India has witnessed a mammoth, 322% growth in the number of social media influencers during the past four years. From just 9.62 lakh influencers in 2020, the country’s creator economy has expanded to witness the emergence of 40.6 lakh influencers in 2024. This was revealed in the latest report by Qoruz, an influencer marketing intelligence platform.
When one assesses the growth in the number of influencers witnessed during past one year (2023 to 2024), lifestyle emerges as the top vertical with total number social media influencers growing from 1.28 lakhs in 2023 to 2.95 lakhs, posting more than 130% growth. Similarly, the category of travel grew from 1.94 lakhs in 2023 to 3.24 lakhs in 2024, food from 1.66 lakhs to 2.42 lakhs, and tech from 1.64 lakhs to 2.33 lakhs, growing by 67%, 46%, and 42%, respectively.
When growth in the number of social media influencers in India based on their fields of specialisaitons is viewed from a four-year perspective, gaming, travel, and parenting emerge as top categories, Qoruz report shows. From a four-year-growth perspective, gaming has emerged as a fast growing category, reaching 4.67 lakh influencers by the end of 2024—growing from a little over one-lakh influencers in 2020. Travel too has grown from one-lakh influencers in 2020 to 3.24 lakh influencers in 2024. Parenting influencers have shown the strongest growth, rising from 87,000 in 2020 to 3.62 lakhs in 2024, indicating a rising appetite of Indian consumers for family-focused content.
Praanesh Bhuvaneswar, co-founder and CEO, Qoruz, said, “The creator economy has grown from fewer than a million influencers in 2020 to over 4 million. Creators are transforming the way we communicate, shape trends, and connect with audiences.” Stating that influencers have become cultural architects, setting the tone for brands to follow, Bhuvaneswar added that with the right insights, brands can craft meaningful campaigns and build collaborations that resonate deeply with audiences.
The categories of fashion and beauty have showcased stable growth, with fashion leading at 4.70 lakh influencers by 2024-end. Niche segments such as infotainment and finance too have gained momentum, with the number of infotainment influencers rising from 37,000 and 63,000, respectively, in 2020 to a little over two lakhs and 2.32 lakhs, respectively, in 2024. Qoruz predicts that in 2025, the categories of fashion, arts & entertainment, and gaming will dominate.
Similarly, the category of health & fitness has seen staggered expansion, propelled by the post-pandemic emphasis on wellness. The total number of influencers in this category have grown from 1.15 lakhs in 2020 to 2.95 lakhs in 2024. The food category, despite experiencing a temporary decline, has rebounded to end 2024 with 2.42 lakh influencers, driven by growing interest in culinary content.
Aditya Gurwara, co-founder and head of brand alliances at Qoruz, remarked, “Influencers have moved beyond product endorsements to becoming strategic partners for brands. They create authentic, context-driven content that resonates deeply with audiences, making campaigns more impactful than ever before. The key to success lies in building long-term relationships with creators, leveraging data to identify the right fit, and creating campaigns that go beyond reach to drive engagement and trust.”
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