New Delhi, Sept. 11 -- TV used to dominate. YouTube seemed unchallenged. Now in India, Instagram (and Facebook) Reels have quietly leapfrogged both to become the most-watched daily video format. A recent study finds Reels is no longer just a sideline scroll, it's become what netizens consume first thing, most often.

According to the study from Online Video Consumption of Digital India, 95% of respondents say they watch Instagram or Facebook Reels every single day. In comparison, daily usage drops slightly for YouTube at 88%, and even more for TV at 83%. The phone screen has cemented itself as the video centre of gravity for millions.

Higher Engagement: For trends, fashion, or movie clips, Reels gets about 40% more engagement than YouTub...