A new report by Boston Consulting Group (BCG), launched at the Waves Summit 2025, shows that only about 8–10% of influencers in India make money from their content. Yet, these influencers have a big impact—affecting over 30% of what consumers spend.
India has around 2 to 2.5 million influencers who have more than 1,000 followers. Half of them are nano or micro influencers (with smaller follower counts). Many of them earn less than ₹18,000 per month.
Even though few influencers earn money, the content they create drives a lot of consumer purchases—worth $350–400 billion—and adds $20–25 billion in value to the economy. By 2030, influencer-led spending could cross $1 trillion, generating over $100 billion in revenue for the industry.
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How Brands Are Spending
Brands today spend 10–20% of their marketing budget on influencer marketing. Around 70% of brands plan to increase their influencer spending by 1.5 to 3 times in the next 2–3 years.
Types of Influencers Who Earn
The report groups earning influencers into six categories:
- Trust Ambassadors (14–17 lakh)
- Followers: 10,000–50,000
- Low to medium reach, but very high engagement.
- Used for both brand awareness and sales.
- Niche Creators (4–6 lakh)
- Experts in specific topics with strong influence.
- Used to build trust and drive conversions.
- Inquisitors (75,000–1 lakh)
- Focus on asking questions and sparking conversations.
- Best for generating interest and awareness.
- Influencer Icons (60,000–80,000)
- Create buzz and excitement, especially for fast-selling or frequently launched products.
- Disseminators (10,000–15,000)
- Help spread brand messages to a wide audience, especially for new product launches.
- Trend Setters (2,000–4,000)
- Work with top brands to build long-term trust and brand loyalty.
New Ways to Earn
The report also talks about newer ways for creators to make money, which are still growing in India:
- Virtual Gifting: Viewers send digital gifts during live shows. This is popular on regional platforms, especially in tier II and III towns. It’s widely used in entertainment, spirituality, and motivational content.
- Live Commerce: Selling products during live streams. Though still new in India, it’s growing since 2020.
- Subscriptions: Followers pay a monthly fee to access special content. This model is not yet widely used but has potential.
In short, while only a small group of influencers are making money right now, they have a powerful impact on what people buy. With new earning options like virtual gifts, live sales, and paid subscriptions, the creator economy in India is expected to grow fast in the coming years.
