YouTube’s Premium Lite Pilot Expands to India: Low-Cost Ad-Free Viewing

YouTube is extending its Premium Lite subscription pilot program to users in India, aiming to boost its subscriber base in the country. This new tier offers a budget-friendly option for ad-free viewing at a monthly cost of Rs 89. Subscribers can enjoy ad-free videos across genres like gaming, comedy, cooking, and educational content. Music content, music videos, and YouTube Shorts will still display advertisements. The Lite version will not support background playback or offline downloads. The initiative is anticipated to be available throughout India within the next few weeks. This expansion is part of YouTube’s wider effort to diversify its offerings, with subscriptions playing a significant role in the platform’s growth. Premium Lite was initially launched in March and has been tested in markets such as the United States. YouTube is also considering introducing a two-person Premium subscription tier at Rs 219 per month, and YouTube Music Premium is being offered at Rs 149 during the pilot phase. The existing subscription plans include student, individual, and family options for both YouTube Premium and YouTube Music Premium. A price increase was implemented in August 2024 across all plans. YouTube has announced it has surpassed 125 million subscribers globally across its Music and Premium services. Alphabet, YouTube’s parent company, has over 270 million paid subscriptions. By launching Premium Lite, YouTube hopes to attract a wider audience in India and make premium features more accessible.