Since its launch last month, Google's Nano Banana image generation model, officially named Gemini 2.5 Flash Image, has created a global buzz. However, in India, the model has taken on a unique creative life of its own, with retro-style portraits and localized trends gaining rapid popularity—even as concerns about privacy and security begin to surface. According to David Sharon, head of Gemini Apps multimodal generation at Google DeepMind, speaking at a media briefing this week, India has emerged as the top market globally for Nano Banana usage. The model's popularity has propelled the Gemini app to the top of the free app charts on both the App Store and Google Play in India. Data from Appfigures also shows the app rising to the top of global app store rankings. Given India's scale—being the world's second-largest smartphone market and second-largest internet population after China—it's not surprising that the country leads in adoption. What has captured Google's attention, however, isn't just how many people are using Nano Banana, but how they're using it: millions of Indians are engaging with the AI model in uniquely local, highly creative, and sometimes completely unexpected ways. A standout trend is the use of Nano Banana to recreate retro looks inspired by 1990s Bollywood, with users imagining themselves in that era through period-specific fashion, hairstyles, and makeup. Sharon noted to reporters that this trend is distinctly localized to India. One variation of this retro trend is what some have called the "AI saree" phenomenon, where users generate vintage-style portraits wearing traditional Indian attire. Another India-specific trend involves users generating self-portraits in front of urban landscapes and iconic landmarks such as Big Ben and vintage British telephone booths. "We saw a lot of this very early on," Sharon said. Indian users are also experimenting with object transformation using Nano Banana, creating time-travel effects and even reimagining themselves as vintage postage stamps. Others are generating black-and-white portraits or using the model to visualize meeting their younger selves. While some of these trends didn't originate in India, the country has played a key role in amplifying them globally. One example is the figurine trend, where users generate miniature versions of themselves, often placed in front of computer screens. Sharon noted that this trend initially emerged in Thailand, spread to Indonesia, and became a global phenomenon after gaining traction in India. Beyond Nano Banana, Google has also observed a trend in India where users are employing its Veo 3 AI video generation model within the Gemini app to create short videos from old photos of grandparents and great-grandparents. All of these factors have contributed to Gemini's popularity in India on both the App Store and Google Play. Exclusive data shared with TechCrunch by Appfigures shows that from January to August, the app averaged 1.9 million monthly downloads in India—about 55% higher than in the U.S.—accounting for 16.6% of global monthly downloads. As of August, total downloads in India reached 15.2 million, compared to 9.8 million in the U.S. for the same period, according to Appfigures. Following the Nano Banana update release, daily downloads of Gemini in India saw a significant spike. Starting September 1, combined installations across both app stores reached 55,000. Downloads peaked on September 13 at 414,000—an increase of 667%—and since September 10, the app has held the top spot overall on the iOS App Store, and since September 12, it has led on Google Play across all categories, data shows. While India leads in downloads, it does not top the charts for in-app purchases within Gemini. According to Appfigures, global consumer spending on the app on iOS is estimated at $6.4 million since launch. The U.S. accounts for the largest share, $2.3 million (35%), while India contributed $95,000 (1.5%). However, India recorded a 18% monthly spending growth from September 1 to 16, reaching $13,000—compared to 11% global growth during the same period. This puts India seven percentage points above the global average and over 17 percentage points higher than the U.S., which saw less than 1% growth. That said, as with other AI apps, concerns have emerged regarding users uploading personal photos to Gemini to alter appearances. "When users ask us to fulfill their requests, we make every effort to do so. We don't try to guess their intentions," Sharon said when asked how Google handles data misuse and privacy concerns from users in India and other key markets. "We're really working hard to improve in this area, and we have improved, to boldly fulfill your requests." Google has placed a visible diamond watermark on images generated by its Nano Banana model and uses its SynthID tool to embed a hidden signature identifying AI-generated content. SynthID allows Google to detect and label content created using its model. Sharon told reporters that Google is testing a detection platform with trusted testers, researchers, and other experts. The company also plans to launch a consumer-facing version that will allow anyone to verify whether an image was generated by AI. "It's still early days—we are still learning, and we're learning together. The areas where we'll need to improve in the future are precisely where feedback from users, media, academia, and experts will help us get better," Sharon said.