The Rise of The Contentprenuers

As Gen Z content creators turn their influence into enterprise, work and income are getting redefined in India's digital economy

- BY PRASHANTI MOKTAN

I USED TO SHOOT after 10 pm when my parents were asleep. It was work during the day, YouTube at night. My sleep schedule was ruined, but one video changed everything." Meet 28-year-old Gaurang Patel, aka Matgonian, a Gen Z gamer with over 2 million followers. He quit his full-time job as a software engineer after his creator income surpassed his salary at the 700Ksubscriber mark.

Gaurang isn't the only Zoomer who has pivoted to the social media content space. From beauty to gaming, young creators now drive a new labour market across sectors, as publishers, marketers, performers, analysts, founders, and increasingly, employers.

That's because Gen Z is truly the first generation to come of age on social media platforms. "In India, the creator landscape is undergoing a foundational shift where individuals are evolving into 'Contentpreneurs', the nextgeneration start-ups of the media and entertainment industry," says Gunjan Soni, Managing Director, India, YouTube.

India’s creator ecosystem is already a powerful economic force as 2-2.5 million creators influence an estimated $350-400 billion in annual consumer spending, and this is projected to touch $1 trillion by 2030, as per a 2025 BCG report.

The impact and potential of this ecosystem is clear and the entrepreneurial zeal mirrors evolving consumer behaviour. The BT-PRICE Gen Z Consumption Behaviour Survey reveals that 41% of Zoomers use the internet primarily for social media. They’re not just consuming content there; they’re acting on what they see. A good 22% of Gen Z respondents said they frequently purchase products or services after seeing them on social media, while 38% do so occasionally. But there’s a clear winner among the platforms: 44% said Instagram influences their purchase decisions, followed by YouTube at 25% and Snapchat at 11%.