Festive influencer marketing spend in India set to hit Rs 900 crore

MUMBAI: This festive season, brands are getting ready to influence before they get influenced. India’s festive influencer marketing spend is projected to jump 29 per cent to Rs 900 crore in 2026, up from around Rs 700 crore last year, as brands increasingly turn to creators to win shoppers’ attention.

The number of brands expected to run creator-led festive campaigns is also set to rise to 7,200, compared with 6,000 in 2025, 5,200 in 2024 and 4,500 in 2023, according to an analysis by creator intelligence platform Qoruz cited by Moneycontrol.

The growth is increasingly being driven by creators with smaller but more focused audiences. Nano and micro influencers accounted for 75 per cent of festive creator participation last season, while mega influencers and celebrities represented just 5 per cent. The trend suggests brands are looking beyond follower counts and towards creators who can offer specialised communities and stronger engagement.

And the creator economy is no longer a metro-only celebration. Creators from Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities accounted for 38 per cent of festive campaign activity, while those based in metros contributed 62 per cent.

The money flowing into the space has grown even faster. Festive creator marketing expenditure has climbed from Rs 350 crore in 2023 to an estimated Rs 900 crore in 2026, translating into a compound annual growth rate of about 37 per cent.

But the spending boom is not evenly distributed among advertisers. Qoruz estimates that the top 10-15 per cent of participating brands account for nearly 65 per cent of total festive creator marketing expenditure. Based on the projected number of brands, roughly 700-1,100 advertisers could therefore account for close to two-thirds of the Rs 900 crore market.

Consumer-facing categories are leading the creator-spend parade. Consumer durables and electronics accounted for 20 per cent of festive creator marketing expenditure over the past three festive seasons, followed by fashion and beauty at 19 per cent, e-commerce at 17 per cent and FMCG at 15 per cent. Together, the four categories made up 71 per cent of spending, while automobiles added another 7 per cent.

Diwali remains the biggest draw, accounting for 49 per cent of festive creator collaborations. The other 51 per cent, however, is spread across occasions including Navratri, Durga Puja, Dussehra, Ganesh Chaturthi and regional festivals.

That split points to a broader change in festive marketing. Rather than putting all their festive eggs in the Diwali basket, brands are spreading creator campaigns across multiple cultural moments — giving influencers more occasions to sell, and consumers more reasons to watch.