MAM
Creatorpreneurs and Tier ll+ Cities Lead as Creator Economy
Mumbai: The report explores the booming creator economy and highlights the emerging trends they witnessed in 2023. Currently valued at over Rs 100 billion and involving around 300 million people worldwide, the industry has shifted gears this year.
Enclosed herewith is a comprehensive report summary –
1. Rise of Creatorpreneurs:
The creator economy, once dominated by entertainers, is now witnessing a significant shift towards education and knowledge sharing, giving rise to a new breed of creators- “creatorpreneurs”.
Today, nearly 2X as many creators prefer to establish themselves as sustainable business owners rather than chase celebrity influencer status with books and podcasts witnessing the biggest y-o-y growth in creation.
Sectors such as personal development, health & fitness, personal finance, etc., have seen significant growth, indicating a strong demand for creator-led educational content.
2. Growth:
The e-learning industry is projected to exceed Rs 460 billion by 2026, representing a vast opportunity for creators in the educational space.
On Classplus alone, the earnings of non-academic creators have soared by 2.5X in 2023 from the previous year. The number of creators using the platform has also grown by 300 per cent from 2021.
3. Shift from Social Media to Other Digital Learning Products:
Fearing the unpredictability of ad revenue and seasonal brand deals on social media, creators are diversifying their income streams and turning to entrepreneurship to build sustainable revenue through digital learning products.
77 per cent of creators said algorithm changes had a moderate-to-significant impact on their audience engagement. Additionally, 25 per cent of creators estimated they’ve lost Rs 1,000- Rs 9,999 in revenue due to algorithmic changes, and 24 per cent estimated Rs 10,000-Rs 49,999 in losses.
4 . 2023 Saw the Rise of Fin-fluencers:
The rise of the creator economy has coincided with an increase in financial awareness among retail investors. The number of investor accounts has surged from 3.93 crore in December 2019 to 13.23 crore by the end of October 2023.
In line with these trends, finance and investment education is an emerging category across platforms. They are teaching courses ranging from basic financial literacy to advanced investment strategies, catering to various levels of expertise and interest.
5. Upskilling for Professional Growth:
Creator-led courses are gaining traction as alternatives to the traditional education system. The appeal lies in its flexibility and accessibility, allowing individuals to upskill at their own pace from anywhere at an affordable cost. (The course listings of creators on Classplus typically range from 1k for bite-sized video courses to Rs 50k for certification courses.)
The demand for online creator-led courses is soaring with coding, digital marketing, and personality development witnessing remarkable growth.
Professionals are also engaging with leaders from major tech companies for 1-on-1 mentorship and consultations.
Every month, 15 million learners visit Classplus powered apps of these creators to upskill themselves on skills in digital marketing, coding, communication, etc.
6. Boom in Categories for “Bharat”:
Social Media has become a medium for successful business owners to share their expertise and insights, thereby enabling others to start and grow their own micro-businesses.
This trend is significantly empowering individuals, particularly women in Tier II+ India to generate income and start successful ventures. Around 70 per cent of the audience accessing courses by these creators using Classplus are from Tier II+ cities and towns.
Some courses gaining momentum-
○ Organic Farming
○ Makeup Art
○ Jewellery Designing
○ Cooking & Catering
○ Fashion Designing
7. Increasing Focus on Health and Well-Being
· Around 94 per cent of Indians are worried about their own and their family’s health and feel that lifestyle changes like exercising, yoga and dieting will benefit their health and overall wellbeing. People are spending more on gym memberships, yoga classes, and curated diet plans.
MAM
Brands push beyond compliance as trust takes centre stage
ASCI AdTrust Summit 2026 spotlights shift from legal checks to credibility.
MUMBAI: In a world where a disclaimer can be legally sound yet socially suspect, brands are learning that compliance may tick boxes but trust wins markets. At the inaugural ASCI AdTrust Summit 2026, a panel on “Beyond Compliance: The New Currency of Trust” unpacked a growing industry reality: the gap between what the law permits and what consumers accept is widening and fast.
Moderated by Meenakshi Ramkumar of National Law School of India University, the discussion brought together leaders across law, marketing and academia to examine how brands must evolve in a digital ecosystem increasingly shaped by scrutiny, scepticism and speed.
Ramkumar set the tone by highlighting a critical shift, advertising today operates in the same digital space that fuels misinformation, scams and fake news, making credibility harder to establish. “The challenge is not just about what brands do, but the broader context of low institutional trust,” she noted, adding that when violations go unchecked, trust erodes not just in brands but in the regulatory system itself.
This vacuum, she said, has given rise to consumer activism from boycotts to social media backlash as a parallel accountability mechanism.
For Amit Bhasin, Chief Legal Officer at Marico, the distinction was clear, legal compliance is non negotiable, but insufficient. “Compliance is the minimum threshold. The real challenge is staying aligned with changing consumer expectations,” he said.
He pointed to how advertising narratives have evolved from traditional depictions of gender roles to more shared responsibilities reflecting a broader societal shift. “Earlier, it was fine to show one person doing the household work. Today, that may not land well. Consumers expect brands to reflect reality,” Bhasin observed.
He also highlighted internal debates where campaigns that may be legally permissible are still rejected for being culturally insensitive, noting that responsible advertising often requires asking uncomfortable questions before the public does.
If compliance is the baseline, reputation is the battlefield.
Bhasin noted that reputational risk has become a far greater concern than legal exposure, particularly in an era where campaigns can be dissected within hours online. “Earlier, a controversial ad might invite a newspaper editorial. Today, within hours, you’re at the centre of a storm,” he said.
Brands, he added, now evaluate campaigns through a dual lens legal viability and reputational vulnerability with the latter often proving more decisive.
From a healthcare perspective, Satish Sahoo of Cipla Health underscored the complexity of operating within fragmented yet stringent regulatory frameworks, spanning drugs, food, cosmetics and Ayush. “Anything under a drug licence is the most tightly regulated,” he said, adding that this necessitates proactive, not reactive, compliance.
He shared an example from the oral rehydration salts (ORS) category, where Cipla resisted the temptation to position products aggressively despite competitive pressure. “Our product is WHO compliant, and our communication reflects that. We chose not to blur the lines, even if others did,” he noted.
The long term payoff, he suggested, lies in credibility built over consistency, not quick wins.
Yet, as Harsha N of National Law School of India University pointed out, even perfect compliance does not guarantee trust. Drawing from historical and modern examples from exaggerated product claims in the 1800s to contemporary environmental and health advertising, he argued that legal frameworks often lag behind consumer expectations. “A brand can be fully compliant and still be perceived as misleading,” he said, citing instances where fine print disclosures fail to reach or convince the average consumer. He added that larger companies carry a disproportionate responsibility to set ethical benchmarks, even in areas where the law remains silent.
The conversation also turned to digital advertising, where the challenge extends beyond content to how ads are experienced. From algorithmic targeting to personalised messaging, brands now operate in an environment where regulation struggles to keep pace with technology.
Sahoo noted that social media has amplified awareness, with influencers and consumers increasingly scrutinising product claims and calling out inconsistencies. “Awareness has gone up dramatically. People are questioning what goes into products and what brands are saying,” he said.
The role of self regulatory bodies such as Advertising Standards Council of India also came under the spotlight.
Harsha acknowledged that while SROs play a crucial role, they are not immune to criticism, particularly around perceived conflicts of interest and enforcement gaps. “SROs have a higher threshold of responsibility not just to interpret the law, but to anticipate societal expectations,” he said.
He added that failures in self regulation often push the burden back onto government intervention, underscoring the need for stronger, more proactive oversight.
One of the more nuanced debates centred on whether building trust comes at a cost. While Sahoo acknowledged that quality and compliance can increase costs, he argued that companies must absorb them as part of their long term strategy.
Bhasin, however, framed the challenge differently not as cost, but as competitiveness in a market where not all players play by the same rules. “The real tension is when others cut corners and you choose not to,” he said.
The panel concluded with a call to embed trust into business metrics.
Sahoo suggested that organisations must go beyond revenue targets to include consumer equity and trust based KPIs, ensuring that ethical considerations are not sidelined in the pursuit of growth. “Trust sounds abstract, but it can translate into measurable consumer equity,” he said.
As the discussion wrapped up, one message stood out: the rules of advertising are being rewritten not just by regulators, but by consumers themselves. In an ecosystem where attention is fleeting and scepticism is high, brands that merely comply may survive, but those that build trust are the ones that endure.
