Editorial Research · 2026 Edition
The 100 brands India’s Gen Z actually loves.
The Gen Z Adored Brand Index is a ranked study of brand love among India’s youth — built from primary research among 5k+ Gen Z respondents, across twenty categories of their daily lives.
Most brand trackers measure what young India buys. Almost none measure what it loves — and the two are very different lists.
We asked over five thousand Gen Z respondents which brands they use, follow, feel proud to carry, and would name as a favourite without a list in front of them. The distance between usage and unprompted love turned out to be the single most revealing number in the study: the most-used brand in a category is rarely the most-loved one.
The 2026 Index maps that gap across twenty categories — from automobiles and fintech to fashion, beauty and streaming — and ranks the hundred brands that have genuinely earned a place in this generation’s heart.
Inside the 2026 Edition
A ranked index of 100 brands — the names India’s Gen Z trusts and loves, across every corner of its life.
Twenty 9-page category deep-dives — automobile, fintech, fashion, beauty, food, gaming, streaming, travel and more.
The Love Score — unprompted love divided by usage — which brands convert reach into real preference, and which are just renting shelf space.
Usage-vs-love brand maps — one chart per category showing whose distribution is quietly going to waste.
Playbooks by position — what the winners, the workhorses and the hidden gems of each category should do next.
Methodology: findings are based on an editorial survey of 5k+ Indian Gen Z respondents. “Loved” reflects an unprompted, open-text question. An editorial property of The Youth Talks — not a sponsored report.
Frequently asked questions
Everything else you might be wondering
What is the Gen Z Adored Brand Index?
It is a ranked editorial study of the 100 brands India’s Gen Z trusts and loves, published by The Youth Talks. The 2026 edition runs 185 pages: a ranked index of 100 brands plus twenty 9-page category deep-dives, built from primary research among 5k+ Indian Gen Z respondents.
Is the report really free?
Yes. Fill in the short form and the complete 185-page PDF is emailed to you immediately, along with a direct download link. There is no charge and no obligation — it is an editorial property of The Youth Talks, not a sponsored report.
How was the research conducted?
We surveyed 5k+ Indian Gen Z respondents about the brands they use, follow, feel proud to carry, and would name as a favourite unprompted — with no list in front of them. The Love Score divides unprompted love by usage to show which brands convert reach into real preference. As a non-probability sample, results indicate sentiment within this group.
Which categories does the index cover?
Twenty categories of Gen Z daily life: Automobile & Mobility, Beauty & Skincare, Cause-Driven Brands, D2C Lifestyle, Education & Skilling, Events & Festivals, Fashion & Apparel, Fintech & Payments, Food & Beverage, Footwear & Sneakers, Gaming & Esports, Campus Brands, Health & Wellness, Influencer-Owned Brands, Jewellery & Watches, Personal Tech, Sportswear & Fitness, Streaming & Entertainment, Sustainable & Ethical Brands, and Travel & Hospitality.
Who is the index for?
CMOs, brand and consumer-insight teams, agencies, and founders building for young India — anyone who needs to know not just what Gen Z buys, but which brands it genuinely loves, recommends and feels proud to carry.
Can we study our own brand with The Youth Talks?
Yes. We run custom brand, research, campus and employer-branding studies with the same Gen Z panel. Write to abdulla@theyouthtalks.com and we will get back to you personally.
Beyond the index
Want to know where your brand stands with Gen Z?
Every ranking in this book was built by listening to India’s youth first. If you’re exploring a research, campus or employer-branding partnership, we’d like to hear from you.
Talk to us — abdulla@theyouthtalks.com