Google’s Nano Banana, the company’s latest image-generation model under the Gemini 2.5 Flash Image umbrella, has ignited a wave of creative experimentation in India, making the country the global leader in its usage. According to David Sharon, multimodal generation lead at Google DeepMind, India not only tops the charts in downloads but has also transformed the tool into a cultural phenomenon. The Gemini app surged to the top of both the App Store and Google Play in India, maintaining its position globally, with monthly downloads reaching 1.9 million between January and August—55% higher than in the U.S. and accounting for 16.6% of all global downloads. By August, India had recorded 15.2 million downloads, outpacing the U.S.’s 9.8 million. What sets India apart is the localized, imaginative use of the model. Users have embraced retro aesthetics inspired by 1990s Bollywood, generating AI portraits of themselves in vintage fashion, hairstyles, and makeup. A popular variant, dubbed the “AI saree,” features users reimagined in traditional Indian attire with period-accurate styling. Others have created surreal visuals—selfies in front of foreign landmarks like Big Ben or retro telephone booths—blending personal identity with global nostalgia. The model has also enabled time-travel effects, black-and-white portraits, and even AI-generated postage stamps of users. A notable trend, the “figurine” effect—where users generate miniature versions of themselves—originated in Thailand, spread to Indonesia, and gained global momentum through Indian adoption. Indian users have also leveraged the Veo 3 AI video model to animate old family photos, bringing grandparents and great-grandparents to life in short, emotional clips. Despite leading in usage, India ranks low in in-app purchases, contributing only $95,000 (1.5%) to the app’s $6.4 million global revenue, compared to the U.S.’s $2.3 million. However, India recorded a remarkable 18% month-over-month spending growth in September—surpassing the global 11% average and far outpacing the U.S.’s rate. Privacy and safety remain concerns, especially as users upload personal photos. Google counters this with visible diamond-shaped watermarks and SynthID, a hidden digital marker to identify AI-generated content. The company is testing a detection platform with experts and plans a consumer-facing tool to verify image authenticity. Industry observers highlight India’s role as a global AI creativity hub. “India isn’t just adopting AI—it’s redefining it through cultural storytelling,” said a tech analyst. Google’s deepening investment in India, the world’s second-largest smartphone market and online population, underscores the region’s strategic importance. With its blend of cultural identity, digital literacy, and rapid tech adoption, India is shaping the future of generative AI—not just as a user, but as a pioneer.