Google’s year in search shows what captures India’s curiosity in 2025

New Delhi: Google has released its Year in Search 2025 report for India, outlining how the country used Search during a year marked by rising interest in artificial intelligence, cultural events, sports, entertainment and practical utility queries. 

The company also rolled out a series of new Search features in India this week, including Gemini 3 in AI Mode, Nano Banana Pro (Gemini 3 Pro Image) and Virtual Apparel Try On.

The company said 2025 marked a significant shift in how people used Search, with longer queries, multimodal questions and AI-supported interactions becoming mainstream. India was one of the first markets where the updated AI Mode, powered by Gemini 3, became available.

A transformative year for AI-driven Search

Google noted that AI Mode usage expanded substantially, with people relying on Gemini-powered reasoning for complex questions across education, comparisons, creative tasks and step-by-step explanations. Nano Banana Pro, introduced in India this week, allows users to generate and edit images, design prototypes and create infographics through AI Mode.

Virtual Apparel Try On, now available through Google Search and Google Shopping, allows users to test how clothes look on their bodies by uploading a photo. The company said the feature uses an AI model trained to understand fabric drape, stretch and movement.

Other innovations introduced in 2025 include Lens in AI Mode, AI Mode in Circle to Search, Search Live in AI Mode and natural-language Flight Deals, all designed to support conversational or visual interactions.

Across the list, search behaviour reflected a mix of cultural participation, entertainment consumption, and practical needs. Interest in the Maha Kumbh placed it at the top of news events, while Nano Banana-related prompts dominated AI creativity trends. Operation Sindoor was widely searched following the Pahalgam attack, with people monitoring official statements and live updates.

Travel interest surged for Phu Quoc, which recorded its highest-ever search volume, alongside favourites such as the Philippines, Phuket and Pondicherry.

Celebrity interest remained strong, with Ranveer Allahabadia among top trending personalities and Saif Ali Khan leading entertainment personality searches. Regional icon Zubeen Garg also trended following his death.

On the entertainment front, Squid Game topped show-related searches, while curiosity for Sunita Williams’ extended mission kept the astronaut among the top trending women.

Food searches reflected both tradition and global influence, with Thekua, Ukadiche Modak, and classic Idli trending in recipe lists. Yorkshire pudding also surfaced as a popular recipe query.

Children, parents and collectors drove searches for Labubu, which became the year’s top trending toy. Viral culture continued to dominate online behaviour, with the “67 meme”, the Arjun Kapoor meme and the Vishal Mega Mart security guard meme all trending.

Sports remained a major driver of search behaviour. The Indian Premier League retained its position as the top overall search of the year, while the Women’s World Cup, India Women vs South Africa Women, and other women’s cricket matches featured prominently in trending lists. Jemimah Rodrigues led the women’s personalities list, followed by Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma.

Teenage cricketer Vaibhav Suryavanshi emerged as the #1 trending personality of 2025.

New ways of searching: Visual, complex and conversational

Google said visual searches increased 70% globally, with India recording the highest number of Google Lens users. The company expects AI-supported search formats to continue rising as people adopt multimodal tools that handle images, text, audio and live video input.

NotebookLM-generated summaries, audio overviews and Nano Banana Pro-generated visualisations were used to present the Year in Search insights in multiple formats for the first time.

Overall, India’s Year in Search reflects a shift towards AI-supported exploration, cultural engagement and practical day-to-day queries. Whether tracking live news events, planning rituals for the Maha Kumbh, decoding dating terminology, experimenting with AI image prompts or learning recipes, users turned to Search for both depth and immediacy.

Google said the year marked a point where AI moved from hype to everyday utility, changing how people interact with information across the country.

A to Z: What India searched in 2025

Google’s A to Z breakdown captures the wide range of curiosity shaping the country’s search behaviour.

• A – Aneet Padda & Ahaan Panday: Breakout stars of Saiyaara, the #1 trending movie; title track was the most hummed song.
• B – Bryan Johnson on Nikhil Kamath’s podcast: Top trending podcast; a mid-show walkout sparked discussions on air quality.
• C – Ceasefire: #1 trending “meaning” query, showing interest in global events and understanding news topics.
• D – Dharmendra: Cinema legend, #10 Top Overall Search and #2 News Event, honoured across generations.
• E – Earthquake near me: Top “Near Me” query, reflecting practical search needs and local alerts.
• F – Final Destination & Floodlighting: International film trends and emerging dating search trends.
• G – Google Gemini: AI tools became everyday companions; Gemini #2 Top Overall Search, driving exploration and creativity.
• H – Haldi Trend: Organic wellness phenomenon, turmeric water emerged as a notable non-AI trend.
• I – Indian Premier League: Cricket dominated trends; IPL 2025 #1 Top Overall Search and Top Sports Event.
• J – Jemimah Rodrigues: #1 Top Woman personality; breakout year for women athletes in cricket.
• K – Kantara: South cinema fascination; #2 Top Movie search reflecting India’s linguistic diversity.
• L – Labubu: Viral collectable and toy trend; “What is a Labubu?” spiked in searches.
• M – Maha Kumbh: #1 Top News Event; searches for “Kumbh Mela itinerary” also led Travel trends.
• N – Nano Banana Trends: AI-powered creativity; Gemini 2.5 Flash Image model drove image editing trends.
• O – Operation Sindoor: Top news search following Pahalgam attack; reflected national solidarity.
• P & Q – Phu Quoc: Rising travel destination; highest search interest, alongside Philippines, Phuket, Pondicherry.
• R – Ranveer Allahabadia: Top trending personality; high engagement with creators and celebrities.
• S – Squid Game & Sunita Williams: Entertainment and space exploration trends; K-dramas remained popular.
• T & U – Thekua, Ukadiche Modak: Cultural recipes dominated, celebrating Indian culinary heritage.
• V – Vaibhav Suryavanshi: Teenage cricket sensation; #1 trending personality of 2025.
• W – Women’s World Cup & Waqf Bill: Historic year for women’s sport; legislative curiosity also surged.
• X – X’s Grok: Emerging AI tools; users explored innovation across multiple platforms.
• Y – Yorkshire Pudding: Global flavours at home; recipe searches reflected culinary curiosity.
• Z – Zubeen Garg: Regional music icon; trending search as fans mourned his passing.
• # – 67 Meme: Viral internet moment; shared humour and confusion captured nationwide attention.