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In India’s booming influencer economy, follower counts and viral reels are no longer a sure-shot ticket to brand deals. Rachel D’Cruz, a content creator who turns discarded fabric into fashion-forward outfits, has 209,000 followers and reels clocking millions of views—5.2 million, 9.3 million, and 1.7 million each. Yet, in her last 20 reels, there’s been no brand integration. Her last partnerships—Garnier and indie label Abha—were months ago.
The question: are offers drying up, or is she rejecting more than she accepts?
Industry insiders say scarcity isn’t the only reason. Many creators are intentionally keeping their feeds organic to build trust.
Exposing the mechanics behind fake likes, followers, and comments. Kalyan Kumar, CEO of influencer marketing platform Klug Klug said, “Brands need to realise that India is now the number one buyer and supplier of fake followers. Around 60% of large influencers’ followers can be fake or inactive.” On the other hand, creators are becoming aware of their value and are choosing brands wisely, he added.
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A talent manager at OpraahFx confirmed that top creators like Samay Raina, Rebel Kid, and Kusha Kapila may receive over 50 brand briefs a month. Those with 5 million+ followers get 40–50 briefs, mid-tier influencers (100,000–1 million followers) see 8–15, and even nano creators with as few as 1,000 followers can get 2–5 offers — if they operate in a strong niche. But, as Kumar pointed out, “Big influencers may only get carousel posts or product drops, not marquee shoots. Brands now want active participants, sharper audience data, and more regional voices.”
This shift has amplified demand for location-specific creators. Sunil Mohapatra, Chief Revenue Officer at VerSe, cited Wonderla’s regional push in Bangalore, Hyderabad, Kochi, and Bhubaneswar. “On Instagram, South India’s mid-tier creators delivered 4–10% engagement rates. In Bhubaneswar, performance was 1–8%—a function of content maturity and platform traction,” he said.
When Numbers Backfire
The pressure to grow followers can turn toxic. In April, 24-year-old influencer Misha Agarwal died by suicide after her follower count fell steadily. Her family revealed she was obsessed with crossing one million followers — so much so that it was her phone’s lock screen.
Aditya Gurwara, Co-Founder of Qoruz, said engagement quality now outweighs numbers: “If big accounts have low meaningful engagement, they won’t be picked.” Shweta Kaushal, Founder of Creatorcult, agreed, noting that “Follower base and engagement can be bought. Content quality and organic interactions—comments, shares—are the real criteria.”
Even icons face growth plateaus. Earlier this year, actor Amitabh Bachchan took to X to jokingly ask fans to help him cross the 49-million follower mark on Twitter, admitting he felt “stuck.” While light-hearted, the post underscored a reality many creators face—growth stagnation.
Known for his long-running blog and active Twitter presence, Bachchan recently made a fresh push on Instagram, experimenting with reels to expand his reach. At the time of writing, he has 37.73 million Instagram followers, and his recent reel trial is a reminder that even the biggest celebrities are exploring new formats to stay relevant.
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The Bigger Picture
India’s influencer marketing industry is pegged at ?3,000–?3,500 crore. E-commerce leads spends with 23%, followed by FMCG at 19%. Over a quarter of brands hike influencer budgets during launches. Platforms like Kofluence report that 61% of brands now use tech tools to manage influencer operations, 29% leverage generative AI for content, and the market will only grow with 900 million internet users online.
Yet, Kantar data shows just 7% of influencer campaigns make it to the top 30% of ads that build long-term brand equity—well below the 32% average for digital ads. While influencer posts drive short-term conversions and keep viewers hooked for an average of 17.8 seconds (versus 7.9 seconds for branded ads), 73% of campaigns fall into the “amber zone” for short-term sales potential.
Experts agree the next phase of influencer marketing will hinge on moving beyond vanity metrics. As Kumar summed it up: “It’s not about how many people follow you—it’s about how many care enough to act.”
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