Instagram Reels has now completed five years in India, and Meta is celebrating the milestone with some big claims. The company says Reels has become the most preferred short-video platform in the country, even overtaking TV and OTT in daily viewing.
Meta commissioned a survey with Ipsos, covering over 3,500 people across 33 cities. The findings suggest that 92 percent of respondents prefer watching short videos on Reels over any other platform. What Meta did not reveal, however, is which competitors were part of this survey. Without naming rivals like YouTube Shorts or Moj, these claims feel a little one-sided. Still, there is no denying that Reels has managed to dominate attention in India.
The survey also showed that 97 percent of people watch short-form videos daily, compared to 83 percent who watch TV. This shows how quickly habits are shifting. For younger users, Instagram has replaced traditional television as the go-to place for quick entertainment. OTT platforms, despite the hype, still lag behind — with only 43 percent of people watching them daily. Short videos have clearly become a part of everyday routine, and that is something TV or OTT has struggled to match.
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Meta is also highlighting the impact of Reels on creators and brands. It claims that Reels drives 33 percent higher engagement than other platforms, with categories like fashion, beauty, and music performing especially well. That is believable, since Instagram has always been strong in those areas even before Reels existed. For brands, the report claims that Reels ads deliver better recall and stronger brand impact compared to long-form ads. If advertisers are seeing better results, it makes sense that more businesses are now focusing on short-form campaigns.
But it is not all positive. Short videos might dominate today, but the format is also prone to fatigue. Scrolling through endless similar clips can quickly feel repetitive, and that could push users away in the future. Creators also face challenges. While Reels brings engagement, many still feel monetisation is not as rewarding as YouTube. And when it comes to competition, YouTube Shorts is still a serious threat because of YouTube’s massive reach and established creator ecosystem.
Even with those challenges, Instagram Reels has become a cultural force in India. From viral trends to brand discovery, it now plays a central role in how people consume content. Meta’s claims may sound a bit self-serving, but the overall direction is clear — Reels is shaping entertainment in ways TV and OTT simply cannot. Whether it can hold on to this lead depends on how Meta keeps users engaged and creators motivated. For now, though, Reels is clearly sitting at the top of India’s short-video space.
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