Gao Chen hand wrestles with an Indian online celebrity in India in October. Photo: VCG

Gao Chen, a girl from Central China's Hubei Province, has spent a year in India, trying to spot residents throughout the country who have potential to become online celebrities.

Gao works for VMate, a short video platform in India affiliated with Alibaba, China's largest online retailer. 

She was sent to India with other scouts in May 2018 to discover talent. Gao and her team have spotted and cultivated around 4,000 online celebrities in India. Some online celebrities can earn as much as 200,000 rupees ($2,780) a month. 

India has the world's second largest population with an average age of around 30 years old. This is one reason it has potential to become the most lucrative market globally within the next 50 years. The country's mobile network is developing quickly and is gradually changing Indian society. Many Chinese science and technology companies have entered the Indian market. 

Gao has traveled extensively throughout the country. She has visited villages and slums in remote areas to do surveys and to find people who can represent a group and deliver stories from their communities online. 

Gao's impression of India has changed substantially. She no longer associates the country with poverty, but instead understands it as a place full of surprises that is constantly developing. 

Producing short videos has also changed some residents' life. Komal was a housewife before secretly uploading short videos of her dancing. 

Gao found her videos online and got in touch with her. She shared video producing skills with Komal and advised her to wear clothes with her hometown's characteristics.

After uploading videos with better quality, Komal began earning money. She can now earn as much as 200,000 rupees a month. 

All these short videos help record many aspects of Indian society. Thanks to talent scouts like Gao, many grassroots online celebrities are being discovered, and have the opportunity to show their life and change their future. 

Gao hugs an Indian online celebrity. Photo: VCG

Gao's team takes a photo with residents from Orchha, India. Photo: VCG

Online celebrities dance in the streets. Photo: VCG

An Indian online celebrity performs high kicking. Photo: VCG

 

 

 

 
Newspaper headline: Making stars