The Economic Times·2025-11-21 08:09Core Insights - The rise of creator-led commerce in India is transforming how consumers shop, with creators acting as unofficial personal shoppers for millions [1][25] - India's creator economy is rapidly expanding, with 2-2.5 million monetized creators influencing over 30% of shoppers and shaping $350-400 billion in annual consumer spending [2][25] - Major platforms like Myntra, Snapchat, YouTube, Amazon, and Flipkart are investing heavily in creator ecosystems to capitalize on this trend [11][12][14][17] Myntra's Strategy - Myntra has developed a robust social commerce strategy, contributing 10% to its revenue, with a 50% increase in just four months [25] - The platform boasts 3.5 million shopper-creators, primarily Gen Z, generating over 9 billion impressions monthly through user-generated content (UGC) [4][5] - Myntra plans to triple its creator base and double revenue from content-led commerce, with conversion rates from social commerce 28% higher than the platform average [5][25] Snapchat's Growth - Snapchat has cultivated a vibrant Gen Z creator ecosystem, with creator activity and content supply doubling over the past two years [6][7] - 70% of Gen Z users utilize creator channels as search destinations, highlighting the platform's unique value proposition [8] - The Snap Star Incubator Program aims to mentor emerging beauty creators, further enhancing the platform's creator ecosystem [10] YouTube and Amazon's Initiatives - YouTube's ecosystem contributed over Rs 16,000 crore to India's GDP, with shopping-related watch time increasing by over 250% year-over-year [11][25] - Amazon's Influencer Program includes over 1.25 lakh creators, providing tools and visibility to help them build sustainable businesses [12][25] - Amazon's creator-led discovery influenced nearly 2 crore consumers, with 70% of purchases coming from non-metro cities [13][26] Flipkart's Infrastructure Investment - Flipkart is establishing Creator Cities, production hubs that provide creators with access to studios and training [15][26] - The platform's Creator Hood initiative supports Tier 2 and 3 creators in monetization and training [16][26] Meesho's Affiliate Ecosystem - Meesho is building India's largest affiliate-driven commerce ecosystem, helping creators earn steady incomes [17][18] - The platform's high conversion rates enable viral content to rapidly deplete inventory, with over 1 lakh creators engaging monthly [18][19] UGC and Brand Strategy - Brands are increasingly leveraging user-generated content (UGC), with over 1 lakh active micro and nano creators producing brand-linked content [19][20] - Content licensing is becoming a significant revenue source for creators, allowing brands to enhance efficiency and improve return on ad spend (ROAS) [20][21] Future Projections - Creator-influenced spending in India is projected to exceed $1 trillion by 2030, unlocking $100-125 billion in direct economic value [22][24] - Approximately 70% of brands plan to increase creator budgets significantly, with influencer marketing already accounting for 10-20% of marketing budgets [22][23] - Despite rapid growth, only 8-10% of creators currently monetize effectively, indicating substantial room for expansion in the creator economy [23][24]