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By:

Nilanjana Das

13 December 2025 at 2:23:37 pm

Creator Economy: Influence, Opportunity and Risk

Social media has the power to make or break an issue—and increasingly, it shapes how we think, shop and respond. The frenzy surrounding content creators has swept across the Indian digital ecosystem. Alongside this surge has come an ever-growing audience of consumers who absorb a constant stream of information, often without questioning its credibility or filtering what they consume. Immersed in an endless flow of content, many lose track of both time and context, consuming information...

Creator Economy: Influence, Opportunity and Risk

Social media has the power to make or break an issue—and increasingly, it shapes how we think, shop and respond. The frenzy surrounding content creators has swept across the Indian digital ecosystem. Alongside this surge has come an ever-growing audience of consumers who absorb a constant stream of information, often without questioning its credibility or filtering what they consume. Immersed in an endless flow of content, many lose track of both time and context, consuming information seamlessly and often unconsciously across platforms. We cannot escape the reality that social media has the power to make or break an issue. Much of our daily lives is increasingly shaped by the content we consume online, influencing everything from public opinion and purchasing decisions to cultural trends and political discourse. India's creator economy is experiencing unprecedented growth, evolving from a niche community of YouTubers and bloggers into a multi-billion-dollar ecosystem spanning sectors such as finance, gaming, beauty, food, fitness, travel, and entertainment. Driven by a young, digitally connected population and widespread access to affordable internet, creators have emerged as influential voices that shape consumer behaviour, often rivalling—or even surpassing—the impact of traditional advertising channels. Consequently, influencer partnerships have evolved from experimental marketing initiatives into a core pillar of brand strategy, delivering measurable business outcomes, stronger audience engagement, and impressive returns on investment. In today's highly competitive attention economy, content has emerged as one of the most valuable digital assets. Audiences are increasingly gravitating towards short-form, engaging videos that deliver information, entertainment, and opinions within seconds, prompting social media platforms to continuously evolve and adapt their offerings. Creators who can capture attention instantly and retain audience engagement hold immense value for brands seeking to connect with highly targeted audiences at scale. As consumers spend more time on digital platforms, authentic and relatable creator-led content often generates greater trust and engagement than conventional advertising. This transformation has positioned creator-led influence as one of the most impactful and effective forces shaping marketing strategies, consumer behaviour, and purchasing decisions in India today. The market for content creators is booming in India, with around 60 per cent of creators coming from Tier-2, Tier-3, and Tier-4 cities, highlighting the growing importance of regional and vernacular content. India's creator economy has evolved into a vast digital ecosystem with over 100 million creators, including approximately 2.5–4.4 million active digital creators who have more than 1,000 followers. Although it is a multi-billion-dollar industry, earnings remain concentrated among a small percentage of creators, making monetisation highly unequal. Creators can broadly be divided into three categories: active creators, nano creators, and micro creators. However, only 8–10 per cent of active creators earn a sustainable living from content creation. Most nano and micro creators earn about Rs 15,000–18,000 per month, often treating content creation as a side income. Macro creators can earn anywhere between Rs 50,000 and Rs 5 lakh or more per sponsored post, mainly through brand partnerships. Many creators are also moving beyond brand deals by registering businesses and launching their own products, reducing their dependence on sponsorships. The recent incident in which a content creator revealed her gold collection online eventually led to a theft at her residence. Madhya Pradesh YouTuber Rachna Gurjar was robbed of gold, silver, and cash worth Rs 8–10 lakh after frequently showcasing her jewellery on social media. Burglars reportedly used her videos to study the layout of the house before carrying out the crime. They disabled the CCTV cameras, locked the family in a room, and executed the heist. Social media is not always a safe space, and information shared online can easily be exploited by criminals. As the creator economy continues to grow, creators must exercise greater restraint in what they share, while consumers must apply critical thinking rather than scroll mindlessly. (The writer is a media professional and a Research Associate with IIM, Shilong. Views personal.)

India working on logistics of Tahawwur Rana's extradition

  • PTI
  • Feb 14, 2025
  • 3 min read

Updated: Feb 18, 2025

Tahawwur Rana

Washington: India is working on the logistics of Tahawwur Rana's surrender and extradition from the US, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri has said, as President Donald Trump announced that his administration has given the go-ahead to extradite the 26/11 terror attack accused “to face justice".

“This is an issue on which the US authorities have taken very clear decisions. I think you've seen the President announce it himself from the White House podium" the decision of the US to extradite Rana, Misri said at a press conference here on Thursday.


During a joint press conference with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the White House, US President Donald Trump announced that his administration has approved the extradition of "very evil" Tahawwur Rana, wanted by Indian law enforcement agencies for his role in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, "to face justice in India”.


In response to a question by PTI on the timeframe by when Rana will be extradited to India, Misri said: "We are working on the logistics of his surrender and extradition to India. There are a few final steps to be completed. The two sides are in touch on this particular issue.”


The India-US joint statement issued during the Prime Minister's visit to the US notes that Modi and Trump reaffirmed that the global scourge of terrorism must be fought and terrorist safe havens eliminated from every corner of the world.

“They committed to strengthen cooperation against terrorist threats from groups, including Al-Qaeda, ISIS, Jaish-e Mohammad, and Lashkar-e-Tayyiba in order to prevent heinous acts like the attacks in Mumbai on 26/11 and the Abbey Gate bombing in Afghanistan on August 26, 2021," the joint statement said.


“Recognising a shared desire to bring to justice those who would harm our citizens, the US announced that the extradition to India of Tahawwur Rana has been approved," it said.


The leaders further called on Pakistan to expeditiously bring to justice the perpetrators of the 26/11 Mumbai, and Pathankot attacks and ensure that its territory is not used to carry out cross-border terrorist attacks.

"The leaders also pledged to work together to prevent the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their delivery systems and to deny access to such weapons by terrorists and non-state actors,” the joint statement added.

Rana, a Canadian national of Pakistani origin, is currently lodged at a metropolitan detention centre in Los Angeles. He is known to be associated with Pakistani-American terrorist David Coleman Headley, one of the main conspirators of the 26/11 attacks.

Speaking at the joint press meet, Trump said "Today I am pleased to announce that my administration has approved the extradition of one of the plotters and very evil people of the world, and having to do with the horrific Mumbai terrorist attack, to face justice in India. So, he is going back to India to face justice."


The extradition of Rana was cleared by the US Supreme Court in January as it rejected his review petition in the case.


India last month said it was working with American authorities for the early extradition of Rana.


"The US Supreme Court on January 21 declined to hear a petition from the accused. We are now working with the US side on procedural issues for early extradition to India of the accused in the Mumbai terror attack," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal had said.


In November 2012, Ajmal Amir Kasab, the lone surviving gunman among the Pakistani group, was hanged to death in Yerawada Jail in Pune.

-PTI

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