YouTube monetization requirements in India, both tiers explained

The two YouTube Partner Program tiers in India, what counts towards them, how the review works, why channels get rejected, and what changes on 1 February 2027.

Updated 29 October 2026 · 9 min read · By Videxa Editorial Team

What are the YouTube monetization requirements in India today?

As of 29 October 2026, a channel in India can apply at either of two levels, and both start with your subscriber count plus one of two watch numbers.

The first tier also needs 3 valid public uploads in the last 90 days. India is on YouTube's list of countries where this expanded program is available.

Each feature has its own extra rules. For example, channel memberships, Super Chat, Super Stickers and Super Thanks all need you to be at least 18. Ad revenue needs you to be 18 or older, or to have a parent or legal guardian over 18 who handles payments through AdSense for YouTube.

What changes on 1 February 2027?

YouTube has announced that new creators applying for ad revenue from 1 February 2027 will need 1,000 subscribers plus either 8,000 qualified watch hours in the last 365 days or 20 million qualified Shorts views in the last 90 days.

A few details matter here:

• If you are already in YPP, YouTube says your status is not affected by the new entry thresholds.
• The fan funding tier does not change. It stays at 500 subscribers and either 3,000 watch hours in a year or 3 million Shorts views in 90 days.
• Every partner needs to review and accept updated terms in YouTube Studio by 31 January 2027. A partner who does not accept stops earning from those features from 1 February 2027, but stays in YPP and can accept later to get them back.
• To earn from the Shorts Creator Pool in a given month from 1 February 2027, a YPP channel will need 10 million qualified Shorts views in the last 90 days. Missing that mark does not remove you from YPP or affect your long video earnings.

If you are still a few months from 1,000 subscribers, the honest assumption is that you will apply under the new numbers. That is not a reason to rush. It is a reason to keep building watch time on long videos, which counts towards both tiers.

What counts towards watch hours and Shorts views?

Only qualified numbers count: watch hours from public long videos and archived live streams, and engaged views on public Shorts.

Your public view count is not your YPP progress. To see where you stand, open YouTube Studio and go to Earn. You can also select Get notified there, and YouTube will email you once you meet a threshold.

How do you apply, and how does the review work?

You apply from the Earn section of YouTube Studio, and then people and automated systems review your channel as a whole, usually in about a month.

1. Check the basics first

   YouTube asks you to follow its channel monetization policies, live in a country where YPP is available, have no active Community Guidelines strikes, turn on 2-Step Verification for your Google Account, and have advanced features access on YouTube.

2. Apply in Earn

   In YouTube Studio, go to Earn, select Apply Now and accept the base terms.

3. Link AdSense for YouTube

   Link one active AdSense for YouTube account, or set one up. YouTube says to create a new AdSense for YouTube account only from inside YouTube Studio. When you see "In Progress" on the Get Reviewed step, your application is in the queue.

4. Wait for the review

   YouTube says a decision typically takes about 1 month, and can take longer when application volumes are high or reviewers disagree. Your numbers dropping below the threshold while you wait does not cancel the review.

5. If accepted, choose how to earn

   Accept the modules for the features you want, such as Watch Page ads, Shorts Feed ads or the Commerce Product Module for fan funding, then turn them on.

If your first application is rejected, YouTube's main YPP page says you can appeal within 21 days, or keep uploading original content and apply again after 30 days. After a repeat rejection, the wait is 90 days.

Why do channels get rejected?

YouTube says a rejection usually means its reviewers found that a significant portion of the channel does not follow its policies and guidelines. For small channels, the policy to check first is reused content.

YouTube's reused content policy covers channels that repurpose content already on YouTube or elsewhere online without adding significant original commentary, substantive changes, or educational or entertainment value. Reviewers can look at your videos, titles, thumbnails, descriptions and About section, and the policy applies to your channel as a whole. It applies even if the original creator gave you permission.

Since 15 July 2025, YouTube calls its old "repetitious content" policy "inauthentic content". It covers mass-produced and repetitive videos, such as ones that look made from a template, and YouTube lists AI-generated content made with generic templates without the creator's own insight as an example of what cannot monetize.

Reused content is separate from copyright. You can have no copyright claims at all and still be rejected. Our copyright and music guide covers the copyright side.

What happens after you are accepted?

You start earning only from the features you turn on, and you get paid through AdSense for YouTube once you pass your payment threshold.

YouTube says finalized earnings for a month are added to your AdSense for YouTube balance between the 7th and 12th of the next month, and paid out by the 21st to 26th if your balance has reached the payment threshold and there are no holds. Every monetizing creator, wherever they live, must submit US tax info in AdSense for YouTube. For Indian tax on your earnings, talk to a chartered accountant.

Staying in matters too. YouTube says it may turn off monetization on channels that have not uploaded or posted for 6 months or more, and it updates its activity rules from 1 February 2027. For what the money actually looks like, read how much YouTube pays in India.

If you are still at the start, our post on getting your first 1,000 subscribers has a 60-day plan.