bharat’s

buying aspirations

buying decisions.

37% 39%
Social Media TV

37%
E-commerce
Source: YouGov Study for ShareChat, Dec 2021

Mohalla Tech Private Limited claim based on research conducted by YouGov, [3432, Male:Female::65:35, NCCS A:B::81:19]
Bharat’s Digital Presence:
Myths v/s Reality
 Myth 1: Bharat spends lesser than India

Bharat indulges in online retail therapy Where Bharat spends its money
Like India, Bharat spends heavily on gadgets and clothing & Another indicator of Bharat’s willingness to spend is their
accessories. Bharat is increasingly buying gadgets online, with this consumption of key categories online.
percentage growing year-on-year.
Snapshot of top consumption categories by Bharat
% of Bharat that bought gadgets online

37%
46%
Food

Source: YouGov Study for ShareChat, Dec 2021

Source: Understanding India's Next Billion Internet Users, 2020
Mohalla Tech Private Limited claim based on research conducted by YouGov, [3148,
Research report by Mohalla Tech Private Limited, conducted by Nielsen
Bharat is catching up with India in paid subscriptions

Percentage of consumers using paid video streaming services daily

Bharat 27% VS 29% India

Source: YouGovStudy for ShareChat, Dec 2021

Mohalla Tech Private Limited claim based on research conducted by YouGov, [3432, Male:Female::65:35, NCCS A:B::81:19]

Reality:

a sizable portion of its income on making lifestyle purchases.

Staying updated with social media
Bharat uses social media as its primary news consumption platform, and prefers it more than both print and TV combined.

Top 5 sources for Bharat to stay updated with news and latest events

39% 19% 13% 20% 6% 3%

Social TV Family / Friends Digital content / Print Radio

Media News websites /
Apps
Source: YouGov Study for ShareChat, Dec 2021

Mohalla Tech Private Limited claim based on research conducted by YouGov, [3432, Male:Female::65:35, NCCS A:B::81:19]

Bharat is adopting new technologies

that aid convenience
26% of Bharat prefers to use voice search compared to 15% of India.

Tier 1 and 2 cities are primarily driving the adoption of voice search.

Source: YouGov Study for ShareChat, Dec 2021

Video streaming rules the roost
Like India, a larger percentage of Bharat streams free video online daily than watch TV daily.

Snapshot of top sources of daily content consumption

INDIA BHARAT

Free Video Streaming 62% 50%

TV 51% 47%

Print 36% 35%

Streaming Audio 35% 32%

Paid Video Streaming 29% 27%

Radio 16% 23%

Source: YouGov Study for ShareChat, Dec 2021

Mohalla Tech Private Limited claim based on research conducted by YouGov, [3244, Male:Female::65:35, NCCS A:B::81:19]

Reality:
Bharat has evidently mastered the use of the internet. Social media is an indispensable part of its life. Social media
Myth 3: Bharat is traditional about its payment methods and investments
Whether it’s how it shops or what it invests in, Bharat is anything but traditional. It is adept at using UPI for transactions and, in fact, has a lead
over India in terms of net-banking and debit cards transactions. UPI is also the most preferred mode of payment for Bharat for online shopping.

Payment modes used multiple times a week

INDIA BHARAT

Cash 67% 60%

UPI 65% 56%

Mobile Wallet 56% 49%

Mobile Banking 44% 44%

Net Banking 36% 41%

Credit card 35% 38%

Debit card 33% 27%

India Bharat

Source: YouGov Study for ShareChat, Dec 2021

Mohalla Tech Private Limited claim based on research conducted by YouGov, [3432, Male:Female::65:35, NCCS A:B::81:19]
Bharat’s investment portfolio

preferring to invest in mutual funds over traditionally ‘safe’ 1 in 5 from Bharat invests in Cryptocurrency

Low barriers to usage, combined with increasing digital

portfolio with new, dynamic investments like cryptocurrency. penetration and ease of investing seem to have pushed
this new investment avenue to Bharat.

Snapshot of top investments currently owned

INDIA BHARAT INDIA BHARAT

Mutual Funds 49% 47% E-gold 16% 17%

Fixed deposit (including recurring deposit) 52% 41% PPF 17% 14%

Insurance 56% 45% NPS/NSC 11% 12%

Cryptocurrency 24% 21% ULIP 10% 12%

Direct Stocks 19% 17% Bonds 12% 15%

Source: YouGov Study for ShareChat, Dec 2021

Mohalla Tech Private Limited claim based on research conducted by YouGov, [3432, Male:Female::65:35, NCCS A:B::81:19]

Bharat is ahead of India when it comes to investing in ULIP, bonds, and e-gold, clearly indicating their underlying appetite for diverse investments.

Reality:
Bharat has embraced modern payment methods as well as new-age investment instruments.
Key Findings
Addressing Bharat – A Checklist
Create campaigns that connect with Bharat

Speak in their language

When it comes to designing campaigns, it’s important to respect the target audience’s preferences as Bharat is language-heavy
in its internet and media consumption. Instead of simply translating the material, brands must create inclusive, impactful assets
to build relatable experiences so users can interact with the brand in a way that is natural and familiar. Brands can connect better
with their current users and new audiences when they speak the same language by using Indic-language ads and
accommodating their preferences with language enabled landing pages.

Respect cultural nuances

Brands must weave each region’s peculiarities and cultural uniqueness into their communication. For example, as we observed

platforms, hence content and media choices should be made accordingly.

the same for precision targeting. Choosing the right platforms, targeting parameters, user journey and end actions customized
for the region can drive best results.

Be consistent
As regional social media remains a key touch point, it’s important for the brand to activate at a regional /hyperlocal level. Creating

Dynamic creative optimization for paid digital push and co creation with partner platforms to utilize regional nuances seamlessly
would help accelerate engagements with incremental returns.
Choose the right platform

coming from relatable faces can be seen as proof of brand promise. Brands must plan for a continuum of regional social content,

meaningful conversations around the brand. Channelizing social media content to drive online shopping experiences should be
looked at as a top priority to drive a seamless user experience.

Paid push for salience

As video is the most consumed format for Bharat, creating custom video edits in languages and presence on regional OTT and
social video feeds can help drive discovery and frequency augmentation. With the emergence of short video platforms, brands

as voice based ads, ASMR provide a canvas for continual storytelling.

Commerce

imminent purchases online in regional languages. Hence, simple upgrades can be made to address active prospects such as
capping language search terms in search marketing and creating Indic commerce ads with product USPs that matter more to

As this segment is key for the growth of many brands, content to commerce interventions on regional social platforms can now
Measure what matters
As the campaigns are designed, the right KPIs must be chosen to get the best measure of attainment. With evolution of language enabled
environments and programmatic buying, most brands addressing Bharat can now plan for all the objectives through the funnel, ranging from reach
& frequency through transactions on social commerce.

Brand awareness

Engagement

Conversion
`
ShareChat – The Torchbearer
For Bharat
Bharat’s preferred social media destination Entertainment is top-of-mind for
ShareChat users
ShareChat’s users love entertainment – movies, songs, trailers
or scenes – in sync with the average social media consumer.

Most active genres for ShareChat users

180 Mn 92 Bn+
Monthly Monthly Average daily time
active users video views spent by users

Source: ShareChat Consumption, 2021

ShareChat users are active social media users who access

social media at least once a day.

% of users active on social media

At least once a day 97%

100%

Total Users ShareChat Users

Source: Millward Brown Study Mohalla Tech Private Limited claim based on research conducted by MIllward Brown [1233, Male: Female::52:48, NCCS A:B:C::44:44:12]
Apps that keep ShareChat users engrossed
ShareChat users are equally active on app categories such as online grocery shopping, sports updates and online video streaming as social media
users in general.

ShareChat users vs social media users

Online Sports Online video

grocery 45% vs 40% updates 33% vs 30% streaming 54% vs 52%
Mohalla Tech Private Limited claim based on research conducted by MIllward Brown [1233, Male: Female::52:48, NCCS A:B:C::44:44:12] ShareChat users Social Media users

Driving engagements across the nation

Top states for ShareChat

Sharechat is a great platform to reach Indic

Tamil Nadu 16%
language users with interactive and immersive
Maharashtra 13% creative formats. Airtel used the platform to
target vernacular users and was able to deliver
Andhra Pradesh / Telangana 13%
far higher engagement rates across their
Karnataka 10% campaigns.

Uttar Pradesh 10%

Archana Aggarwal,
VP - Media, Airtel

Source: ShareChat Consumption, 2021

A video is worth billions of views

Bharat is hooked to videos on ShareChat. This is evident from how users generated a massive 1000 Bn+ views in 2021.
Videos especially see a remarkable uptick during festivals and major events.

ShareChat TV (SCTV) allows users to enjoy longer-duration

it enables the discovery of clips, shows, and vlogs from users’

favourite creators. Available in six languages, SCTV features To ensure realme gets maximum reach,

News, Sports, and Entertainment - thus covering the major ShareChat was roped in as our partner looking

video consumption categories online.

and communicating to users in their local
language. A wide variety of content was
created which resonated well with the core TG.
This helped realme getting 1% CTR and 30%
Monthly Video 2 Bn lower CPM during festive sale. The vernacular
Views and growing

towards the brand and product.

Manish Rana,
Head Media Buying and
Performance Specialist,
realme
Donning the creative hat
ShareChat’s rich User Generated Content (UGC) highlights how the network brings out the creative side of Bharat. Users are
particularly creative during festive times, mostly while wishing their dear ones.

32 Mn+

75 Mn+
While the mass media did a brilliant job of
Source: ShareChat Consumption, 2021 campaign awareness, ShareChat played a very
crucial role in building consumer engagement

a tremendous response with over 5000+ UGC.

The language feature of ShareChat helped
Kurkure engage with the audience in their own

for the brand.

Avinash Choudhary,
Associate Director,
Customer Marketing,
PepsiCo Beverages
Connecting with Live Audio Chatrooms

ShareChat’s Chatrooms is an audio-based platform for users to form social connections. Users joins Chatrooms
based on its interests and has engaging conversations often leading to lasting friendships. The ability to send
virtual gifts to fellow participants enhances the interactive experience and translates into stronger bonds. A
notable aspect of ShareChat’s Chatrooms is its massive scale. With more than 3 lakh users tuning in for a single
session and a peak concurrency of more than 1 lakh users*, Chatrooms is arguably India’s largest live audio
interaction platform.
Source: Shikhar Dhawan Live audio session, October 2021

leveraged ShareChat Cricketer Shikhar Dhawan joined ShareChat’s live audio

Chatroom and interacted with fans to promote his movie Chatroom session during the T20 cricket season.
“Bell Bottom”.

150 K+ Total 300 K+ Total

Users Users

50 K+ 100 K+
Users Users
319 K+ Total Users

126 K+
 ShareChat Solutions

Results

6 Mn +
Objective

ShareChat became a key partner in getting our

brand message across the Bengali-speaking
audience. With Indic content through
Brand's Ask
ShareChat, we established a better connection
with the audience to make Godrej Expert Rich
Crème the go-to-brand to get festive ready.

Pankaj Singh Parihar,

VP & Head - Digital & Digital
Transformation, GCPL
 Results

0.8 Mn + 6.7 Mn +
video views on creator ads
Objective

69.7%
VTR

Brand's Ask

It was interesting to engage with the ShareChat community.

The creator videos enabled a direct connection to enhance
the campaign's objective to engage in a conversation to
bust category myths and encourage trials. Given that a
ShareChat Solutions
huge set of creators have come up in the last few months,
this was equivalent to channelizing their thought to deliver a

and the precision of delivery is commendable.

Jaikishin Chhaproo,
ITC spokesperson
 ShareChat Solutions

Results
Objective

600 Mn views
Brand's Ask

334K UGC videos

 ShareChat Solutions

Results
Objective

115 Mn+ 569 K+

views clicks
Brand's Ask

160 K+
shares
 ShareChat Solutions

Results
Objective

32.4 Mn

Brand's Ask
 Methodology

Primary Research Methodology

media content in English vs. other Indic languages in India. The study was based on 3,432 online surveys conducted across 17 Indian states to
understand their behaviour and usage patterns. Only those respondents who posted/consumed content on social media at least once a week

Primary research was also undertaken by Millward Brown Market Research Services India Pvt. Ltd. (a Kantar Group Company) to understand

amongst 1233 respondents, conducted December 2021, amongst 16- 40 year old individuals from NCCS A, B or C who use social media apps
for entertainment at least once a week in 11 cities.

Mohalla Tech Private Limited claims based on research conducted by YouGov, [3432, Male: Female::65:35, NCCS A: B::81:19] and Millward
Brown Market Research Services India Pvt. Ltd. (a Kantar Group Company) [1233, Male: Female::52:48, NCCS A:B:C::44:44:12]

Knowledge Partners
Connecting Brands with Bharat

https://ads.sharechat.com/ [email protected]