Amazon influencer programme doubles to 2 lakh creators

Amazon's Influencer Programme has grown to over two lakh creators, doubling year-on-year, the company announced on Wednesday, 21 October 2026. Creators can now tag products on YouTube and Pinterest, earning commissions on qualifying purchases. Nidhi Thakkar, head of Amazon Social Commerce, Emerging Marketplaces, said creators are redefining how customers shop and that the programme helps turn storytelling into entrepreneurship. Amazon said creators have enabled nearly 40 million customers to shop for hundreds of millions of products this year, with momentum accelerating during the ongoing Great Indian Festival.

Separately, smaller social media influencers are reporting bumper festive-season earnings. Some creators doubled or quintupled their earnings from brand deals, driven by more collaborations or higher campaign fees, even as consumer spending faces inflation pressure. Lifestyle creator Kritika Pareek's earnings grew nearly fivefold year-on-year, while Gaurika Gandhi's rose nearly 60%. Brands are turning to regional, micro and nano creators for reach and trust, rather than celebrities. Late campaign planning and shorter delivery timelines emerged as concerns: Durga Puja campaigns began in early September 2026, compared with late July in 2025, according to agency co-founder Pallabi Paul Kundu.