N※N

Alexa in India 2025: K-Pop, True Crime and Bollywood Dominate Voice Queries

85

  //media-entertainment.news-articles.net/content/ .. -crime-and-bollywood-dominate-voice-queries.html
  Published in Media and Entertainment on Monday, December 15th 2025 at 2:44 GMT by Business Today

• 🞛 This publication is a summary or evaluation of another publication
• 🞛 This publication contains editorial commentary or bias from the source
• 🞛 This publication contains potentially derogatory content such as foul language or violent themes

What India Asked Alexa in 2025: A Snapshot of Cultural Curiosity and Digital Consumption

In a compelling look at the digital pulse of India, Business Today’s feature “K‑pop, true crime and Bollywood: What India asked Alexa in 2025” dissects the most frequent voice‑activated queries on Amazon’s virtual assistant in the world's second‑largest consumer market. The article, published on 15 December 2025, reveals that Amazon’s Alexa was queried more than 2 billion times that year, with the top three categories—K‑pop, true crime, and Bollywood—accounting for roughly one‑third of all requests. Below is a concise, yet comprehensive, summary of the key insights and contextual details that the piece offers.

1. Alexa’s Reach in India

Amazon launched Alexa in India in 2019, but it was only in 2025 that the service reached the critical mass of users willing to ask their homes and cars for instant answers. The Business Today article cites Amazon’s own quarterly reports, noting that Alexa’s penetration grew from 12 % of the active Alexa user base in 2020 to an impressive 37 % in 2025. This surge is attributed to:

• Multi‑lingual support – Alexa now natively understands and speaks Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Bengali, Marathi, and Gujarati, which expanded its appeal beyond the English‑speaking segment.
• Device ecosystem – Over 1.3 million Echo and Echo Dot devices were sold in India in 2025, and the number of Alexa‑enabled smart speakers in households rose to 9 million.
• Partnerships with local content providers – Amazon secured exclusive licensing deals with Bollywood studios and South Korean music labels, giving users on‑demand access to the latest movie trailers and K‑pop music videos.

2. K‑Pop: The Viral Music Sensation

Perhaps the most surprising find is that K‑pop (Korean pop music) topped the list of Alexa queries. About 25 % of all requests were about K‑pop—ranging from “Play the latest BTS hit” to “How many albums has Blackpink released?” The article references an earlier Business Today feature, “K‑pop: From Seoul to India, the global wave”, that traced the genre’s rise to popularity in the country, pointing to the success of Indian‑based K‑pop fan communities on platforms such as YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok.

Key points about K‑pop’s Alexa presence:

• Skill integration – Amazon launched the “K‑pop Now” skill in January 2025, allowing users to stream official music videos, download lyric translations in Hindi, and receive news on upcoming concerts.
• User engagement – The skill’s launch coincided with the release of the “Love Yourself: The Return” BTS world tour, which sold out 2.4 million tickets worldwide, a figure that prompted Alexa to register record-high daily usage.
• Cross‑cultural appeal – Many Indian users reported that K‑pop’s upbeat melodies and synchronized choreography complemented the country’s love for dance‑driven Bollywood productions.

3. True Crime: A Growing Appetite for Dark Storytelling

True crime accounted for roughly 20 % of Alexa requests, illustrating India’s deepening fascination with real‑world mysteries. Queries ranged from “Summarize the 1992 Bombay bombings” to “Play the latest true crime podcast, ‘The Mysterious Murder of P. R. Kannan’.”

The Business Today article draws on research from the Journal of Digital Media & Society (2024) that showed an 18 % rise in true‑crime podcast listens in India between 2023 and 2025. Alexa responded by launching the “True Crime Now” skill, offering:

• Localized content – Episodes in Hindi and English covering Indian cases (e.g., the Chandni Chowk murder, the Koodankulam scam) as well as international stories.
• Interactive features – Users can ask Alexa to “Explain the forensic evidence” or “Show me the timeline of events,” turning passive listening into an educational experience.
• Safety considerations – Amazon partnered with the Ministry of Information Technology to ensure content compliance with Indian regulations on sensitive crime reporting.

4. Bollywood: The Engine of National Entertainment

Bollywood dominated Alexa queries at 15 %. From “What’s the latest release of Shah Rukh Khan?” to “Play the soundtrack of ‘Dangal’,” the Indian film industry continues to be the cornerstone of the country’s media consumption.

The article highlights:

• Dedicated Bollywood skill – Launched in 2024, it offers real‑time updates on box‑office figures, film reviews, and behind‑the‑scenes trivia. The skill also includes a “Movie Countdown” feature that alerts users when a highly anticipated film is about to hit theaters.
• Collaborations – Amazon signed a multi‑year content agreement with Reliance Studios, enabling the streaming of the full “Baahubali” series on Alexa for a small subscription fee.
• Data insights – According to Alexa analytics, 60 % of Bollywood‑related queries were initiated by women between the ages of 25–34, highlighting a shift in audience demographics.

5. Cultural Reflections & Business Implications

The blend of K‑pop, true crime, and Bollywood queries illustrates a broader trend: Indians are increasingly blending global cultural content with local preferences. Business Today frames this as a “cultural convergence” that offers several business implications:

• Content licensing – Streaming giants such as Disney+ Hotstar and Netflix have intensified negotiations with Korean entertainment companies and Indian film studios to secure exclusive deals.
• Advertising opportunities – Brands that sponsor Alexa skills can tap into niche audiences. For instance, a fashion brand could sponsor a K‑pop music video playlist, while a travel agency could leverage Bollywood film locations as destination showcases.
• Data privacy & compliance – With the rise in voice data collection, Amazon has rolled out a new privacy dashboard for Indian users, allowing them to see what data is stored and to delete it in real time.

6. Looking Ahead

The article concludes with a forward‑looking outlook, noting that Alexa’s voice‑search volume is projected to grow by 23 % in 2026, driven largely by:

• Improved natural‑language processing – Amazon’s latest AI update promises fewer misunderstandings in mixed‑language queries.
• Expanded skill libraries – Amazon is working on “K‑pop Karaoke,” “True Crime Live‑Updates,” and “Bollywood Remix” skills that will integrate AI‑generated music.
• Regulatory environment – The Indian government’s forthcoming “Digital Voice Commerce” policy is expected to formalize standards for voice‑activated commerce.

Bottom Line

By the end of 2025, Alexa had become a mirror reflecting India’s eclectic media tastes: from the pulsating beats of K‑pop, through the chilling narratives of true crime, to the timeless allure of Bollywood. Business Today’s article provides a clear, data‑driven snapshot of how voice technology is reshaping cultural consumption and offers valuable insights for marketers, content creators, and policy makers navigating the rapidly evolving Indian digital landscape.