The viral moments that grabbed India's attention this year

With millions of posts uploaded every day, India's social media churns out a viral moment almost on cue. If you've lost track of what thrilled and infuriated users in 2025, here's a handy recall: a round-up of the year's moments that made the country pause, laugh, or even scoff.

Shah Rukh Khan at his first ever Met Gala

In May, Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan attended his first ever Met Gala and clips of him walking the red carpet got an ecstatic reception from fans worldwide. The theme for this year's Gala, one of the biggest nights in fashion, was Superfine: Tailoring Black Style, which focused exclusively on menswear. Khan arrived on the red carpet in an outfit created by Indian designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee - decked out with his own dandy cane, plenty of bling, and sunglasses.

King Charles welcomed with a Bollywood hit song

Of all the tunes you would expect to hear at the Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey, a Bollywood song isn't on the list. That is why when a pipe band played Dhoom Machale to welcome the Royal Family at the event in March, the video went viral on Indian social media.

When Indian women made World Cup history

India made history in November, defeating South Africa to clinch their first Women's World Cup win. Jubilant crowds took to the streets and the sound of celebratory fireworks sounded late into the night. A video of the moment shared by the ICC has garnered nearly 90 million views.

The first time an Indian stepped foot on the ISS

In June, astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla became the first Indian ever to set foot on the International Space Station (ISS). Thousands watched as he piloted the Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4) from NASA's Kennedy Space Center. His video about how to change a camera lens in zero gravity was watched more than 25 million times.

Magnus Carlsen's table slam after defeat against Gukesh

Indian teenager Gukesh Dommaraju has been a rising star in chess, especially after defeating world chess number one Magnus Carlsen during the Norway Chess 2025 tournament. Carlsen's sudden outburst of frustration generated a lot of conversation online and sparked a trend of recreating the scene in humorous contexts.