India's creator economy set to power $1 trillion in consumer spending by 2030: BCG report
text_fields
India’s digital creator ecosystem is on the verge of a massive economic transformation, with a new report projecting it to influence over $1 trillion in consumer spending annually by 2030.
The findings come from a study titled “From Content to Commerce: Mapping India’s Creator Economy” by the Boston Consulting Group (BCG), which will be officially released at the WAVES 2025 summit in Mumbai on May 3, 2025.
Currently, creators already impact $350–400 billion in consumer decisions each year, the report notes.
While India is home to an estimated 2 to 2.5 million active digital creators - defined as those with at least 1,000 followers - only around 8% to 10% are effectively monetising their content. Despite this, the sector generates between $20 billion and $25 billion in direct revenue, a figure expected to increase fivefold to $100–125 billion by the end of the decade.
One of the report’s key takeaways is the growing influence of creators beyond traditional urban Gen Z audiences. Content creators are now engaging diverse age groups and making significant inroads into Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities across India.
Short-form video continues to dominate the content landscape, with comedy, cinema, television serials, and fashion ranking as the most consumed genres.
As the ecosystem matures, monetisation avenues are diversifying, leading to a projected 1.5x to 3x rise in creator income in the near future. This signals a fundamental shift in how brands approach marketing, distribution, and commerce, with digital creators at the center of these evolving strategies.
The unveiling of the report is part of WAVES 2025, India’s first large-scale international summit dedicated to the audio-visual and entertainment industries. Held from May 1 to May 4, the event convenes over 10,000 participants, including 1,000 creators, 300 companies, and 350 startups. The summit spans a wide array of sectors, including film, OTT platforms, animation, virtual reality, gaming (AVGC-XR), comics, artificial intelligence, and broadcasting, showcasing the interconnected future of media and technology.
