What Indians are watching on Reels in 2026: Instagram reveals top content categories

Key points

• As short-form videos increasingly gain influence due to rising viewership, a new Meta-commissioned study has revealed the content categories attracting the most attention from Indians.
• The study was conducted by IPSOS and compiled data from over 4,000 respondents across 23 cities and rural areas.
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• As per the study, beauty and makeup and fashion and trends were the most engaged categories, with 52% of viewers engaging with Reels on those topics.
• Meanwhile, lifestyle and fitness videos followed with 42% engagement, while comedy videos had 39% engagement, sports had 38%, and travel had 37% engagement.