YouTube Premium's India Challenge: Why a 'Sound Strategy' Fails to Convert

• Despite high satisfaction among users, less than 5% of India's YouTube audience subscribes to Premium.
• The core issue isn't product quality or affordability, but YouTube's messaging, which sells an 'absence' (ad-free) rather than a 'better experience'.
• Indians are accustomed to 'jugaad' and free content, making paying to remove ads feel counterintuitive.
• Users highlight benefits like background play, downloads, and an extensive music catalog, but desire exclusive content at the current price point.
• Aggressive ad enforcement and blocking ad blockers aim to boost revenue, but poor ad targeting and high ad fatigue in India hinder Premium adoption.

Why It Matters: YouTube Premium struggles in India due to a messaging problem, not a product issue, failing to convey its value beyond ad removal.