Greying Indians are finding second calling as SM creators

A career as an influencer may be an instinctive choice for younger Indians born in the digital age.

- Pratishtha Bagai

But even older professionals in their 40s, 50s and 60s are taking it as a serious pursuit.

Retired bureaucrats, corporate executives, veteran actors, startup founders and professionals from diverse backgrounds have discovered content creation as a second calling-one offering an engaging, creative outlet and additional post-retirement income.

While young creators often seek backup plans because the "influencer" tag feels unstable, taking to content creation later in life carries far less pressure, according to actor Ashish Vidyarthi, who has reinvented himself online as a stand-up comic, travel and food vlogger, and motivational speaker.

The work, he says, becomes an extension of lived experience rather than a risky first bet on the future. "I usually crack a joke in my stand-up comedy set, that I am 60. Nothing in my life is long-term and predictable," said Vidyarthi. For him, that unpredictability is not a threat but a kind of freedom-permission to experiment without being pinned down.