Influencer boom fuels demand for managers

From students to strategists, agencies rush to hire influencer managers

- Pratishtha Bagai

India's creator economy faces an adulting problem. With the number of so-called influencers mushrooming to nearly five million, talent management and marketing agencies are scrambling to find folks to manage a population nearly rivalling Finland's.

The number of influencers, whose primary job is to gain enough followers for their online content, has increased from about 962,000 in 2020 to 4.06 million in 2024, according to a report in January by Qoruz, an influencer marketing software provider.

Online content creators become influencers when they have amassed a following of at least 1,000 people, so their corner of the internet can serve as a space for brands to peddle products or services.