India's influencer market races to Rs 5,000 cr by 2027 as beauty brands face Tier 2/3 backlash

Industry pegged at Rs 3,000-3,500 cr in 2025, growing 22% CAGR to Rs 4,500-5,000 cr by 2027. Tier 2/3 creators now command 48% share, yet beauty brands like Fenty are flagged for over-indexing on metro influencers despite audience shifts toward Kolhapur, Siliguri, Surat.

— Filed Mon, 1 Jun, 2026, 09:35 IST · Source ET BrandEquity · Updated

India's influencer marketing industry, valued at Rs 3,000-3,500 crore in 2025, is projected to hit Rs 5,000 crore by 2027. Beauty brands like Fenty face criticism for favoring metro creators over Tier 2/3 regional influencers despite shifting audience preferences.

Why this matters

Fenty Beauty faces scrutiny as India's influencer economy decentralizes, with Tier 2/3 creators capturing nearly half the market while beauty brands lag in regional creator partnerships.

Retail-brand signals steady at 790 over the past 90 days.

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