The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) has introduced significant updates to its Influencer Advertising Guidelines with the release of Addendum 2, specifically targeting health and finance influencers, as India’s creator economy continues to grow, per Campaign.
The ASCI now mandates that influencers in Banking, Financial Services, Insurance (BFSI), health, and nutrition sectors must hold and disclose appropriate qualifications when providing technical advice. The updated guidelines distinguish between general promotions and specialized guidance.
“Influencer marketing has matured beyond simple endorsements and now often involves strategic partnerships for various aspects of brand communication,” Manisha Kapoor, CEO and Secretary General of ASCI, said in a statement.
Finance influencers offering investment advice must be SEBI-registered and disclose their registration number. Health influencers require relevant degrees such as medical, nursing, dietetics, or nutritionist certification based on the specific advice given.
Disclosure Standards Strengthened
All influencer advertisements must carry clear disclosure labels. For videos up to 15 seconds in length, labels must remain visible for at least 3 seconds. In videos between 15 seconds and 2 minutes, disclosures must appear for one-third of the video duration.
Live streams and podcasts require disclosure announcements at both the beginning and end. Acceptable disclosure terms include “advertisement,” “ad,” “sponsored,” “collaboration,” “partnership,” “employee,” “free gift,” “affiliate,” or the use of platform-specific disclosure tools.
Creator Economy on the Rise
The regulatory update comes as India’s creator ecosystem experiences significant expansion, growing from 962,000 influencers in 2020 to 4.06 million in 2024—a 322% increase, according to research from Qoruz.
“Influencers have moved beyond product endorsements to becoming strategic partners for brands,” stated Aditya Gurwara, co-founder at Qoruz.
This development coincides with the government’s announcement of a $1 billion fund to bolster India’s creator economy, as stated by Information Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw. The initiative aims to help content creators enhance skills, improve production quality, and access international markets. India’s user-generated content sector is projected to reach $1.1 billion by 2027.
Cecilia Carloni, Interview Manager at Influence Weekly and writer for NetInfluencer. Coming from beautiful Argentina, Ceci has spent years chatting with big names in the influencer world, making friends and learning insider info along the way. When she’s not deep in interviews or writing, she's enjoying life with her two daughters. Ceci’s stories give a peek behind the curtain of influencer life, sharing the real and interesting tales from her many conversations with movers and shakers in the space.
The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) has introduced significant updates to its Influencer Advertising Guidelines with the release of Addendum 2, specifically targeting health and finance influencers, as India’s creator economy continues to grow, per Campaign.
The ASCI now mandates that influencers in Banking, Financial Services, Insurance (BFSI), health, and nutrition sectors must hold and disclose appropriate qualifications when providing technical advice. The updated guidelines distinguish between general promotions and specialized guidance.
“Influencer marketing has matured beyond simple endorsements and now often involves strategic partnerships for various aspects of brand communication,” Manisha Kapoor, CEO and Secretary General of ASCI, said in a statement.
Finance influencers offering investment advice must be SEBI-registered and disclose their registration number. Health influencers require relevant degrees such as medical, nursing, dietetics, or nutritionist certification based on the specific advice given.
Disclosure Standards Strengthened
All influencer advertisements must carry clear disclosure labels. For videos up to 15 seconds in length, labels must remain visible for at least 3 seconds. In videos between 15 seconds and 2 minutes, disclosures must appear for one-third of the video duration.
Live streams and podcasts require disclosure announcements at both the beginning and end. Acceptable disclosure terms include “advertisement,” “ad,” “sponsored,” “collaboration,” “partnership,” “employee,” “free gift,” “affiliate,” or the use of platform-specific disclosure tools.
Creator Economy on the Rise
The regulatory update comes as India’s creator ecosystem experiences significant expansion, growing from 962,000 influencers in 2020 to 4.06 million in 2024—a 322% increase, according to research from Qoruz.
“Influencers have moved beyond product endorsements to becoming strategic partners for brands,” stated Aditya Gurwara, co-founder at Qoruz.
This development coincides with the government’s announcement of a $1 billion fund to bolster India’s creator economy, as stated by Information Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw. The initiative aims to help content creators enhance skills, improve production quality, and access international markets. India’s user-generated content sector is projected to reach $1.1 billion by 2027.