Code of Standards for India’s Growing Influencer Community

Context

Recently, the India Influencer Governance Council (IIGC) has released a Code of Standards for India’s growing influencer network.

Who Are Influencers?

Influencers are digital content creators who use their reach on social structures (Instagram, YouTube, and many others.) to form reviews, lifestyles, and shopping decisions. 

Status In India 

• India’s influencer count number has surged to over four million in 2025, up from beneath 1 million in 2020, per influencer marketing platform Qoruz. 
• Fashion leads with 470,000 influencers, followed intently by gaming (467,000) and arts & leisure (430,000).
• These influencers, both with over 1,000 Instagram fans, create niche content to engage their audiences. 
• The influencer advertising and marketing industry in India is projected to grow from ₹2,344 crore in 2024 to ₹3,375 crore by 2026. 
• The sector also aligns with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of boosting the writer ecosystem to assist achieve a $5-trillion Indian economy.

Reasons for Increase 

• The explosive growth of social media platforms and accelerated internet penetration in both city and rural areas have contributed to the rise of influencers. 
• The rise of cheaper smartphones and statistics plans, specifically in non-urban areas (which make up 65% of the user base), has elevated content consumption and enabled people from various backgrounds to benefit online influence. 
• Brands are increasingly viewing them not simply as endorsers but as strategic partners who deliver genuine, impactful content. 

Need for Regulating Influencer Marketing

• Surge in Monetised Content: Lack of disclosures blurs the road between personal opinion and advertising.
• Consumer Protection: Misinformation about health, finance, or product efficacy can deceive visitors.
• Data Privacy Concerns: Misuse of target market data and inflated metrics harms transparency.
• Emerging AI Influencers: Deepfakes and non-human influencers pose new moral dilemmas.
• Vulnerable Audiences: Children and young adults are at threat from risky traits and content.

Key Provisions of the IIGC Code of Standards

• Paid Partnerships: Influencers are required to reveal “any sort of cloth partnership” with a brand, including economic agreements, associate advertising commissions and so on.
• AI Influencers: The code also requires AI influencers to stick to the same guidelines, just like human ones, with an introduced disclaimer revealing their non-human nature. It also prohibits the use of deepfake technology to create AI influencers akin to actual humans.
• Brand Relations: Influencers are restricted from endorsing products or brands they do not truely aid or work with competing brands simultaneously. This emphasizes authenticity and avoids misleading endorsements.
• Defluence: The code defines defluence as the act of publicly criticising or speaking negatively about a logo, product, or provider. It requires influencers to ensure that their criticism is honest, correct and free from private assaults.
• Anti-Discrimination: The code prohibits both specific and implicit discriminatory content in influencer advertising and marketing, requiring content to be inclusive and respectful of all identities.
• Child-Safe Content: Content created by influencers ought to be safe, positive, and appropriate for children. This highlights the obligation of influencers, mainly when their content may be considered through more youthful audiences.
• Sexual Content & Nudity: The code asks influencers to address content related to sex with “duty and sensitivity”. While discussions on those topics may be appropriate in instructional, inventive, or health-related contexts, they have to not be used in a way that is exploitative, irrelevant, or violates community standards.
• Complaint Forum: A consumer complaint discussion board is established under the IIGC. This provides a mechanism for addressing grievances associated with influencer content and capability violations of the code.

Conclusion and Way Ahead 

• India’s influencer ecosystem is flourishing in the digital age, driven by authenticity, trust, and private connections. As the enterprise evolves, it offers interesting opportunities for influencers, manufacturers, and content consumers, whilst also contributing to financial growth and character empowerment.
• The influencer ecosystem needs more potent rules, platform assist, and a central point on actual storytelling.

Source: The ET

UPSC Mains Practice Question 

Q. What are social networking sites and what security implications do these sites present? (2013)

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