Can India’s Creator Economy Unlock $125 Billion by 2030?

Synopsis
India’s creator economy is on the brink of a monumental transformation, with the potential to generate up to $125 billion in revenue by 2030. This article delves into the insights from a recent BCG report, highlighting the growth in consumer spending driven by creators and the evolving monetization strategies in this dynamic landscape.
Key Takeaways
- Projected revenue growth: India's creator economy could reach $100-125 billion by 2030.
- Consumer influence: Creators currently impact over $350 billion annually in consumer spending.
- Sector leadership: Fashion, beauty, and entertainment are leading the creator ecosystem.
- Monetization innovation: New models like live commerce and virtual gifting are emerging.
- Marketing budgets: Brands are set to significantly increase their investment in creator marketing.
Mumbai, May 3 (NationPress) As India’s creator economy continues to reshape the digital realm, it holds the promise of generating $100-125 billion in direct ecosystem revenue over the next five years, based on a report released on Saturday.
The study from the Boston Consulting Group (BCG), unveiled at the grand ‘WAVES 2025’ event, revealed that creators in India currently drive over $350 billion in consumer spending each year. This figure is expected to soar to over $1 trillion by 2030.
Simultaneously, the direct revenues from the creator ecosystem are anticipated to grow to $100-125 billion by 2030, up from the present $20-25 billion.
“India's creator economy is poised to have a substantial impact on consumer spending, with creator-driven purchases projected to represent 25-30 percent of India's overall consumer expenditures by 2030,” stated Vipin Gupta, Managing Director and Partner at BCG.
“What initially emerged as a trend among Gen Z and urban populations is now resonating across various age demographics and smaller cities, unveiling new realms of influence and engagement. Sectors such as fashion, beauty, and entertainment are leading this movement, while innovative monetization strategies—like live commerce and virtual gifting—are transforming how creators and brands collaborate to create value,” he added.
Additionally, the report indicated that short-form video content is the most consumed, with genres like comedy, movies, daily soaps, and fashion topping the list.
It urged brands to expedite content creation, grant greater creative liberty, enable varied targeting, conduct consistent outcome testing, and establish specialized teams to thrive alongside creators.
Monetization paths are diversifying, with emerging consumer-funded revenue streams like virtual gifting, live commerce, and subscriptions gaining traction.
Creator marketing is becoming an integral part of brands' marketing strategies, with budgets allocated for creator-driven marketing expected to increase by 1.5 to 3 times in the next 2-3 years.
“To fully capitalize on this potential, brands need to trust in creator-led outcomes, simplify decision-making, adopt agile content strategies, and invest in enduring creator partnerships,” Gupta emphasized.