Influencer marketing statistics in India (2026)

There is no single number, because the published estimates measure different things. EY publishes a projection for the Indian influencer marketing sector, WPP Media publishes a larger estimate with Kantar, and an older GroupM INCA forecast counts only talent and production costs rather than the media spend that boosts creator posts. The statistics table on this page gives each figure with its year and a link to the report it comes from.

Use the estimate that matches your question. If you are sizing creator fees, the narrower GroupM INCA definition is closer. If you are sizing the total market including paid amplification, the WPP Media figure is closer. Every estimate agrees on direction: the market has grown every year and is expected to keep growing, so budgets set a few years ago are likely out of date.

• Estimates differ because they count different costs
• Pick the estimate that matches your question
• All published estimates show continued growth

BCG has counted the active digital creators in India with more than a thousand followers, and finds that only a small minority of them earn from their content effectively. That gap is why so many Indian creators accept barter deals early on, and why brands can find capable nano and micro creators at modest fees.

The audience is large and mobile first. DataReportal and Kepios publish social media user identities for India along with YouTube and Instagram audience figures, all listed in the table on this page. Those platform figures come from advertising reach tools, so treat them as reach, not as daily active users.

• Many active creators, few monetise well
• Audience figures are advertising reach
• Nano and micro creators are widely available

The Advertising Standards Council of India published influencer guidelines that apply to posts from 14 June 2021. Paid or gifted content needs an upfront label such as Ad, Sponsored, Collaboration, or Partnership, and on short videos the label must stay on screen long enough to read. The Department of Consumer Affairs followed with its own endorsement guide for influencers in January 2023.

Enforcement is real. ASCI publishes an annual complaints report, and its 2024 to 2025 report found that the influencer ads it investigated overwhelmingly had to be changed; the table on this page links to it. Brands should put the disclosure wording in the brief and check it before content goes live rather than relying on the creator to remember.

• Labels are required on paid and gifted posts
• Put disclosure wording in the brief
• ASCI actively investigates influencer ads

Section 194R of the Income Tax Act, in force from 1 July 2022, requires tax to be deducted at source on business benefits given to a resident once the year’s total crosses ₹20,000. The Central Board of Direct Taxes clarified that a product an influencer keeps counts as a benefit, while a product returned after use does not.

Tax law in India is being consolidated, so confirm the current section number and thresholds with a tax adviser before you rely on this for a campaign. For barter collaborations, record the value of each product sent, whether it is kept, and who is responsible for the deduction.

• Kept products can be a taxable benefit
• Record product value on every barter deal
• Confirm current rules with a tax adviser