Gen Z in India has shifted gears, from prioritizing careers to being super on point with meme preferences, and exploring a variety of food flavors. They’re totally leading the trend game, as per our 2024 Instagram Trend Talk insights. 

In December, it’s our tradition to unveil the trends from the passing year. In the past, we’ve rolled out reports covering wide trends or honing in on specific platforms, such as Reels. However, this time, we’re shaking things up by sharing insights that spotlight how Gen Z will influence culture in 2024, much like their impact on Instagram trends this year. 

“The Instagram Trend Talk previews the trends expected to surface on Instagram in 2024, driven by Gen Z’s active pursuit. 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. And, 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.” – Paras Sharma, Director of Content and Community Partnerships, Meta, India

Our insights are derived from a survey* carried out by the trend forecasting firm WGSN and Instagram, spanning the United States, UK, Brazil, India, and South Korea. The survey covered questions on Gen Z perception of work, relationships, fashion, beauty, food and social media, in the context of the upcoming year. Here are some insights from GenZs in India. 

India Is A Trend-Setter

In various realms, including food, beauty, and fashion trends, Indian Gen Z have shown a heightened inclination to embrace and explore emerging trends.

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

Gen Z In India Are More Career Oriented

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.

• 43% 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! 

Meme Taste Matters

The primary methods to connect with someone on Instagram include sending them a meme, liking their feed posts, and interacting with their Stories.

• Actually, your meme preferences hold more weight than you realize. Nearly a third of Gen Z respondents in India picked ‘bad taste in memes’ as their top turn-off!

‘What Jhumka?’

Among various regions, Indian Gen Z demonstrates a greater enthusiasm for creatively showcasing fashion trends. This highlights the growing popularity of trends like GRWM (Get Ready With Me) and thrifting, where creators ingeniously integrate products into their content. Examples include DIY approaches featuring ‘sarees‘ and ‘jhumkas‘.

• 44% of Gen Z in India are interested in DIY (do-it-yourself) and wearing clothes in unexpected ways. 
• A fourth of GenZ said their favorite beauty trend is getting a new hairstyle. 

Most Gen Zs In India Belong To A Particular Fandom

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.

• 9 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. 

GenZ’s Want Relatable Content

Be it from celebrities, athletes or creators, what Gen Z want most is relatability. This holds true globally, as it does in India. Specifically for Indian Gen Z, in 2024 they look forward to more content with – life advice, more everyday ‘day-in-the-life-of’ content and content about their professions! 

To add to or contribute to this discussion on how GenZ will influence global culture in 2024, follow #IGTrendTalk and #IGTrendTalkIndia. 

*This was a quantitative survey of ~5,000 Gen Z respondents across India, Brazil, South Korea, the United Kingdom and the United States.