India’s influencer marketing industry has reached a market size of ₹3,000–₹3,500 crore, fueled by the rising power of the country’s 3.5–4.5 million content creators, according to the newly released Kofluence Influencer Marketing Report 2025. The report, based on insights from over 1,000 creators and marketers, highlights decentralised growth, with creators from Tier 2 and 3 cities building highly engaged communities using regional languages and hyperlocal content.
E-commerce continues to dominate influencer spending, accounting for 23% of total budgets, followed by FMCG at 19%. Nearly one in four brands increase influencer budgets during new product launches, with micro-influencers (10K–100K followers) now the most favoured group for targeted campaigns.
Platform dynamics and monetisation patterns shift
Instagram remains the most creator-focused platform, hosting 1.8–2.3 million Indian creators. Short-form video continues to be the preferred format for monetisation, with earning potential ranging from ₹500–₹5,000 for micro creators, and starting at ₹2 lakh+ for mega influencers and celebrities. Diwali remains the highest-impact season for campaigns, with most planning beginning 2–4 weeks in advance.
Also read: India’s Influencer Market to Grow 25% in 2025
The report also notes a growing platform-first approach, with 61% of brands using tech tools to manage influencer operations. Meanwhile, 29% of marketers have adopted generative AI to help with creative content—making it the top AI use case in influencer marketing today.
India’s digital influence sector matures
As India crosses 900 million internet users, the creator economy is entering a new phase of maturity. Brands are now treating influencer marketing as a strategic lever, evaluated on business impact and measured against marketing ROI. Vernacular content, AI automation, and data-driven planning are now critical to campaign success.
The Kofluence report positions this shift as a move toward “integrated influence”, where social, search, and commerce platforms converge. With changing user behaviour, cookie deprecation, and AI transformation, the future of brand communication is expected to be led by creators and powered by platform intelligence.
