YouTube Shopping expands India merchant network as creator payouts soar

MUMBAI: The shopping cart is getting a creator-powered makeover, and YouTube wants to make sure there is little left between a recommendation and a checkout. YouTube has expanded its YouTube Shopping affiliate programme in India by bringing Amazon into the market and adding AJIO, Meesho, Snapdeal and Tata CLiQ as upcoming partners. The new additions join existing partners Flipkart, Myntra, Nykaa, Purplle, Shopsy and Tira, creating what YouTube describes as its most comprehensive shopping catalogue on a single digital platform.

The expansion comes as shopping discovery increasingly moves into creator content. More than 450 million logged-in users in India search for shopping-related content on YouTube, while shopping-related watch time in the country has risen 55 per cent year on year.

For creators, the commerce opportunity is growing even faster. Average affiliate payouts to Indian creators jumped more than 160 per cent year on year between Q1 2025 and Q1 2026, compared with more than 100 per cent growth globally.

More than 50 per cent of eligible Indian creators are now enrolled in YouTube Shopping, with enrolment growing 200 per cent year on year. These creators have tagged products in more than 19 million videos, turning product recommendations into another potential revenue stream.

The merchant expansion covers different ends of the retail spectrum, from value-focused marketplaces to horizontal retailers and premium fashion and beauty platforms. YouTube said the wider catalogue will allow viewers to discover products and make purchase decisions across categories without leaving the creator-led discovery journey.

The numbers from individual partners also show how the model is translating into commerce. Tira said creator engagement has doubled and that thousands of new shoppers are arriving on the platform every day. Purplle said creator-tagged videos have generated close to a quarter of a million orders in under a year, while the number of creators earning from the platform each month has grown by two-thirds.

Nearly 3,000 creators have earned commissions on Purplle products, with the company noting that most have fewer than one million subscribers. Its biggest creator earners include voices producing content in Telugu, Tamil and Odia.

Meesho said its partnership could potentially double creator earnings, while Snapdeal is positioning the integration around value fashion and lifestyle discovery. Tata CLiQ, meanwhile, is bringing its premium fashion and lifestyle catalogue into creator-led storytelling.

The commerce push is also getting an AI layer. YouTube is introducing new capabilities in Ask YouTube that allow viewers to ask questions and follow up while watching shopping-related content. Questions about product specifications, for example, can be asked directly from the video’s watch page, including through voice commands while watching on TV.

YouTube is also changing how product tags work for creators with international audiences. Tagged products can now be matched with domestic deals from regional retailers and displayed in local currencies based on the viewer’s location, allowing Indian creators to earn commissions from international audiences more seamlessly.

Another addition, YouTube Affiliate Partnerships Boost, allows brands to amplify organic creator affiliate content through paid campaigns. Nykaa is set to use the feature ahead of the peak festive shopping period to extend creator-led campaigns and drive additional sales.

For creators, Ask Studio for Brand Partnerships is also being rolled out soon. The generative AI feature inside YouTube Studio is designed to help creators pitch campaigns and respond to brand briefs more quickly.

Creator Partnerships Boost will give creators another route into advertiser campaigns. Once a branded video is published, creators will be able to share partner access using a one-click code, allowing brands to assess campaign performance and place paid media behind the organic content.

YouTube is also testing dynamic brand segments that can be inserted across up to 20 long-form videos simultaneously. Creators can target these segments by region and add a built-in product shelf with a direct call-to-action button.

Exclusive Affiliate Campaigns, meanwhile, will allow brands to invite creators directly into priority campaigns with bonus incentives and higher commission rates. The feature is scheduled to roll out in India next year.

The push comes as YouTube’s global shopping business continues to expand. Shopping-related watch time on the platform crossed 40 billion hours globally in 2025, while gross merchandise value grew 13-fold over two years.

With more than 450 million Indians already searching YouTube for products, the platform is increasingly positioning itself not merely as a place where shoppers watch before buying, but as a bridge connecting creators, brands, retailers and the checkout button.