Gen Z in India to lead key trends on Instagram in 2024

New Delhi, Dec 4

Gen Z in India will lead the key trends on Instagram next year, from prioritising careers to being super on point with meme preferences, and exploring a variety of food flavours, the Meta-owned company said on Monday.

In various realms, including food, beauty, and fashion trends, Indian Gen Z have shown a heightened inclination to embrace and explore emerging trends, according to the ‘2024 Instagram Trend Talk’ insights.

"Indian Gen Z's upbeat and entrepreneurial spirit stands out as they eagerly explore new interests and trends across different domains. Their dedication to chosen fandoms and commitment to self-improvement shine through distinctly in these insights,” said Paras Sharma, Director of Content and Community Partnerships, Meta India.

“While in many aspects, Indian Gen Z’s are similar to their global peers, these trends also show specific areas where they are different and unique,” Sharma added.

From ayurvedic ingredients to vegan products, plant-based meats and adaptogens, GenZ in India are most excited to try diverse food and ingredients.

In 2024, Gen Z in India have ranked staying healthy, exploring career paths, and traveling as their top priorities. However, in contrast to other nations, Gen Z in India exhibit a stronger focus on their career pursuits, the Instagram report mentioned.

About 43 per cent in India hoped that 2024 will be their self-improvement era! The year when they will invest in their personal growth and development.

“As compared to other countries, Gen Z in India also believe starting your own business is the best way to achieve wealth,” the findings showed.

About 44 per cent of Gen Z in India are interested in DIY (do-it-yourself) and wearing clothes in unexpected ways.

“A fourth of GenZ said their favourite beauty trend is getting a new hairstyle,” the report said.

Virtually every Gen Z in India aligns with a specific fandom, ranging from music aficionados like the BTS army, Swifties, AR Rahman, Shreya Ghoshal, and Anirudh, to gaming enthusiasts invested in Minecraft, Fortnite, Call of Duty, and Roblox. Sports-wise, their affiliations span the Indian Cricket Team, Barcelona, Real Madrid, Royal Challengers Bangalore, and Chennai Super Kings.

“Nine out of 10 GenZ in India consider themselves part of a fandom. India has the highest percentage of sports superfans, as compared to Gen Z from other countries,” said the report.