YouTube is expanding its low-cost subscription options, announcing the pilot launch of “Premium Lite” in India on September 29. This initiative is part of the video platform’s strategy to increase its subscriber base within the country. Premium Lite is priced at Rs 89 per month, providing users with ad-free viewing for videos in categories such as gaming, comedy, cooking, and learning. However, music content, music videos, and YouTube Shorts will still include advertisements. Additionally, subscribers will not have background playback or offline download capabilities. The new subscription tier is expected to roll out across India in the coming weeks. YouTube introduced Premium Lite in March and has been testing it in markets like the United States, as subscriptions have become a crucial growth driver for the platform. Additional plans, like a two-person Premium subscription tier at a monthly price of Rs 219, and YouTube Music Premium for Rs 149, are also being considered. Currently, YouTube offers various Premium subscription options, including student, individual, and family plans for both YouTube Premium and YouTube Music Premium. A price hike, ranging from 12% to 58%, was applied across all subscription tiers in August 2024. YouTube has surpassed 125 million global subscribers across its Music and Premium services. Its parent company, Alphabet, has over 270 million paid subscriptions, with YouTube and Google One playing key roles in this growth. This new approach by YouTube seeks to broaden its reach across different economic segments in India by making premium features more accessible.
