Indian creator pricing shifts from follower counts to authority, expertise and original IP

OWLED founder Ayush Wadhwa says creators with comparable audiences can see a 10x earnings gap as brands pay premiums for finance, business, luxury and podcast authority. At 300,000 followers, beauty creators may command ₹1.5–2 lakh per reel versus ₹2.5–3.5 lakh for finance and business creators.

— Filed Thu, 6 Aug, 2026, 10:25 IST · Source ET Brand Equity · Updated

OWLED founder Ayush Wadhwa says Indian influencer rates increasingly reward expertise, authority and original IP. Finance, business, luxury and podcasts command premiums, while fashion, memes, lip-sync and derivative dance/music content face weaker monetisation.

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