India Leads Global Adoption of Google’s Nano Banana AI Model with Creative Trends

India Becomes Global Hotspot for Google’s Nano Banana AI Image Model

Google’s latest image-generation breakthrough, officially branded as Gemini 2.5 Flash Image but popularly nicknamed Nano Banana, is capturing worldwide attention. Launched just last month, the AI tool has quickly reshaped how people engage with the Gemini app. And nowhere is this impact more visible than in India, which has emerged as the model’s top market—fueling a wave of creativity, cultural trends, and new conversations around privacy.

India Leads in Adoption

According to David Sharon, multimodal generation lead for Gemini Apps at Google DeepMind, India currently ranks as the No. 1 country for Nano Banana usage. The surge in engagement has propelled the Gemini app to the top of free app charts on both Google Play and the App Store, not only in India but also globally, according to data from Appfigures.

India’s leadership makes sense: it is the world’s second-largest smartphone market and the second-biggest online population after China. But Google is especially intrigued by how Indians are using the AI, pushing its creative potential in highly local and culturally specific ways.

Local Trends Going Viral

One of the most eye-catching trends involves retro Bollywood-style portraits, where users reimagine themselves in 1990s fashion, makeup, and hairstyles. Another popular variation is the “AI saree,” in which Indians generate vintage images of themselves dressed in traditional attire.

Cityscape selfies are also trending. Many Indians are placing their AI-generated selves in front of iconic backdrops like London’s Big Ben or classic red phone booths. Others are experimenting with time-travel effects, transforming themselves into postage stamps, or crafting black-and-white portraits that evoke nostalgia.

India has also helped amplify global trends. For instance, the “figurine trend,” which started in Thailand and spread through Indonesia, became global only after gaining momentum in India. The trend sees users create miniature AI versions of themselves placed in quirky scenarios such as sitting in front of a computer screen.

Expanding Beyond Images

The craze doesn’t stop with Nano Banana. Indians are also embracing Google’s Veo 3 AI video model, available within the Gemini app, to generate short clips from old family photos. Many are bringing grandparents’ and great-grandparents’ pictures to life, creating touching and emotional video keepsakes.

This surge in creativity has significantly boosted downloads. Between January and August, Gemini averaged 1.9 million monthly installs in India—about 55% higher than in the U.S.—accounting for 16.6% of global monthly downloads. In total, India recorded 15.2 million downloads this year, compared with 9.8 million in the U.S.

After the Nano Banana update on September 1, daily installs skyrocketed. Downloads jumped from 55,000 per day to a peak of 414,000 on September 13, a 667% increase. Since then, Gemini has held the No. 1 spot across all categories on both Android and iOS app stores.

Monetization and Spending

Despite dominating downloads, India contributes relatively little to in-app purchases. Global consumer spending on Gemini has reached $6.4 million on iOS, with the U.S. leading at $2.3 million (35%). India accounts for just $95,000, or 1.5% of total revenue.

However, India is showing faster growth in spending. Between September 1 and 16, Indian users increased their app purchases by 18% month-over-month, compared to a global average of 11% and under 1% in the U.S. This signals growing willingness among Indian users to pay for premium AI experiences.

Rising Concerns Around Privacy

Alongside the excitement, concerns are emerging about how people upload personal photos into Gemini. Sharon emphasized that Google is focusing on transparency and user safety. To ensure authenticity, Google attaches a diamond-shaped watermark to all Nano Banana images and embeds hidden markers using its SynthID tool.

The company is also testing a detection platform with researchers and experts, with plans to release a public tool allowing anyone to check whether an image is AI-generated.

“This is still day one, and we’re learning together,” Sharon said. “User feedback will be critical in helping us improve.”

Conclusion

India’s embrace of Google’s Nano Banana highlights how AI can evolve beyond technology and into cultural expression. From Bollywood throwbacks to experimental video creations, Indian users are setting global trends while also shaping conversations about AI creativity, monetization, and safety. As adoption continues to rise, Google faces both an exciting opportunity and the responsibility to safeguard user trust.