From content to commerce: Creator economy to add $25 billion to India’s e-commerce by 2030

India’s creator economy is no longer just about influence, it is becoming a core engine of commerce.

According to Deloitte and Google’s The $250 Billion Commerce Frontier report, creators are set to play a defining role in the next phase of e-commerce growth, with creator-led commerce expected to contribute nearly $25 billion in gross merchandise value (GMV) by 2030. The shift marks a fundamental change in how products are discovered, evaluated and purchased.

“Creators will influence product discovery and purchase through authentic and creative content, supported by live demos, trusted reviews, and category-led guidance,” the report said.

This transformation is already visible in consumer behaviour. Nearly 28% of shoppers now discover new products through creators, while 63% trust influencers for product recommendations, signalling a move away from traditional advertising to peer-led discovery.

India’s e-commerce market is projected to triple to $250 billion by 2030 and creators are expected to be central to this expansion.

The collapse of the traditional funnel

At the heart of this shift is the breakdown of the traditional marketing funnel.  

The report highlights that “content is no longer just for entertainment: it’s reshaping discovery, preference and purchase decisions”. Short-form video, livestreams and creator-led storefronts are turning passive viewing into active buying.

Bharat as the next frontier

While metros drove the first wave of e-commerce, the next surge will come from smaller towns and creators will be the bridge.

While India today has over 480 million Tier-2 and smaller-town users consuming online video, but only around 35% have shopped online. The report estimates that creators could onboard 50-60 million new shoppers from these markets by 2030 by addressing trust gaps and simplifying purchase decisions.

“Creators will spur 50-60 million new Bharat users to shop online, accounting for approximately 10% of e-commerce GMV,” the report said.

Rise of shoppable content and creator storefronts

The next evolution of the creator economy lies in ownership of the transaction layer.

“Creator-owned storefronts and online videos [will become] instantly shoppable,” the report notes, adding that this integration will significantly improve conversion rates and attribution clarity.

Globally, this model has already gained traction through livestream commerce and in-app checkout ecosystems. In India, rising video consumption, along with improvements in payments and logistics, is setting the stage for similar adoption at scale.

The number of content creators has grown nearly threefold over the past few years to an estimated 3.5–4.5 million, reflecting both the democratisation of content creation and the rising appetite for digital influence.