With an eye on the festive season, YouTube has announced the expansion of its shopping affiliate programme in India, partnering with e-commerce firms such as Amazon, Meesho, AJIO, Tata CLiQ and Snapdeal. Other e-commerce firms such as Myntra, Flipkart, Nykaa, Tira, Purplle and Shopsy are already part of YouTube Shopping’s ecosystem. The platform is also doubling down on creator-led commerce with Indian creator payouts surging by 160% from Q1 of CY25 to Q1 of CY26, outpacing the 100% growth recorded globally.
The video-sharing platform saw 450 million logged-in Indian users search for shopping-related content, with shopping-related watch time growing 55% year-over-year. The rising numbers indicate that the country’s creator economy is moving beyond views, subscribers and brand integrations with YouTube influencers building monetisable businesses that enable their content to become a potential purchase funnel. India is now home to over 20,000 channels with over a million subscribers each, according to YouTube.
“One year ago, we had a hypothesis that the creator trust could redefine how India discovers and buys products online. Today, creators are no longer just making videos but also building modern content studios, communities and networks in some cases,” said Gunjan Soni, managing director for YouTube in India, noting that the shopping affiliate programme is reaching a moment of “fundamental maturity for the entire ecosystem in India.”
YouTube Shopping was introduced in India in October 2024, allowing creators in the platform’s programme to recommend products in long-form videos, Shorts, and livestreams. Creators can earn a commission from the merchant partner for each sale they generate.
Around 2,00,000 creators and channels that are enlisted in the YouTube Partner Programme have started earning money for the first time over the last 12 months, said Soni. The number of channels that have generated seven-figure earnings has grown by 20% in the last year. It has seen a 200% year-on-year increase in creators enrolling in its shopping programme.
She added that the move has brought retail’s biggest powerhouses onto a single digital shelf for creators and consumers. “Viewers can now discover and make purchase decisions across marketplaces, major retailers, and specialised beauty brands,” she said.
Along with the new retail partnerships, the platform has also unveiled new AI tools for creators and brands. Among these are Ask Studio for Brand Partnerships, which will use generative AI inside YouTube Studio to help creators respond quickly to brand briefs. Creator Partnerships Boost is another such tool that allows better collaboration between brands and creators, enabling evaluation of campaign performance and more.
It has also recently launched the YouTube Affiliate Partnerships Boost to help brands amplify organic creator affiliate content, while providing them with expanded reach and new monetisation opportunities. Beauty e-tailer Nykaa plans to leverage the feature during the peak festive shopping rush. Exclusive Affiliate Campaigns, expected to roll out next year in India, will allow brands to invite creators directly to high-priority campaigns with bonus incentives and higher commission rates.
India’s growth momentum is a reflection of the global trend, according to YouTube. Globally, shopping-related watch time topped 40 billion hours in 2025, while gross merchandise value (GMV) grew 13x over two years. According to a Google and Deloitte report, creator-led commerce could contribute $25 billion in GMV by 2030.