In a digital landscape once defined by the dopamine hit of viral clips and impulsive clicks, the Indian consumer has undergone a profound psychological shift toward deep, intent-driven discovery.
According to the 2026 ‘India in Search’ report by Kantar, AI has officially shed its skin as a futuristic novelty to become the foundational infrastructure of the Indian internet. By analyzing Google search data of 1.4 billion 1.4 billion between January and December 2025, the study reveals a country operating within a self-reinforcing digital flywheel where search data feeds retail platforms, trends dictate content, and AI recommendation engines bind the entire ecosystem together.
This shift is most visible in the staggering 154% year-on-year growth in AI-related queries, which now average 235 million searches monthly. Soumya Mohanty, Managing Director at Kantar South Asia, notes that AI has become the silent partner in decision-making, acting as the primary lens through which 1.4 billion people navigate the tensions between aspiration and anxiety.
This evolution marks the rise of the ‘Intent Economy’, where the “impulse buy” has been replaced by the “informed search”. Nowhere is this more evident than in the beauty sector, which saw 131 million monthly searches. Rather than chasing fleeting aesthetics, consumers are prioritizing “medicalized” skincare and science-backed efficacy.
This demand for precision extends into the home, where parents are building digital fortresses for Gen Alpha; searches for safe search filters rose 241%, while Android parental controls and Google’s Family Link jumped 124% and 22% respectively. Even faith, one of India’s most enduring forces, is undergoing a technological makeover. Religion is being personalized and consumed on demand, evidenced by a 400% surge in searches for Mahabharat AI and an 83% rise for Gita GPT. Cultural shifts are also breaking traditional moulds, seen in the 100% jump in searches for female pandits for weddings and a 267% spike in Navratri gift queries.
Intentional Shift
Kantar’s proprietary TrendEvaluate framework further distinguishes these long-term megatrends from transient fads. While interest in ‘Ghee coffee’ plummeted by 64%, high-intent categories focused on ‘capability building’ saw significant gains. Searches for metabolic health and longevity grew by 54%, and the concept of aging is being reinvented as a period of active independence. This is reflected in a 324% surge in searches for strength training for the elderly and a remarkable 1,043% increase in queries for senior-friendly smartphones like the ‘iPhone senior’.
Simultaneously, a counter-movement toward ‘slow joy’ is emerging as an antidote to algorithmic speed. This turn toward tactile creativity is highlighted by a 22% rise in Lego searches and an extraordinary 122,000% jump in searches for homemade dog treats. Indians are also reclaiming the physical world, with ‘escape rooms near me’ rising 49%, live music queries climbing 124%, and ‘coffee rave parties’ surging 540%.
The workplace and personal identity are also being renegotiated on more deliberate terms. Searches for Karl Marx rose 123%. Public engagement with psychological self-understanding has deepened, with searches for neuro-divergence up 50% and borderline personality disorder jumping 421%.
In the professional sphere, workers are balancing anxiety with ambition; ‘job hugging’ searches surged 2,300%, while searches for micro-retirements gained 800% and occupational burnout queries rose 86%.
Despite this exhaustion, the drive for upskilling remains high, with a 49% increase in searches for AI and machine learning courses. For brands, these findings serve as a strategic compass.
In an environment where quick commerce searches have risen 61% due to a demand for hyper-convenience, static advertising is no longer enough. To remain visible, brands must move at the velocity of search and integrate into an ecosystem that values empathy, intelligence, and cultural precision.
As Mohanty suggests, search data remains “the most honest signal of the national mood”, revealing a India that is increasingly intentional, conscious, and complex.