Google’s Gemini 2.5 Flash Image model, also known as Nano Banana, has been a game-changer for the Gemini app globally since its recent launch. In India, however, it has sparked a creative revolution, with a surge in retro-themed portraits and local trends going viral. Despite the app’s success, concerns about privacy and security are beginning to surface.
India has quickly become the top country for Nano Banana usage, as stated by David Sharon, the multimodal generation lead for Gemini Apps at Google DeepMind. The app’s popularity in India has propelled it to the number one spot on the free app charts on both the App Store and Google Play. Additionally, it has achieved top rankings on global app stores, according to Appfigures.
The sheer scale of India, being the second-largest smartphone market and home to the second-largest online population after China, explains why the country is leading in Nano Banana adoption. What’s particularly intriguing for Google is not just the number of users in India but how they are utilizing the AI model in uniquely local and creative ways that are capturing attention.
One notable trend in India is the recreation of retro looks inspired by 1990s Bollywood using Nano Banana. Users are imagining themselves in that era, complete with period-specific fashion, hairstyles, and makeup. Another popular trend is the creation of “AI sarees,” where individuals generate vintage-style portraits of themselves dressed in traditional Indian attire.
Moreover, Indians are using Nano Banana to experiment with transforming objects, creating time-travel effects, and even visualizing themselves as retro postage stamps. Some are generating black-and-white portraits or using the model to imagine encounters with their younger selves.
While some trends originated elsewhere, India has played a crucial role in amplifying their global reach. For instance, the figurine trend, where miniature versions of individuals are created, gained traction globally after becoming popular in India, following its emergence in Thailand and Indonesia.
Additionally, Google has noted a trend in India where users are leveraging its Veo 3 AI video-generation model on the Gemini app to create short videos using old photos of their ancestors.
All these factors have contributed to Gemini’s rise in popularity on app stores in India. The app witnessed an average of 1.9 million monthly downloads in the country between January and August, surpassing the numbers in the U.S. by 55%. India accounted for 16.6% of global monthly downloads during this period, according to exclusive data from Appfigures shared with TechCrunch.
From January to August, India recorded a total of 15.2 million downloads, outpacing the U.S. with 9.8 million downloads during the same period, as per Appfigures.
The release of the Nano Banana update on September 1 led to a significant increase in daily downloads of the Gemini app in India. Installations surged from 55,000 on September 1 to a peak of 414,000 on September 13, marking a 667% rise. Gemini has maintained its top position on the iOS App Store since September 10 and on Google Play since September 12, across all categories, according to Appfigures.
Despite India leading in downloads, it falls short in in-app purchases on the Gemini app. The app has generated an estimated $6.4 million in global consumer spending on iOS since its launch, with the U.S. contributing the most at $2.3 million (35%) and India at $95,000 (1.5%). However, India witnessed a remarkable 18% month-over-month growth in spending, reaching $13,000 between September 1 and 16, outpacing the global growth rate of 11% during the same period. This growth rate in India surpasses the global average by seven percentage points and is more than 17 points ahead of the U.S., where growth remained below 1%.
Concerns have been raised regarding privacy and data security, particularly with users uploading personal photos to Gemini for transformations. In response, Google has implemented visible watermarks on images generated by the Nano Banana model and embedded hidden markers using its SynthID tool to identify AI-generated content. The company is currently testing a detection platform with selected testers and plans to launch a consumer-friendly version for verifying AI-generated images.
David Sharon emphasized Google’s commitment to learning and improving in this evolving landscape, acknowledging the valuable feedback from users, journalists, academia, and experts. The company remains dedicated to enhancing user privacy and data security while ensuring a seamless user experience with its AI models.
