With over 450 million internet users and growing at a rapid pace, India is witnessing a rise of content creators across different social media platforms like YouTube, Instagram and more. The availability of affordable smartphones and cheap data plans have made content creation and sharing accessible to a wide demographic in India. Several Indian content creators have amassed millions of followers by producing content across a variety of genres like comedy, cooking, fitness, education and more. The emergence of these digital entrepreneurs reflects the growing creator economy in India.
YouTube leading the way for Indian Creator Economy
YouTube has been at the forefront in enabling the rise of creators in India. India Creator Economy Several Indian YouTube channels have climbed up the popularity charts with millions of subscribers by producing high-quality, hyper local content. For example, Ashish Chanchlani’s comedy sketches have resonated strongly with the Indian youth and his channel now boasts over 25 million subscribers. Similarly, educational channels like Physics Wallah and economics coaching channels have found widespread popularity by making learning engaging and fun for students. Over the past few years, vernacular content creation has also grown significantly on YouTube with content produced in languages across India. The clear audience demand and monetary opportunities through YouTube Partnership Program have incentivized more people to experiment with content formats.
Content diversity drives the creator
Beyond just YouTube, platforms like Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat have witnessed Indian content creators produce diverse formats ranging from comedy, dance, lifestyle experiments to music videos and more. Fitness creators like Yoga By Kamal, Sarvesh Shashidhar and Siddharth Singh have built strong and loyal followings by focusing on HIIT (high-intensity interval training) workouts. Cooking influencers like Ranveer Brar, Helofoodie and Rishimisal have made cuisine explorations entertaining for millions. Projects like FilterCopy on YouTube have further built the careers of comedians like Amit Bhadana, Akshar Pathak and Sahil Shah by producing short sketch comedy clips. This diversity of interests and experimental nature of formats has kept the Indian creator economy vibrant.
The rise of non-metro creators
While metros like Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru initially led the way, smaller cities and towns are now fast catching up in content creation. Home grown apps like Roposo, Josh and Moj have emerged as platforms where Bharat creators from non-English speaking audiences connect. These vernacular platforms are driving the next wave of influencers emerged from tier 2 and 3 cities who are producing hyper local content for regional audiences using regional languages. With increased smartphone access in these areas, audiences are growing faster than ever. This is empowering local creators to produce culturally relevant and relatable content around their lifestyles and region-specific trends. Fashion influencers like Sangeetha from Vizag, comedian Chandni from Kanpur are great examples of how smaller cities are shaping the creator economy.
Monetizing content opens up new avenues
The strong growth of the Indian digital advertising is making content creation a viable full-time profession. Brand sponsorships, promotions, affiliateing commissions have emerged as mainstream means of monetization for creators. Platforms are also encouraging monetization by improving features like paid subscriptions, channel memberships, fan funding and merchandising. Creators can earn millions by scaling their follower base or diversifying revenue streams. Influencers like Bhuvan Bam who earns over a million dollars annually highlight the income potential. The proliferation of ed-tech platforms is allowing educators to monetize their skills. Even the government has acknowledged this sector by launching the “Creator’s Economy” initiative to support influencers through schemes like collateral-free loans, funding and more. Overall, monetization opportunities have carved distinct career paths for thousands of Indian digital entrepreneurs.
Regulations aim to protect creator rights
As the creator economy matures, necessary safeguarding of creator interests is also emerging as a key focus area. Intellectual property rights violations or content theft have been challenges faced. The Union Ministry of Electronics and IT notified new rules for digital media and OTT platforms in February 2022 to address these issues. The rules aim to establish a level playing field by bringing digital news portals and OTT platforms (Netflix, Amazon Prime etc.) under the oversight of the Ministry through a three-tier regulatory mechanism. Concerning UGC platforms like YouTube, the rules mandate setting up a grievance redressal system and appointing executives to address viewer complaints associated with disparaging content. The underlying intent is to balance content freedom with adequate accountability and empower creators in the process. The creator economy can further thrive when adequate safeguards around attribution, monetization rights and dispute settlement are clearly defined.
Future outlook looks promising
Given India’s demographics of a young population and rising internet access, the creator economy is poised for exponential growth in the coming decade. According to a Bain & Company report, India’s digital economy is projected to cross $800 billion by 2030 with the creator economy playing a significant role.
Expect further innovations across platforms aiming to surface diverse local talents. Regional language expansion is critical to tap the next 300 million new internet users. Monetization techniques will evolve beyond just brand deals based on user behavior. Equally important will be strengthening of regulations towards fair use, privacy protection and safeguarding cultural sensitivities. With continuous mentorship and policy support, India’s vibrant creators have the potential to shape the global creator economy landscape as well in the future.
*Note:
1. Source: Coherent Market Insights, Public sources, Desk research
2. We have leveraged AI tools to mine information and compile it
About Author - Ravina Pandya
Ravina Pandya,a content writer, has a strong foothold in the market research industry. She specializes in writing well-researched articles from different industries, including food and beverages, information and technology, healthcare, chemicals and materials, etc. With an MBA in E-commerce, she has expertise in SEO-optimized content that resonates with industry professionals. LinkedIn Profile