A new way to connect and earn with gifts

Today, google launching Gifts in India to provide a new way for creators to connect with their fans and for viewers to express themselves during vertical live streams.

In India, the creator economy is thriving, with the number of YouTube channels earning seven figures or more in revenue (INR) up by over 20% year-over-year ¹ . This growth is increasingly fueled by a rising culture of fandom. In fact, 92% of surveyed Indian YouTube creators agree that the platform helps them foster a deep community with their audience ²

. Today, fans aren’t just watching; they are actively supporting their favorite creators through interactive features like Channel Memberships, Super Chat, Super Stickers, and Super Thanks.

Google bringing Jewels and Gifts to India to further empower creators to diversify their revenue and fans to connect with their favourite creators in easier and more engaging ways.

“Having multiple avenues to connect with your fans and community completely transforms the dynamic. Features like Super Chats and Memberships aren’t just ways to monetize; they are massive motivational drivers that inspire creators to stream longer and engage deeper. You really see the depth of the community bond during moments like ‘Super Chat battles,’ where fans aren’t just interacting with us, but actually using our platform to convey their feelings to each other. Audiences love having diverse, highly visual ways to express themselves in real-time.”

What are gifts?

Gifts are engaging animations that viewers can send on creators’ vertical live streams, showing their appreciation, reactions, and expressions in real-time. Gifts appear as overlays on top of vertical live streams, enhancing the live experience and creating a new way for creators and their viewers to interact and have fun.

To send gifts, viewers can buy Jewels in bundles. This makes it easier for them to react, show their support, and stay engaged in the moment, without having to make a new Jewels purchase for every gift.

When viewers use Jewels to send gifts to creators, creators get Rubies which represent their earnings.

To make this launch extra special, we’ve designed a series of exclusive Gifts for India. We know that nothing says ‘support’ from fans quite like sending a virtual “Vada Pav”, “Chai Toast”, or a “Pani Puri”! You can also send a “Badhai Ho,” “Kem Cho,” “Macha” or an “All Izz Well” to cheer on your favorite creators. We’ll continue rolling out special seasonal Gifts in the future!

How can I get started

Eligible creators can enable gifts on their channel by visiting the Earn hub in Studio and following the steps to turn on gifts. This includes accepting the new “Virtual Items Module”. Gifts will then automatically be enabled on your vertical live streams. For more info on vertical live streams, see our Help Center articles on how to create a vertical live stream & mobile live stream eligibility requirements. Once creators enable gifts, they’ll no longer have access to Super Stickers on vertical live streams.

Google excited to see how viewers will use gifts to take their favourite streams to the next level. For more information, please visit the Help Centre.

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YouTube has officially rolled out its “Gifts” feature in India, giving creators a new way to monetize vertical live streams while deepening engagement with their audience. This localized launch introduces culturally tailored digital rewards like “Vada Pav”, “Chai Toast”, and “Pani Puri” that viewers can send in real-time. [1, 2, 3]

How the Gifting Ecosystem Works

The platform uses a seamless dual-currency architecture to let viewers purchase items upfront and minimize transactional friction: [4]

For Viewers (Jewels): Audiences purchase bundles of virtual tokens called Jewels. These Jewels are then redeemed in real-time to send animated, interactive Gifts during a vertical live broadcast. [4, 5]
For Creators (Rubies): When a creator receives a gift, it registers on their dashboard as Rubies. These Rubies translate directly to real-world monetary earnings, valued at 1 cent per Ruby ($1 USD per 100 Rubies), paid out through AdSense. [4, 6, 7]

Eligibility & Activation for Creators

If you want to capitalize on this feature, your channel must meet specific operational criteria: [1, 7, 8]

Enable the Module: Navigate to the Earn Hub inside YouTube Studio.
Accept Terms: Review and agree to the new Virtual Items Module.
Go Live Vertically: Once activated, gifts deploy automatically over your vertical and mobile live streams. [1]

Note: Turning on Gifts will replace traditional Super Stickers on your vertical live feeds. [1, 2]

A Growing Trend Across Social Media

YouTube’s expansion aligns with a broader industry shift toward direct micro-tipping frameworks: [9]

Instagram Gifts: Creators with a professional account and over 500 followers can earn money from virtual stars sent directly on their Reels.
TikTok Live Gifts: Viewers use TikTok Coins to purchase live animations, which creators convert into cashable “Diamonds”. [8, 10, 11, 12]