2025 was a year full of big, unpredictable moments. It featured a multitude of events that sparked long conversations, with each new moment often overshadowing the last. It was also a year when Indian
culture continued to travel across borders. Instagram’s 2025 Year-in-Review presents a comprehensive look at the people, trends, and moments that shaped culture on the platform this year.
Cricket’s Instagram Takeover
Cricket reaffirmed its status as the central pillar of Indian pop culture, dominating Instagram conversations and national sentiment alike. Key moments included India’s Champions Trophy win, which sparked a wave of patriotic celebration; RCB’s chant “Ee Sala Cup Namdu” turning into a viral meme as fans finally saw their team triumph; Virat Kohli’s emotional retirement from Test cricket; and the Indian women’s cricket team’s recent World Cup victory.
Kolhapuris to Coachella: Cultural Crossovers
Indian culture continued to make its mark globally, this time with Hanumankind performing at Coachella; actors Shah Rukh Khan and Kiara Advani, along with music artist Diljit Dosanjh, attending the Met Gala; luxury brands embracing the Indian Kolhapuri chappal; and tracks by A.R. Rahman being used on international runways.
The exchange went both ways. Indians actively participated in global trends and fandoms, whether it was Ed Sheeran’s India tour, the Nicki Minaj pose, Taylor Swift’s engagement, or Cristiano Ronaldo’s engagement, all of which sparked massive excitement on Instagram.
Nostalgia and Aesthetics Shaping Your Feed
Nostalgia continued to dominate cultural trends, carrying over from last year. Fandoms grew around films like Wake Up Sid, characters such as Bunny from Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani, and songs like “Nadaan Parinde” and “Sheher Mein” from Rockstar. Meanwhile, the lo-fi digicam aesthetic became increasingly prevalent in carousels and Reels, embraced by Gen Z and young adults alike.
People Who Kept Instagram Buzzing
As always, certain individuals captured Instagram’s imagination. These included the girl who resembled the Mona Lisa at the Mahakumbh; Ayush, the boy who mispronounced “croissant” as “Prashant”; Sonali, the mehendi artist from Kolhapur who recreated Rihanna’s wedding makeup look; and Sudhanshu Shukla, who became the first Indian to travel to the International Space Station in 40 years.
There were also personalities Instagram couldn’t get enough of, such as Samay Raina. Conversations around him and the show India’s Got Latent continued throughout the year.
Micro-Moments That Kept Us Scrolling
Finally, it was the everyday moments that kept feeds endlessly engaging. Viral trends sparked conversations, shares, reposts, and countless memes. Highlights included actor Veer Pahariya’s viral langdi hook step; the debate around the 90-hour workweek; snippets from Shark Tank India 4; a viral moment from a Coldplay concert that drew over a million eyeballs; the rise of ‘fake wedding’ parties; fascination with Labubus; the glowing turmeric trend; actor Parineeti Chopra’s “meri body mein sensations” dialogue from Hasee Toh Phasee; the Vishal Mega Mart meme; and the popularity of 5120×1080 ultra-wide thin Reels.
