At the 2026 Meta Marketing Summit E-Commerce edition, held across Bengaluru and Mumbai and attended by ecommerce leaders from across India, Meta Platforms outlined how shopping behaviour in the country is increasingly being shaped by content, creators, messaging platforms and AI-powered discovery.
According to the report, Reels across Meta platforms have emerged as India’s leading short-form video format, with 92% of users preferring it over other formats. The company also said Instagram Reels recorded 33% higher creator engagement compared to other surveyed platforms, highlighting the growing role of creator-led content in influencing consumer behaviour.
Meta further added that 80% of Indian consumers now discover new brands through its platforms, underlining the rising influence of social discovery and video-first commerce journeys across apps such as Instagram and Facebook.
The report further pointed to the increasing importance of messaging-led commerce, with platforms like WhatsApp becoming a key touchpoint for customer engagement and purchase completion.
The findings are based on a Meta-commissioned Ipsos study conducted across 33 Indian cities among more than 3,500 respondents, reflecting how AI, creators and short-form video are reshaping the country’s ecommerce ecosystem.
“India has no off-season for shopping anymore. Quick commerce and micro-festive moments have turned shopping into a permanent state – not an event, but a reflex. The journey has shifted from search-and-buy to discover-and-feel, driven by AI recommendations, short-form video, and conversational messaging. For brands, the mandate is simple: if you are not always on, you are already behind. With AI-powered tools and products such as Partnership Ads, GenAI-powered creative, and shoppable Reels, we’re helping businesses of all sizes turn that moment of inspiration into a transaction – faster, smarter, and at scale,” said Meghna Apparao, Director, E-commerce & Retail, Meta (India).
