Social has spent over a decade trying to connect with India’s urban youth culture. The brand is now shifting from being a participant to a documentarian through its ‘Voices from the Hood’ report, which was released on 24 April.

Built on responses from over 10,000 young Indians across cities, the report maps how Gen Z and young millennials are socialising, spending, and shaping identity in a world where digital and physical realities constantly overlap. What emerges is a cohort that is experience-first and socially driven, yet sharply value-conscious, equally invested in ambition and self-expression.

Key findings paint a vivid picture: Movies remain the most popular recreational outing at 65%, followed closely by adventure- and activity-based experiences (such as trekking, paintball, go-karting) at 63%. Stand-up comedy (26%) and theatre (21%) also attract strong interest. On the digital front, 35% spend one to three hours daily on mobile apps and 28% spend 3–5 hours, while Netflix leads streaming subscriptions at 77%, followed by Amazon Prime Video (54%) and JioHotstar (42%).

Dining and nightlife continue to serve as vital social anchors. 28% dine out once or twice a week, 21% three to four times, and 19% almost daily. Most spending stays within the accessible INR 1,000–2,000 bracket (34% for dining, 33% for nightlife), even as premiumisation grows, with 50% now choosing premium alcohol labels.

Aspirations remain robust, with 67% prioritising financial success and 42% naming business ownership as their dream career. The generation is introspective: 46% say cultural traditions are very important, while perspectives on relationships are shifting, 43% favour marriage, and 31% are open to modern structures. Top concerns include education (28%), mental health (26%), and employment (24%).

Drawing on these findings, Manifest spoke with Divya Aggarwal, chief growth officer, Impresario Entertainment & Hospitality, about the report's inspiration, existing gaps in youth understanding, and what brands must do right to stay relevant to Gen Z.

Beyond the scale of 10,000 plus respondents, what gap in understanding youth behaviour did you feel existing industry data wasn’t capturing?

We conducted a structured questionnaire covering a wide range of lifestyle themes. We also wanted to clearly highlight the differences between Gen Z and Millennials.

When we started Social in 2014, we were primarily catering to millennials. Today, I meet people in their late 30s and early 40s who tell me their first date was at Social. But our brand’s DNA has always been about staying in sync with emerging pop culture, communities, and the changing generation.

We noticed late millennials moving towards different activities while more and more Gen Z were walking into our outlets. There’s so much conversation around Gen Z, but most of it is based on assumptions driven by Instagram and Reels.

We wanted to go beyond surface-level F&B studies. So we looked at their aspirations, behaviour, relationships, views on jobs, and the trends emerging from that. The real gap was the lack of solid data. There were plenty of opinions, but very little clarity on 'this is what it actually is.' That’s why we decided to do this report. It was a painstaking but fun exercise.

We deliberately kept the report short and easy to read so people can jump to relevant sections. We also avoided making it too graph-heavy or data-dense. Instead, we used graphics, posters, and art that reflect Social’s personality, making it more enjoyable to go through. The sections are structured so brands can easily extract relevant information.

The report frames youth as experience-driven but also highlights their price sensitivity, with most spending between INR 1,000 and 2,000. How do you reconcile aspiration with affordability in your outlets?

Value is important, but it’s not just about price. It’s about whether the experience feels worth it. Aspiration comes from discovery, from what peers and friends are doing. Word of mouth, validation, and brand value matter hugely.

Youth today are very selective. They want to spend on experiences: food, events, or even the vibe of a place, but that experience has to meet or exceed their expectations. That’s what ultimately defines value for them.

How should brands bridge the gap between digital word-of-mouth and real-world credibility?

Today, offline and online live together. Discovery and initial engagement happen on digital, which also sets expectations even before someone walks in. The role of the physical space is to build real connections.

Our report shows Gen Z is increasingly seeking experience-led outings. It’s not just about going for lunch; it could be lunch paired with a fan event around an artist like Taylor Swift. People arrive with preconceived expectations based on what they see on social media. The repeat visit only happens if the experience matches or exceeds that expectation. If it doesn’t, they not only won't return, but they now have every means to share their disappointment publicly.

The report shows steady interest in nightlife, but there’s also talk of youth drinking less or shifting to premium alcohol. What are you seeing on the ground?

Premiumisation is definitely increasing, but experiences are taking centre stage. For our generation, alcohol was often the main reason to go out. For Gen Z, the centre of the night is music, the overall experience, or a community event, whether it’s a flea market, sneaker pop-up, or something else.

When we asked, two out of five said alcohol isn’t even a deciding factor when choosing to go out. The numbers haven’t dropped drastically regarding social drinking, but experiences have become far more important.

We’re also making nightlife more fun. For instance, we launched Grenade, a ready-to-drink fun mixer that’s doing well. We’ve introduced experiential cocktails like Lifafa (which comes in a postcard format) and Candy Crush, using Gen Z terminology. A lot of thought has gone into packaging and the overall experience. It’s not just about price, it’s about creating moments.

In metros, greater exposure through travel and digital has also led to more experimentation with premium drinks.

Social has built a genuinely inclusive and community-driven space from underground hip-hop to the queer community. Many brands are now trying to 'manufacture' community. What’s the real difference, and where do most brands go wrong?

Community has become a buzzword. For us, it starts with clearly identifying the communities we want to engage with and understanding the hyper-local context. For example, a fitness community near Carter Road in Mumbai will look different from one in Delhi’s Hauz Khas.

We then build consistently. Many brands do one event and claim they have a community. That doesn’t work. A brand needs to keep showing up, even if the first few events don’t get traction. It takes time for people to associate the establishment with that community.

It also has to be authentic to the brand. We do this through our IP, which I host called 'SOCIAL Jumpstart', where we stay true to our fun personality. One can’t copy-paste what others are doing. The space must feel genuine to that community and elevate the experience, because today’s youth step out with clear intent; they expect 110%.

What’s one thing you personally had to unlearn in your marketing approach?

I come from an FMCG background where I worked on brands like Maggi. Everything had to be perfect, the right colour, the right execution. I had to unlearn that obsession with perfection.

With Gen Z, authenticity and being real matter much more. The report reinforced this strongly. The more real and less scripted we are, the better the engagement. We’ve started applying this on our social media and are already seeing improved results.

What’s one insight from the report that you believe will become increasingly important for brands?

Everyone talks about 'experience', but very few are actually executing it well. For this generation, almost everything going out, holidays, and even daily activities are experience-driven.

Many industries talk about experience, but still deliver plain vanilla products. That won’t work anymore. The F&B sector is doing it slightly better through menus and space utilisation, but there’s huge scope across categories.

From the report, one clear learning is that today’s youth act with strong intent. If there’s no compelling reason, they’re happy to stay home and scroll. They are also far more comfortable in their own skin.

Any advice for a young founder launching a hospitality brand targeting Gen Z today?

Doing a ‘me-too’ won’t work. There are too many options. Just because 'matcha' is trending doesn’t mean one needs to jump on it. One needs something unique, whether in price, packaging, or, most importantly, the overall experience.

You can’t rip off this generation. Successful brands do something spectacular that truly stands out.

Finally, what emerging behaviour shift do you see changing how youth socialise in the next 2–3 years?

People are stepping out with a clear intention these days. Brands will need to keep creating fresh, non-vanilla experiences and give stronger reasons to leave home.

Equally important is ‘belongingness’, the warmth and how people are treated in the space. The best experiences will combine great programming with genuine human warmth. It has to be a balance of newness through experiences and communities, and familiarity through belongingness, because culture and trends are changing rapidly.