India’s creator economy moves from freelance gigs to formal jobs
Indeed’s new data shows that India’s creator economy is moving towards more structured employment models, with companies increasingly hiring creators into formal organisational roles.
According to the report, job postings for creator-related roles, including content creators, influencers and social media professionals, grew 919% between 2020 and early 2026. Roles that previously represented a small share of marketing jobs now account for a larger portion of hiring activity on the platform.
The report suggests that brands and agencies are moving beyond short-term influencer collaborations towards long-term, embedded creator functions within marketing teams.
“When a creator represents your brand, trust is your biggest asset and your biggest risk. That’s why companies are moving fast to bring creators in-house. Our data shows a massive surge in formal creator roles because employers aren’t just looking for reach anymore; they’re looking for accountability. Added, Saumitra R Chand, Career Expert at Indeed
According to Indeed, creator roles accounted for roughly one in every 1,000 marketing jobs in 2020. The figure has now increased to nearly one in every 100 marketing jobs listed on the platform.
The report also found that creator hiring has become increasingly multidisciplinary. Between March 2025 and February 2026, influencer roles accounted for 40% of creator-related jobs, while marketing executives accounted for 20% and marketing interns for 17%.
The remaining roles included video production, community management and content operations, indicating that companies are building broader in-house content and engagement teams.
Eshaanya Maheshwari, who has 1.6 million followers on Instagram, said, “With more recognition for creators and recent policy moves, there’s a lot more clarity and trust in how things are done. And as everything becomes more structured, it just makes it easier to think bigger and plan for the long term”.
The report also noted that demand for structured creator roles is currently growing faster than the supply of talent within the ecosystem.
“What’s changing is not just where creators work, but how they are evaluated,” says Rohan Sylvester, Talent Strategy Advisor, Indeed India. “As creators move into formal organisations, the expectations are shifting toward measurable outcomes, whether that’s audience engagement, conversion, or brand consistency. This is creating a more performance-driven environment, where creators are expected to operate with the same clarity and accountability as other business functions”.
