As 2025 draws to a close, Google has unveiled its annual cultural snapshot, 'India’s Year in Search 2025: The A to Z of Trending Searches.' This comprehensive list, presented in an alphabetical format, goes beyond mere data to paint a vivid picture of a nation's collective consciousness. It captures the diverse interests, from blockbuster entertainment and sporting glory to technological curiosity and social conversations, that defined India's digital landscape over the past twelve months.
The Headliners: Entertainment, Sports, and National Moments
The search trends were dominated by significant events that united the country. In entertainment, the romantic film 'Saiyaara' and its breakout stars Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda ruled the charts. The movie was the top trending film search, and its title track led song searches throughout the year, even ranking as the 3rd most-streamed song on Spotify Wrapped 2025.
In sports, India's historic victory in the Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 created a massive search wave. Young sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi emerged as the #1 overall personality search, while World Cup hero Jemimah Rodrigues topped searches for women personalities. The Indian Premier League (IPL 2025) continued its dominance as the top sports search overall.
The nation also mourned the loss of legends, with searches for veteran actor Dharmendra spiking after his passing on November 24, 2025, making it the #2 news event. The death of Assamese music icon Zubeen Garg on September 19, 2025, also triggered widespread searches.
Technology, Trends, and Viral Phenomena
2025 solidified India's deep engagement with artificial intelligence. Google Gemini was the standout, landing at the #2 position in overall searches. Curiosity also peaked for other AI tools like DeepSeek, Perplexity, ChatGPT, and X's Grok, highlighting a nationwide tech boom. The 'Nano Banana' and 'Gemini saree' trends showed how AI image tools fueled creative prompts.
Social media sparked several unique trends. The 'Haldi Trend' involving turmeric water hacks went viral, blending wellness with tradition. The dating lexicon expanded with buzzwords like 'Floodlighting'—sharing trauma early for quick closeness. Quirky crazes like the 'Labubu' toy left many asking 'What is a Labubu?', while the '67 Meme' had the internet puzzled and amused.
Podcasts made headlines too, with Bryan Johnson's walkout mid-episode on Nikhil Kamath's show over air quality concerns becoming the top podcast search and driving local queries for 'Air Quality near me.'
Reflecting Society: News, Queries, and Global Curiosity
Search trends often mirror societal concerns and curiosity. The term 'Ceasefire' topped 'Meaning' searches, accompanied by lookups for mock drills and stampedes. Following an attack in J&K, searches for 'Operation Sindoor' and live updates surged in a show of national solidarity. The 'Waqf Bill' was the top 'What Is' query.
During natural events, 'Earthquake near me' led all 'Near Me' searches as people sought immediate information. The Maha Kumbh was the #1 news event, making 'Kumbh Mela itinerary' a top travel search.
Indians also explored global content and destinations. 'Squid Game' topped global show searches, and Vietnamese island Phu Quoc broke records as a trending travel spot. Even Yorkshire Pudding found its way into Indian kitchen searches, showcasing expanding culinary horizons.
Ultimately, Google's A-Z list for 2025 serves as a digital time capsule. It reveals an India confidently straddling tradition and innovation, its search bars echoing with the cheers of cricket victories, the whispers of AI prompts, the warmth of viral traditions, and the questions of a curious, connected nation.
