How AI is reshaping content & audience engagement in India

India’s digital economy, now among the fastest-growing globally, is driving innovation in AI for media and entertainment. The session featured Shweta Bajpai, Group Director – Finserv, Media, Travel and Services, Meta India; Bharath Ram, Chief Product Officer, JioStar; and Siddharth Shekhar, Head of Industry for Tech, Media & Telecom, Google India.

Language diversity as a global AI playground

Siddharth Shekhar highlighted India’s linguistic diversity as a unique advantage for AI innovation. “Google has always been India-first, from non-buffering YouTube on low-end phones to launching YouTube Shorts here first. Last month, we introduced Google AI mode in Hindi,” he explained. He detailed how complex dialects — for instance, five variations spoken in Muzaffarpur, Bihar — inform AI training. Projects like Bhashini and Project Vani, conducted with institutions like IISc Bangalore, aim to collect, transcribe, and make language data accessible for developers, students, and creators nationwide.

“Language defines culture and identity for every individual,” he added, underlining the importance of localised AI solutions.

Hyper-personalised entertainment discovery

Shweta Bajpai spoke about AI’s role in diversifying content discovery on platforms like Instagram. “Many times, our stated preferences show up in people we follow or the content we like. But our non-stated preferences — like a video you lingered on — are equally powerful. AI uses both to predict what you might enjoy next.”

Using features like catalog ads, AI tailors content recommendations to match an individual’s tastes. “For instance, someone urban and English-speaking might be shown Sharp Objects rather than Big Boss. This ensures discovery is more diverse, not everyone watching the same content,” she explained.

Bajpai also highlighted AI’s contribution to small businesses: “You don’t need a hoarding or a big TV slot anymore. You can create a small shop on Instagram, interact with users, and reach a national audience.” This approach helps creators sustain engagement beyond a single viral moment through platform stickiness, brand love, and transparent metrics.

AI Driving Local Innovation and Inclusive Growth

Bharath Ram of JioStar stressed the advantage of building AI solutions in India. “Working with homegrown talent lets us deliver bespoke solutions for local markets. Teams can iterate quickly and ship solutions fast without waiting for central approvals,” he said.

Shekhar added that AI is democratising access at scale, with applications in government initiatives for agriculture, healthcare, and education. He cited YouTube’s AI-enabled creator tools, which automate thumbnail selection and optimize engagement. “In the last three years, YouTube has given out ₹21,000 crore to creators of all sizes, fueling a chain reaction of micro-entrepreneurs,” he said.

Challenges and opportunities

Language remains both the greatest challenge and opportunity. “India’s diversity means technology must solve for hundreds of dialects and languages,” Shekhar noted. Across platforms, AI not only personalizes content but also ensures transparency, combats creative fatigue, and enhances advertiser ROI. Bajpai highlighted that over 50% of content users see on Instagram is AI-recommended, boosting engagement by 6-7% across the platform in the last six months.

The panel concluded that AI is enabling more inclusive content, empowering creators and small businesses, and reshaping media consumption in India. 

From hyper-personalised entertainment to AI-driven monetisation and local innovation, the discussion illustrated how technology is defining the future of storytelling in the country.