Instagram extends short video format 'Reels' to Tiktok starved India market

India is the fourth country, after Brazil, Germany and France, where this new 'short video' format (15 second videos) is being tested.

Instagram today announced the extension of the testing of Reels, a new video format, to India. This format offers a new way to create and share short 15 second videos on Instagram. Reels can be found on two parts of Instagram – in the ‘Stories’ space and the on the ‘Explore’ page. Short videos that Instagram creators create under the ‘Reels’ section can be viewed and played back from their profiles.

With Reels, people can express themselves while entertaining others, whether that’s by trying out a fun new dance or spreading the message on something they care about. People can record and edit 15-second multi-clip videos with audio, effects and new creative tools on Reels; share them with their followers on Feed; and, if they have a public account, make their reels available to the wider Instagram community through a new space in Explore.

Sharing to Reels in the Explore section gives people the opportunity to access a larger audience, considering the fact that more than 50 per cent of accounts on Instagram globally visit Explore every month. Explore can showcase an selection of reels made by public accounts on Instagram.

Ajit Mohan, Vice President and Managing Director, Facebook India, said, “With the rise in video consumption overall and videos making up over a third of posts on Instagram in India, Instagram has a big role to play in unleashing expression in the country. People across the big and small cities of India come to Instagram to express themselves safely, and also to be entertained. With Reels, we’re unveiling the future of entertainment on the platform, in a way that ignites creativity. With the multiple creative formats, whichever way you want to express yourself, it can now be on Instagram.”

Vishal Shah, Vice President of Product, Facebook, said "Instagram has always been a place where culture is created, because people come to share the things they care about and be entertained. We’re constantly listening to our community, and have heard that they want to make and watch short-form videos on Instagram and have the opportunity to be discovered by our broader community. We’re excited to expand the test of Reels to India and give the next generation of creators born and bred in India a chance to share their native and cultural context -- and be potential global stars."

India is the fourth country, after Brazil, Germany and France, where this new format is being tested. This entertainment experience builds on the work done in the past year to enable expression, such as the vast library of music available on the platform thanks to a partnership with prominent music labels; the Spark AR effects on Instagram that enable more creation and expression on the platform; and the ‘Born on Instagram’ program, which has led to discovery and growth of creators from all across India.

The feature will start rolling out to users in India from 7:30pm IST and at the onset, will be populated with content from a diverse set of public figures and creators, such as Ammy Virk, Gippy Grewal, Komal Pandey, Arjun Kanungo, Jahnavi Dasetty aka Mahathalli, Indrani Biswas aka Wondermunna, Kusha Kapila, Radhika Bangia, RJ Abhinav and Ankush Bhaguna.