Google has unveiled its annual "Year in Search" report for India, offering a fascinating snapshot of the nation's digital curiosity in 2025. The data reveals a country deeply engaged with the future of technology while firmly rooted in its cultural and sporting passions. The trends highlight a vibrant mix where cricket, artificial intelligence, and real-time information needs dominated the online landscape.
Sports, AI, and Real-Time Queries Lead the Pack
The search trends for 2025 were decisively led by a few key themes. IPL 2025 emerged as the undisputed champion, securing the #1 spot in both the Top Overall Search and the Top Sports Events categories. This was closely followed by a significant technological interest, with Google Gemini climbing to become the #2 Top Overall Search of the year. Artificial Intelligence, as a broad category, followed closely behind, cementing its place in the public consciousness.
Beyond the top spots, the year saw a notable shift in sports narratives. While cricket maintained its dominance, there was a powerful surge in interest toward women athletes. Jemimah Rodrigues was named the #1 Top Woman Personality, leading a list that included fellow cricketers Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma. The Women's World Cup and specific matches like India Women vs South Africa Women also featured prominently in trending searches.
In moments of uncertainty, Indians turned to Search for critical information. 'Earthquake near me' was the #1 trending "Near Me" search, with 'AQI near me' also making the list, reflecting growing concerns about environmental factors and personal safety.
Cultural Phenomena and AI-Driven Creativity
The cultural fabric of India was vividly reflected in the search trends. The Maha Kumbh was the #1 Top News Event and the #1 Travel Trend, with millions seeking "Kumbh Mela itinerary." In entertainment, the movie 'Saiyaara' was the #1 top trending movie search, while the critically acclaimed 'Kantara' ranked #2.
AI tools became a playground for creativity. Searches for prompts related to Google's image model, Nano Banana Pro (Gemini 2.5 Flash), drove trends like "3D model trend" and "Gemini saree trend prompt." Other AI tools like DeepSeek, Perplexity, ChatGPT, and X's Grok also trended. Interestingly, a non-AI trend, the Haldi trend (turmeric water) for organic beauty, also captured significant attention on social feeds.
Quirky trends included the viral collectible Labubu, making "What is a Labubu?" the #1 top collectible and toy trend. In the realm of news and current affairs, 'Ceasefire' was the #1 trending Meaning query, and searches for 'Operation Sindoor' spiked following the Pahalgam attack.
The A to Z of Indian Curiosity
The report provided an alphabetical breakdown of defining searches, painting a comprehensive picture of the year:
- A for Aneet Padda & Ahaan Panday, stars of Saiyaara.
- B for Bryan Johnson's podcast walkout over air quality.
- C for Ceasefire, the top "Meaning" query.
- D for legendary actor Dharmendra at #10 Top Overall Search.
- F for Floodlighting as the #1 Dating search term.
- P & Q for Phu Quoc, a new top travel destination.
- V for teenage cricket sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi, the #1 trending personality.
- W for "What is Waqf Bill," the top "What Is" question.
- Y for Yorkshire Pudding on the Top Recipes list.
- # for the 67 Meme, a moment of shared online confusion.
The 2025 Google Year in Search data ultimately tells the story of a nation in transition—enthusiastically embracing cutting-edge AI tools, celebrating its sporting heroes with a more inclusive lens, and relying on technology to navigate both daily life and major cultural events. The blend of the hyper-modern with the timeless underscores the unique digital identity of India.
