Mind-Reading Gen Z: ET Snapchat Gen Z Index is the ultimate guide to understanding India’s largest demographic

Gen Z doesn’t follow brands – brands follow Gen Z. Are you keeping up? The Economic Times, in collaboration with Snapchat and powered by Kantar, has come up with India’s first Gen Z Index. Pulkit Trivedi, India managing director of Snap Inc, shares, “At 377 million strong, Gen Z is the largest demographic in the country, and while brands recognise their potential, market research indicates that only 15% brands have a focused strategy to engage with this audience.”This quarterly report decodes how Gen Z thinks, shops and engages, spotlighting the brands winning with this influential generation across categories, products and cultures. “Our endeavour is to continue offering an in-depth understanding of Gen Z through valuable insights to brand marketeers. It serves both as a benchmark of brand performance and a window into Gen Z sentiment,” adds Trivedi.

This study also has a brand index that sheds light on the brands Gen Z is obsessed with. One thing is clear – Gen Zs are not loyal to legacy labels and brands must consider glow-ups to stay relevant. Gen Z doesn’t want ‘safe’ – it wants brands that aren’t afraid to show up. Let’s dive in.

Detailed findings

(change in preference mapped over the past three months)

Shopping

• More likely: 52% say that their preference to buy Indian-origin brands has increased.
• Less likely: 27% say their aspirations of buying international luxury brands have reduced.

Personal expression

Live Events

• More likely: 44% said their use of social media to give and get opinions has gone up. They’re engaged, but more for ideas than attention.
• Less likely: 24% think being a social media influencer isn’t as cool as it used to be.

Environment

• 84% are willing to pay more for eco-friendly products.
• 85% are ready to spend time and money on causes they care about

Technology & digital trends

• 48% of Gen Z are now using AI and AR more regularly in daily life, showing a growing comfort with emerging technologies.
• 42% are increasingly following trendsetters, memes and viral content; remaining deeply connected to internet culture.

Money spends
Digital payments are widely adopted by both Gen Z (56%) and millennials (53%). Debit card usage is similar across both groups, but millennials use credit cards more (17% vs 9% among Gen Z) — likely due to higher access. In contrast, Gen Z shows a greater reliance on cash (17% vs 13% for millennials).

Generational shifts

• Gen Z vs Millennials Millennials are conscious shoppers who plan ahead, seek best deals and take pride in buying Indian brands, similar to Gen Z.
• Millennials are more open to luxury, niche and global brands compared to Gen Z.
• Millennials are less influenced by celebrity endorsements.
• Influencers continue to play a steady role in driving brand discovery and purchase decisions among millennials, while Gen Z is losing interest in large influencers.
• Millennials are relatively more private and less likely to share personal aspects of their life online, similar to Gen Z.

Survey details
Group: The study focused on individuals aged 18 to 45 years, segmented into Gen Z (18–28 years) and millennials (29–45 years), all belonging to the NCCS A socio-economic class. All participants owned a smartphone and actively engaged with social media platforms.

Method: The research was conducted using the CAWI (Computer-Assisted Web Interviewing) methodology.

Sample: It covered major metropolitan cities including Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Pune, Ahmedabad and Kolkata, as well as tier-2 towns such as Jaipur, Lucknow, Guwahati, Indore, Kochi, Chandigarh, Patna and Nagpur. The final sample comprised 708 respondents —493 from Gen Z and 215 from the millennial cohort.

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