Chhattisgarh’s viral ‘YouTube Village’ is turning content into cash and change, one video at a time
Tulsi, known as India's 'YouTube Village,' utilises social media for economic growth and social change.
A small village in Chhattisgarh has used social media to begin its own economic and social revolution, using YouTube as a means to share their stories and talent to the world. In Tulsi, a village outside Raipur, villagers gather to film skits for YouTube videos and everyone plays a part, according to a report by BBC.
From elderly woman to little children, there's a role to play for all while staging a scene of a rural village festival for their fans in cities and countries thousands of kilometres away.
YouTube village of India
While it might appear like any other Indian village with one-storey houses and Banyan trees, Tulsi is known as India's "YouTube Village". Out of the 4,000 people who live in Tulsi, over 1,000 work on YouTube videos in some way or another.
The villagers say YouTube has brought much more that economic wealth to the village as it has also become a platform to spark social change. Of all its YouTubers, Tulsi's women make up a majority. The women who previously had few opportunities for earning a living now boast for independent incomes.
"It is keeping the children away from bad habits and crime," says Netram Yadav, 49, a farmer in Tulsi and one of the many admirers of the village's burgeoning social media scene. "These content creators have made everyone in the village proud for what they have been able to achieve and do."
Social media revolution in rural India
Tulsi's Youtube transformation began in 2018 with a YouTube channel called Being Chhattisgarhiya, which showed the ordinary life of the rural village. Today, it has over 125,000 subscribers and more than 260 million views on their videos.
Their success attracted attention from local officials, who helped establish a state-of-the-art studio in the village in 2023. Sarveshwar Bhure, former collector of the Raipur district, told BBC that he saw the village's YouTube work as an opportunity to address the digital divide.
Empowering women
For 27-year-old Pinky Sahoo, her aspirations of becoming an actress came true through the social media revolution. Despite taboo and criticism, Sahoo posted her dance videos to Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts and caught the attention of local filmmakers in Chattisgarh's regional cinema. She has now acted in over seven films.
The former village sarpanch Draupadi Vaishnu, who frequently features in videos, told BBC that YouTube can play a crucial role in challenging biases and changing societal norms. "It's common for women to perpetuate [misogynistic practices], especially in how they treat their daughters-in-law. These videos help break those cycles," she said.
(Also read: Indian blind athlete who met PM Modi, Mukesh Ambani called ‘waste’ by villagers)
Alternative occupations
The social media revolution has also helped those seeking other forms of livelihood beyond content creation or agriculture. Rahul Varma, a 28-year old wedding photographer who learned the art from YouTube from his fellow villagers, says the platform has been transformative for his work.
Other villagers have started using social media platforms to sell products from their small businesses like hair oil and homemade spices.
26-year-old Rajesh Diwar who regularly shares dance videos to hip-hop tracks said, "Not many people rap in our language, but I believe I can change that. I want to bring a new sound to our region and make Tulsi known for its music as much as its videos."
Recommended Topics