Instagram's Year-in-Review 2025 is here: What shaped India's feed?
What's the story
Instagram has unveiled its Year-in-Review 2025 report, highlighting the cultural moments and conversations that defined India's digital landscape this year. The platform observed a year of rapid trends, major pop-culture events, and crossovers between global and local cultures. Cricket continued to be a major talking point on Instagram with India's Champions Trophy victory sparking widespread celebration across the platform.
Cultural impact
Cricket and cultural milestones dominate India's digital landscape
RCB's iconic chant "Ee Sala Cup Namdu" became a meme as fans celebrated their long-awaited win. Virat Kohli's retirement from Test cricket and the Indian women's cricket team's World Cup victory were also major talking points this year. These events highlight how deeply cricket is ingrained in India's cultural identity on Instagram, driving conversations and engagement among users.
Global influence
Cultural exchange and global fandoms
The Year-in-Review report also highlights a rise in cultural exchange in 2025. Indian artists and celebrities made their mark on the global stage, with Hanumankind performing at Coachella and Shah Rukh Khan, Kiara Advani, and Diljit Dosanjh attending the Met Gala. Luxury brands adopted Kolhapuri chappals while A.R. Rahman's music continued to make waves on international fashion runways.
User engagement
Nostalgia and aesthetics
Nostalgia played a major role in shaping Instagram culture. Users revisited movies like Wake Up Sid, characters like Bunny from Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani, and music from Rockstar. The lo-fi digi-cam aesthetic gained popularity among Gen Z and young adults across reels and carousels.
Viral content
Viral personalities and moments
Several individuals went viral this year, including the Mona Lisa girl at Mahakumbh, Ayush who mispronounced "croissant" as "Prashant," and Sonali, the Kolhapur mehendi artist who recreated Rihanna's wedding makeup. Shubhanshu Shukla became the first Indian in 40 years to visit the ISS, generating massive engagement on Instagram. Comedian Samay Raina was also among the most talked-about personalities on the platform due to conversations around India's Got Latent.
Daily trends
Everyday viral moments drive engagement
Instagram also noted that everyday viral moments contributed significantly to user engagement. These included actor Veer Pahariya's 'langdi' hook step, debates over the 90-hour work week, Shark Tank India season 4 highlights, a Coldplay concert clip from India, fake wedding party trends, Labubus fascination, and the glowing turmeric trend. Other notable mentions were actor Parineeti Chopra's "meri body main sensations" clip and Vishal Mega Mart memes.