By Kavita Mistry 
Only about 8–10% of influencers in India are able to monetize their content, according to a BCG report presented at Waves Summit 2025.
India has approximately 2–2.5 million influencers with over 1,000 followers. Around 50% of these influencers are classified as nano and micro influencers. A large portion of influencers earn less than ₹18,000 per month.
Only 8–10% of Indian Influencers Able To Monetize Their Content
Although few influencers monetize successfully, they significantly influence consumer spending.
These 2–2.5 million creators impact over 30% of consumers and influence $350–400 billion in consumer spending, contributing $20–25 billion in economic value.
By 2030, creator-driven spending is projected to exceed $1 trillion, generating over $100 billion in revenue for the ecosystem.
Brands currently allocate 10–20% of their marketing budgets to influencer marketing.
Around 70% of brands intend to increase their creator-related budgets by 1.5–3 times within the next 2–3 years.
Influencers who earn revenue fall into six categories, most of whom have smaller followings but high engagement and brand impact.
Six Categories of Influencers With High Engagement and Brand Impact
Trust Ambassadors (14–17 lakh creators) have 10,000–50,000 followers, low-to-medium reach, high engagement, and strong follower influence. They are used for brand awareness and conversions across multiple product categories.
Niche Creators (4–6 lakh) have deep expertise in specific areas, strong persuasive power, and can shape product perceptions. They are used for both awareness and conversion.
Inquisitors (75,000–1 lakh) ask thought-provoking questions and stimulate dialogue to drive engagement. Primarily used for awareness.
Influencer Icons (60,000–80,000) generate excitement around products, especially those with short shelf lives or frequent launches.
Disseminators (10,000–15,000) are used mainly to build awareness and achieve high reach for new products and ideas.
Trend Setters (2,000–4,000) maintain brand integrity and foster loyalty through consistent endorsements and long-term collaborations. Mostly employed by market leaders.
Future growth in India’s creator economy depends on underutilized monetization methods such as virtual gifting, subscriptions, and live commerce.
Regional Indian platforms have found success with virtual gifting during livestreams.
Virtual gifting enables viewers to send digital gifts using in-app currency during live broadcasts.
While all major Indian apps offer this feature, regional platforms in tier II and III towns have higher adoption rates.
High engagement is observed in content verticals like entertainment (e.g., singing, comedy, gaming), spirituality, and self-help (e.g., astrology, motivation).
Creators monetize through live shows where audiences participate via virtual gifting or microtransactions ranging from ₹10–₹100.
Live commerce, although in its early stages in India, has been steadily growing since 2020.
Subscription-based monetization—where followers pay a recurring fee for exclusive content—remains largely untapped.