How Much YouTube Pays for 1 Million Views in India (2026)

Short answer: Indian YouTube channels earn between ₹4,000 and ₹1,40,000 for 1 million views, depending on the niche.

Average across all niches: ₹15,000-₹35,000 per million views.

Here's the breakdown by niche:

| Niche | Earnings per 1M Views (₹) |
|---|---|
| Insurance/Credit Cards | ₹55,000-₹1,40,000 |
| Personal Finance | ₹40,000-₹1,10,000 |
| Technology | ₹30,000-₹80,000 |
| Business/Startup | ₹30,000-₹75,000 |
| Education | ₹25,000-₹65,000 |
| Health/Fitness | ₹20,000-₹55,000 |
| Motivation | ₹15,000-₹45,000 |
| Cooking/Food | ₹12,000-₹40,000 |
| Gaming | ₹8,000-₹28,000 |
| Entertainment/Vlogs | ₹5,000-₹22,000 |
| Comedy | ₹5,000-₹20,000 |
| Music | ₹4,000-₹16,000 |

These numbers represent ad revenue only — most successful creators earn 2-5x more through sponsorships, affiliate marketing, and digital products.

The massive earnings range comes down to four key factors:

1. Niche CPM Differences
Advertisers pay dramatically different rates depending on content category. A finance channel discussing mutual funds attracts HDFC, Groww, and Zerodha ads paying ₹100-250 CPM. A comedy channel might only get generic ads at ₹10-35 CPM.

2. Audience Demographics
Viewers aged 25-45 with disposable income generate higher CPMs than teenage viewers. If your 1 million views come mostly from 18-24 year olds, expect lower earnings.

3. Video Length and Ad Placements
- Videos under 8 minutes: 1 ad placement
- Videos 8+ minutes: Multiple mid-roll ads possible
- Mid-roll ads can increase earnings by 40-80%

4. Seasonal Variations
The same 1 million views earns very differently depending on when they happen:
- Q1 (Jan-Mar): Lowest CPMs — advertisers recovering from Q4 spend
- Q2 (Apr-Jun): Moderate CPMs
- Q3 (Jul-Sep): Rising CPMs — back-to-school, festive prep
- Q4 (Oct-Dec): Highest CPMs — Diwali, Christmas, year-end sales

Based on publicly shared data and creator interviews:

Finance Channel (800K subscribers)
- Monthly views: 3-4 million
- Monthly ad revenue: ₹1.5-3 lakh
- Per million views: ~₹50,000-₹75,000
- Total monthly income (including sponsors): ₹5-8 lakh

Tech Review Channel (500K subscribers)
- Monthly views: 2-3 million
- Monthly ad revenue: ₹80,000-₹1.5 lakh
- Per million views: ~₹40,000-₹50,000
- Total monthly income: ₹2-4 lakh

Entertainment/Vlog Channel (1.5M subscribers)
- Monthly views: 8-12 million
- Monthly ad revenue: ₹60,000-₹1.5 lakh
- Per million views: ~₹8,000-₹15,000
- Total monthly income: ₹1.5-3 lakh

Key takeaway: The entertainment channel has 3x more subscribers and 3x more views, but earns LESS than the finance channel. Niche selection matters more than subscriber count.

Strategies to push your per-million-view earnings higher:

1. Niche up, not down — Create content in high-CPM niches like finance, tech, or education. Even sub-niches within these categories pay well.

2. Optimize video length — Make videos 10-15 minutes to maximize mid-roll ad placements. Place mid-rolls at natural transition points to reduce drop-off.

3. Add affiliate revenue — Product links in descriptions can add ₹5,000-₹20,000 per million views on top of ad revenue.

4. Include sponsorships — A single sponsored segment can earn ₹20,000-₹2,00,000 depending on your niche and audience size.

5. Use Shorts strategically — Shorts earn less per view (₹5-40 per 1000 views) but drive subscribers who watch your long-form content.

FluxNote can help you create Shorts from your long-form content, turning one video into multiple pieces that drive subscriber growth and overall channel revenue.