According to the GIPSI inSIGHT 2026 report by Tonic Worldwide, 52% of Gen Z parents in India rely on AI tools for guidance, highlighting the expanding role of technology in emotional well-being, health and everyday life.

Released by GIPSI, the company’s HI + AI-powered insights division, the second edition of its annual cultural intelligence report decodes the evolving habits, tensions and aspirations shaping Indian consumers in 2026.

Drawing on millions of digital data points and large-scale primary research, the study captures subtle behavioural shifts that often go unnoticed in conventional market analysis.

Titled inSIGHT 2026, the report explores how consumers are redefining wellness, resisting algorithm-driven content, forming emotional connections with AI, and entering new life stages earlier than expected.

From 'snooze culture' replacing nightlife to women over 45 emerging as influential digital tastemakers, the findings point to a more intentional and self-aware consumer base.

The report focuses on digitally native audiences navigating multiple roles simultaneously, including Gen Z parents, urban wellness seekers, algorithm-resistant users, 'queenagers' (stylish, financially empowered, and independent middle-aged women typically in their 40s-60s) and shortcut wellness adopters.

Covering trends from 2025 compared with 2024 and 2023, the research analyses over 226 million search queries, 404 million social media engagements and responses from 50,000 participants, using GIPSI’s 360-degree HI + AI framework that blends human and artificial intelligence.

Highlights of the report: 

Gen Z is entering parenthood early

• 22% of Gen Z in India are married (2025)
• 15% are already parents
• 48% use AI as a personal advisor
• 28% choose brands based on community-building
• 35% prioritise rewards and discounts while shopping
• 19% discover brands through vlogs
• Gen Z parents are more relaxed about screen-time quantity but stricter about content quality
• More open to early mental well-being systems for children than millennials

‘Snooze is the new Booze’

• 28.8 million searches for ‘Breakfast Clubs’ in 2025
• 25.7 million searches for non-alcoholic beer
• 50 million searches for kombucha
• 84% of Indians use phones before bedtime
• 51% blame scrolling and binge-watching for late nights
• 551,000 plus engagements on running-metric and fitness-flex content

From artificial intelligence to artificial emotion

• 175 million plus engagement on AI girlfriend/boyfriend content
• 100 million plus engagement on AI therapist content
• 28 million plus engagement on AI astrologist content
• 11,300 plus Instagram posts using #aicouple
• 36% of 18–25-year-olds use AI for mental well-being
• 18–21-year-olds lead all age groups in using AI for advice
• AI is increasingly used as a therapist, coach and emotional companion

Algorithm Resistance Is Rising

• 114 million plus global searches for ad blockers
• 8.5 million views on algorithm-reset tutorials
• 4.6 million+ engagement on ‘bloom scrolling’ content
• 2.5 million+ views on dating app algorithm hacks
• Nearly 7% year-on-year rise in searches related to social media feeds and algorithms
• Growing interest in incognito mode and private browsing since 2024

Convenience-First Wellness

• 75% rise in searches for glutathione tablets
• 67% rise in Tirzepatide searches
• Fourfold growth in interest for synbiotics
• 437,000 plus Instagram posts on Ozempic
• 20% rise in collagen powder searches
• Twofold rise in immunity booster tablet searches
• 37% rise in anti-snoring nasal strip searches
• 65% rise in Redensyl serum searches
• 4.5% rise in adaptogen powder searches

The Rise of ‘queenagers’

• 52% of women over 45 use ChatGPT
• 26.9 million+ engagement on Queenager-related content
• 34% use social media primarily for inspiration
• 29% use platforms to find like-minded communities
• Higher engagement with magazines and publications than other age groups
• More likely to actively recommend products
• 15% of women aged 55–64 used Fitbit in the past month
• Frequent users of travel planning and lifestyle platforms

Anjali Malthankar, global strategy director and GIPSI co-head, Tonic Worldwide, said, “With GIPSI inSIGHT 2026, we wanted to move beyond surface-level trends and decode the deeper shifts shaping consumer behaviour today. From the rise of Artificial Emotion and Gen Z stepping into parenthood, to consumers actively dodging algorithms and redefining wellness, this report reflects how people are reclaiming control, choice and meaning in their lives. We hope that these insights help brands re-look, re-discover and re-align with a consumer who is far more intentional, emotional and evolved than ever before.”

Unmisha Bhatt, co-founder and chief strategy officer, Tonic Worldwide, added, “The second (2026) edition of GIPSI inSIGHT captures the tensions and contradictions brands must navigate. These aren't distant trends; they're immediate realities reshaping how businesses must think about relevance, innovation and growth. Whether it's addressing the rise of Gen Z parents or understanding algorithm resistance, the insights in this report are built to drive real business decisions, from product development to campaign. We're excited to see how brands will respond to these evolving consumer truths and transform them into meaningful market moves.”