What’s Behind India’s Labubu Doll Craze?
20 Jun 2025 6:25 AM IST
Seen those little dolls hanging off of people’s bags? Those are called “labubu dolls.”
They’re about 25 cms long. Popular American celebrities like Rihanna and Kim Kardashian started sporting them in 2024, which is when they became a hot item in the US. Now, they’ve become big in India too.
I’m your host Kudrat Wadhwa and you’re listening to The Signal Daily. We don’t do hot takes. Instead, we bring you deep dives into the how and why of consumer trends.
In the latest episode of The Signal Daily, we’ll learn about what labubu dolls are. Why are they flying off the shelves like never before? And, how can you spot a fake from the real thing?
The Core produces The Signal Daily. Find us wherever you get your favourite podcasts. To check out the rest of our work, go to www.thecore.in
NOTE: A machine transcribed this episode. A human has looked at this text but there might still be errors. Please refer to the audio above, if you need to clarify something. If you want to give us feedback, please write to us at [email protected].
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TRANSCRIPT
Kudrat (Host): We live in a rather odd time — more connected, but also more lonely and insecure than ever before — thanks to social media.
In 2025, there’s even people whose whole career is “influencing” others, generally to buy something. And, the most recent object that influencers have successfully convinced the public to buy into is… labubu dolls. You’ve probably come across these – either online or in real life.
For the uninitiated, most labubu dolls are about 25-30 centimetres long. They have a fuzzy covering and come in different colours – pastel pink, blue, brown. These dolls have jagged teeth and an odd smile, which makes them scary and uncanny. The internet describes them as “ugly cute.”
Labubu dolls got big in the US in early 2024, with paparazzi snapping Rihanna, Kim Kardashian and Dua Lipa sporting these dolls. Now, labubu dolls are all the rage in India too.
Kudrat (Host): I’m your host Kudrat Wadhwa and you’re listening to The Signal Daily. We don’t do hot takes. Instead, we bring you deep dives into the how and why of consumer trends.
In today’s episode, we look at the growing trend of Indians buying labubu dolls. Why are they so popular among consumers? And, where can someone in India find them?
Kudrat (Host): A man called Kasing Lung, who is half Belgian and half Cantonese, created labubu dolls. He grew up reading European mythology, and wanted to teach Nordic mythology to his kids. So, he wrote a series of books called ‘The Monsters Trilogy’. These books then became the basis for labubu dolls.
In 2018, Mr. Lung partnered with Pop Mart, a Chinese collectible art toy company, to make real-life Labubu figures. This partnership brought Labubu to the mass market, while maintaining its designer toy roots.
Though labubus have been around for a few years, they only really picked up in 2023/2024, first in the US and in East Asia. And, they’ve been a resounding success – thanks to labubu dolls, Pop Mart’s stock price tripled in value in 2025. Wang Ning, Pop Mart’s CEO, entered the list of China’s top 10 billionaires.
There’s many reasons for why people like them. For starters, there’s something cute and catchy about the name “labubu.” There’s also other types of dolls in the labubu collection, and they too have “fun-to-say” names. There’s Zimomo, which looks a lot like Labubu but has a long, pointy tail; Pippo, who looks a bit like a papillon dog – a breed that resembles a chihuahua– and Tycoco, a top-hat-wearing skeleton.
Kudrat (Host): More than these fun names and the fact that these dolls are “ugly cute,” people love labubu dolls because of how cleverly Pop Mart has marketed them. Pop Mart sells labubus in blind boxes, meaning consumers don’t know what they’re in for when they buy the product. There’s also limited edition labubus and labubus with seasonal themes – so there’s a Halloween labubu and a forest-themed labubu, for example. All this creates hype and excitement for labubu dolls.
Akash: what happened was I was in Bangkok with my friend and co-founder, uh, Noopur, we were walking in this road, um, called Siam, and uh, we saw a really, really massive line. Outside the shop called Pop Mart.
Kudrat (Host): That was Akash. He runs a company called Local Ferment Co, which sells kombucha, among other healthy beverages.
Akash: We had, we had quite a few things to do that evening, but we were like, okay, why not? We'll just enter the shop and see what all, what all the fuss is about. Yeah. And we went in and it was literally a frenzy. People were Wow. Picking up boxes and boxes of these.
Toys. Yeah. Um, which we picking up boxes and boxes of these toys, which we came later came to know that, I mean, when we went a little bit closer to the rack is something called LaBubu. So I believe. And, uh, yeah, people were buying boxes and boxes of it.
Kudrat (Host): Akash and his co-founder Noopur bought their labubus way before the toy began trending in India. They didn’t pay much either – only 1,200 rupees each.
And now, labubus have become popular in India too. Though they cost 1200 if you buy them directly from a Pop Mart store, in India, most people pay 3-4000 rupees at least. That’s because you’ll likely buy it from a reseller – more on that later. Several Indian celebrities have bought labubus – Ananya Panday wears it as a keychain on her Chanel bag, Orry – the guy famous for taking pictures with celebs with his hand on their belly – apparently has many of these too.
Even Sania Mirza and Neetu Kapoor bought labubu dolls.
Nikhil Jain: I mean, two days back I sold it to Ranbir Kapoor’s House, a few of them. Like when we, I mean, I, it went, went, so basically it went to, um, uh, Neetu Kapoor ma'am, I'm not sure who's using it, but I didn't see her using it.
I guess Sania Mirza bought like eight or nine of those, but he, she distributed it to her friends and colleagues. She personally, I guess, is using four or five.
Basically, I delivered it to her, uh, she was having a shoot in Mumbai. I delivered three. And for the next five days, I was just delivering in that office because everyone saw it, that what it is and everyone wanted it and they knew that it's coming from me. So in that single office, I've sold at least 40 labu boos in a span of a week.
Kudrat (Host): Nikhil Jain, who we just heard from, runs a store called City Kicks India, where he sells collectibles like sneakers. He started selling Labubu toys in 2024.
NJ: I sold my first Bubu in December of 2024 and I just bought them in India because I thought a lot of celebrities in the States and Europe were using them.
So I was like, it'll be fun. There was no demand, no buyers.
Kudrat (Host): At first, Nikhil said that Labubu was an ultra-rich people thing. They would use it as a bag charm, for their expensive LV and Gucci bags,
NJ: So that's how the trend caught up, I guess. Uh, so yeah. But, uh, two months has been insane. I mean, I'm selling more labubus than anything else right now.
I guess post April or May, it's like a household thing. Your kids wanted, your sister wanted. So yeah, I guess, uh, it's, it's a, it's, it's just like everyone wants it. Rich, poor, I don't know. They, they might not even have a coach bag or something like, not even a 10,000 rugby back, but they want a level group worth for, for three, 4,000.
Kudrat (Host): People are also posting videos of themselves unboxing their labubus. Here’s an audio version of an instagram video the TV actress Shweta Salve posted of she and her daughter unboxing labubus.
IG video: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DKhd56utliH/?igsh=aWpvd250MXVhcDRt
Kudrat (Host): Nikhil said people buy labubus because it gives them happiness. The mystery of unboxing your purchase to find out what’s inside is exciting. There’s also of course, the influencer effect. If popular people you follow are buying something, you want the same thing too.
The Signal Daily also spoke to Dr. Harshmeet Kaur, a New Delhi-based psychologist, to understand the labubu phenomenon more.
HK: I would say there's a lot of pre peer pressure. Also when, uh, friends, they, or online communities, there's staff. Flexing their dolls, then you also want it not having, will make you feel that, you know, you are either emotionally or aesthetically excluded from that space.
Kudrat (Host): Peer pressure; the desire of wanting to be in on a trend – all these are reasons why someone would want to buy a labubu doll. But, that’s not all. Dr. Harshmeet says that buying a labubu doll could also signal wanting emotional comfort.
HK: from a psychologist's lens, I would see this doll more than acute collectible. I. It could be a reflection of one's emotional needs also,
for. Gen Z and young urban adults, they're craving for safety and softness, which has also increased. Uh, you know, um, after pandemic. Uh, so many of us, we are feeling, uh, still feeling emotionally raw and something like Labu Doll can really feel.
Nonjudgmental for us. It doesn't talk back. It doesn't disappoint us. And for some it becomes a kind of a emotional companion, which is a safe outlet to express care when you know, relationships get overwhelming.
Kudrat (Host): Modern life is challenging and hectic. You turn 21 and graduate from college and all of a sudden, society expects you to take on a million responsibilities.
But of course, there’s an inner child in all of us that needs play and fun. Labubus help us connect with that person.
Even the data supports that theory. There’s a new consumer that driving the growth of the toy industry.. They’re called ‘kidults’ meaning adults over 18 who purchase kid products and entertainment services.
According to a report by Empower, a financial services company, overall toy sales declined in 2023. But, the 18+ segment grew. In 2023, that segment accounted for 17.3% of global sales – roughly $6.7 billion. And, that’s an 8% increase from the previous year.
Kidadulting is here to stay. But, how long will labubu dolls remain in vogue?
Kudrat (from NJ interview) : and how long do you think this laboo trend is gonna last ?
NJ: For me Two months. But two months. Again, I was wrong. I thought it's gonna end today. Mm-hmm. It did. It is at its peak, so we never know. But yeah, I'm, so basically I'm just projecting for the next one, two months. So that's enough for me to get more of them.
Kudrat (Host): Nikhil says at least 2 months, or maybe more.
At this point, if you’re also feeling enticed to buy a labubu, the way a part of me is, you probably wanna know how you can obtain one.
In India, right now we don’t have any Pop mart stores.
So, the only way for you to buy a labubu then, is through resellers like Nikhil. That’s also because of how scarce labubus are. Which, btw, is an intentional marketing tactic. The less there is of something, the more consumers want it.
Because of that, even resellers have to buy them in retail, through physical stores like a Pop Mart in Thailand.
And that’s why, you’d have to shell out at least 3000-4000 rupees to buy a labubu in India. But, the same thing would cost 1200 rupees in Thailand or China.
Kudrat (Host): As anything becomes famous, there’s always others trying to imitate it.
If you’re trying to buy a labubu, you should also know that there’s plenty of fakes in the market.
NJ: 50% of the uh, uh, labubus you Google right now are in India and it's super easy to check it. How do you check if it's a fake order? Real. Uh, so there's a barcode, there's a, uh, there's a silver barcode. You just scan it, make sure of a alleged, um, pop Mart website. Open up.
So there are, so, I mean, today morning I have like, I had like 20 fakes in my house.
I just send it back to the seller. Because I checked and it was not legit, and I just gave it back. Hmm. Secondly, uh, so you just scan it. An official Pop Mar website opens up and then you just, you just scratch the bottom of the barcode and enter the four digit on the website. They'll tell you if it's authentic on.
Kudrat (host): Social media trends come and go. Remember when everyone was into Dubai chocolates? Or Stanley cups? The fact that so many people buy into it, shows our desire to be a part of something bigger. To feel like we belong. And also, to not feel FOMO or to aspire toward something that our fav celebrity might be doing.
But, as Dr. Harshmeet pointed out, in this particular case, the fact that it’s a somewhat cute, plushy toy could also mean something else. That buyers are looking for an object to feel emotionally connected to. We’re all stressed our and overworked and overwhelmed. As you get older, there’s fewer avenues of levity and joy.
So, before you judge the next labubu owner, remember that a labubu is more than just a toy. It’s also a mirror of modern-day longing and desire for fun. If you decide to buy one yourself, make sure that your labubu isn’t a fake.
Kudrat (Host): That’s all for today. You just heard The Signal Daily. We don’t do hot takes. Instead, we’ll bring you deep dives into the ‘how’ and ‘why’ on consumer trends.
The Core produces The Signal Daily. Follow us wherever you get your favourite podcasts. To check out the rest of our work, go to www.thecore.in.
If you have feedback, we’d love to hear from you. Write to us @[email protected].
Thank you for listening.
