The two levels of the YouTube Partner Programme
YouTube has an expanded Partner Programme in India with two thresholds. The lower one, 500 subscribers, 3 public uploads in the last 90 days, and either 3,000 public watch hours in a year or 3 million Shorts views in 90 days, unlocks fan funding: channel memberships, Super Chat, Super Stickers, Super Thanks and YouTube Shopping. The higher one, 1,000 subscribers plus 4,000 watch hours or 10 million Shorts views, unlocks ad revenue sharing on long videos and Shorts. YouTube updates these rules, so confirm in YouTube Studio's Earn tab.
Other requirements people miss
You need two-step verification on your Google account, no active Community Guidelines strikes, an AdSense account to receive payments, and a channel that follows YouTube's monetisation policies. Most rejections of Indian channels come from the reused content policy: compilations, re-uploads, clips from TV or films, or slideshows without meaningful original commentary. Fix that before applying.
YouTube reviews every channel
Meeting the numbers only lets you apply. A human review follows, which can take a month or more. Reviewers look at your main theme, your most-viewed videos, your newest videos and your metadata. Channels can be rejected and asked to reapply after 30 days, or demonetised later if they stop meeting the policies.
Can bought subscribers or watch hours get you monetised?
Bought subscribers and watch hours do count on the public counters. But YouTube's review looks for genuine audience behaviour, and its policies prohibit artificial traffic. Channels with inflated numbers can be rejected, have the numbers removed, or lose monetisation later. If you use promotion, use it to get past the empty-channel stage while you build real viewers, not as a substitute for them.
How long it usually takes
Channels that upload one good long video a week in a clear niche often reach 1,000 subscribers in six months to a year. Watch hours come faster from long, useful videos (tutorials, full recipes, exam strategies, podcasts) than from short ones. Shorts can bring subscribers quickly, but 10 million Shorts views in 90 days is a high bar for most channels.
Example
A Telugu cooking channel in Vijayawada has 1,400 subscribers and 2,600 watch hours after nine months. Instead of buying hours, the creator starts uploading 25-minute full-meal videos every Sunday. Within three months watch hours pass 4,000, she applies, and because every video is her own cooking with her own commentary, the channel is approved.
By Reachwala Team · Updated 24 Oct 2026