What did India search for in 2017?
Manushi Chhillar being crowned Miss World 2017
The year of demonetisation, cricket, GST and Bitcoin witnessed some old and some new favourites on Google’s trending panel.
Christmas is gone and a new year is upon us, which means that this is the perfect time for that year-end nostalgia. As you sit back and think about everything that caught your fancy in 2017, we have a list of favourites, some old and some new, to help you remember the year gone by.
Introspection into Google India’s ‘2017 Year in Search’ results shows the latest top trends and searches through the eyes of search users in India. Google’s ‘Year in Search’ acts as a recap of the year’s major events, interests and trends reflecting upon the perspective of about 420 million internet users in India.
Just like the previous years, Bollywood and cricket remained the most searched themes with ‘Baahubali 2: The Conclusion’ topping Google’s trending charts. The blockbuster film that is a sequel to the equally popular first part titled ‘Baahubali: The Beginning’ is the fourth-highest-grossing Indian film in overseas markets with an overseas gross of USD 43.16 million. Next in the popularity line is Indian Premier League (IPL) that is aptly in relation to the trending keyword of the year- ‘Live Cricket Score’, which is the third-most trending search query of the year.
Harsha, an ardent fan of Baahubali states, “For some time after the first part of Baahubali released, I wondered Katappa ne Baahubali ko kyu mara (Why did Katappa kill Baahubali?), and Baahubali 2 finally answered my lingering doubt.”
Baahubali 2 – The Conclusion caught the audience by storm
The list of trending searches also included Bollywood blockbusters Dangal and Badrinath Ki Dulhania. Dangal also happens to be the highest-grossing Indian film worldwide.
Google’s Year in Search 2017 also reflected the year’s breaking news moments that had the country divided. Starting from CBSE results, Uttar Pradesh (state in north India) elections and Budget to the more pressing Goods and Services Tax (GST) and demonetisation, India’s search results were flooded with these terms and related news. Similarly, Bitcoin, which is trending globally has equally caught the interest of Indian users. The cryptocurrency and worldwide payment system is the first decentralised digital currency that works without a central bank or single administrator. Searches related to Bitcoin and Bitcoin investments have witnessed huge interest among Indian users.
Also, heading the list of popular searches is ransomware, as the country recently took a ransomware hit that cyber experts warn can be severely affecting India’s cyber safety following the WannaCry and the Petya attacks. Following in the trail of the dark web, the Blue Whale Game is yet another most searched topic when it comes to the intricacies of the web.
Following India’s historic win at the Miss World Beauty pageant that catapulted Manushi Chhillar to fame, Indians hit the search button multiple times to Google the bio of the proud winner.
Harsha adds,”I am not one to adhere to beauty norms endorsed by beauty pageants, but I see an overwhelmingly positive response it has imbibed in the minds of the people in a way that people received the news more as an Indian win on a global platform than as a beauty pageant win.”
When it comes to the ‘How to’ searches, here are the top results: How to link Aadhaar card with PAN card, How to book Jio phone, How to buy bitcoin in India, How to take a screenshot, How to remove Holi colour from face, How to file GST return, How to invest in mutual funds, How to mine Bitcoin, How to vote for Bigg Boss 11, How to buy ethereum in India – in that order.
