Creator economy coming of age

India's creator economy is entering a maturity phase, driven by commerce, data, legal safeguards and professionalization, not just follower-led virality

- Pratishtha Bagai

n 2025, India's creator economy went from strength to strength, expanding nearly 25% to touch ₹4,500 crore, up from ₹3,600 crore last year, according to India Influencer Marketing Report 2025 by The Goat Agency and Kantar.

The boom was powered by India's insatiable appetite for snackable digital content, smarter data-driven tools, and a growing audience base clustering around niche and vernacular creators.

The momentum shows no signs of slowing as 2025 rolls into a new year. As brand playbooks evolve, policy support emerges, and e-commerce partnerships deepen, the independent content industry is poised to enter a phase of strategic maturity and scale.

Here are 10 trends set to shape the creator economy in 2026, based on early signals coming into view.

From content to commerce

India's creator economy, which already influences $350-400 billion in consumer spending, is on track to power over $1 trillion in creator-driven commerce by 2030, as per data from consultancy BCG. While brand collaborations remain a key pillar, the real acceleration is coming from e-commerce and content platforms backing creators heavily to drive sales.

Amazon, Flipkart, Myntra, and Nykaa are expanding commission-based influencer programmes, while content giants are ramping up efforts around affiliate marketing models. YouTube, for instance, has partnered with Flipkart, Nykaa, Myntra and Purplle for affiliate initiatives and may bring Amazon on board. Meta is working with Wishlink to boost its creator-affiliate ecosystem.

Consequently, affiliate marketing and social commerce are likely to see strong growth through the next year, with a growing share of creator earnings tied directly to product sales and commissions.

Global formats come to India