YouTube Launches Premium Lite in India at ₹89 per Month

YouTube announced on September 29, 2025, that it is expanding its low-cost "Premium Lite" subscription pilot to India, aiming to grow its subscriber base in the country. This move is part of the platform’s broader strategy to diversify offerings as subscriptions emerge as a key growth driver.

Pricing and Features

Priced at ₹89 per month, YouTube Premium Lite allows users to watch ad-free videos in categories like gaming, comedy, cooking, and educational content. However, ads will still appear on music content, music videos, and Shorts. Unlike full Premium subscriptions, users cannot play videos in the background or download them for offline viewing. The service is expected to roll out across India in the coming weeks.

Why Premium Lite?

YouTube first introduced Premium Lite in March 2025, piloting it in markets such as the United States. The tier is designed to provide an affordable entry point to ad-free video streaming, supporting YouTube’s growing subscription revenue.

YouTube is also piloting a two-person subscription tier in India, France, Taiwan, and Hong Kong, allowing users to share their Premium or Music Premium memberships with another household member. In India, the two-person Premium subscription is priced at ₹219 per month, while the shared Music Premium plan costs ₹149 per month during the pilot.

For context, standard YouTube Premium plans in India start at ₹89 for students, ₹149 for individuals, and ₹299 for families. Music Premium plans start at ₹59 for students, ₹119 for individuals, and ₹179 for families. All subscription tiers saw a price hike of 12–58% in August 2024.

YouTube’s Global Subscriber Base

As of March 2025, YouTube crossed 125 million subscribers globally across Music and Premium services. Alphabet, YouTube’s parent company, has surpassed 270 million paid subscriptions, driven by YouTube and Google One. Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai revealed that YouTube’s revenue exceeded $50 billion for the first time over the past four quarters.