Influencer Marketing in India: Disclosure Rules and Best Practices
In India, influencer posts that promote a brand in return for payment, free products or any other benefit must be clearly disclosed under the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) guidelines, using labels such as #ad, #collab or #sponsored that are prominent and easy to see. Good campaigns also choose creators for audience fit and engagement, use clear contracts and briefs, and measure results with tracked links and codes.
Influencer marketing works because people trust creators they follow. That trust is exactly why the rules on disclosure matter.
The disclosure rules in brief
ASCI's guidelines for influencer advertising say that when there is a material connection between a brand and a creator, such as payment, free products or a trip, the post must carry a clear label. Common labels include #ad, #collab, #sponsored, #partnership or the platform's own paid-partnership tag.
The label must be upfront and easy to see: not hidden among many hashtags, not only in comments, and visible in videos for long enough to read or heard in audio content. The guidelines are updated from time to time, so check the current version before each campaign.
Choosing the right creators
Micro and nano creators often deliver stronger engagement and trust for their cost; larger creators bring reach.
- Audience fitwhere their followers live, their age and their interests.
- Engagement qualityreal comments and conversations, not just likes.
- Content styledoes it suit your brand?
- Track recordpast brand work, consistency and professionalism.
Contracts and briefs
Every campaign should agree in writing:
A good brief explains the product, the key message and the do's and don'ts, then leaves room for the creator's own voice.
- deliverables, formats and dates;
- disclosure requirements;
- usage rights, if you want to reuse content in ads;
- approval process and payment terms.
Measuring results
Set goals before you start: awareness, engagement, traffic or sales. Use codes and tracked links, collect platform insights, and test top-performing creator content as paid ads.
Our influencer marketing team handles creator discovery, contracts, compliance and reporting.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes. If a creator receives a product or other benefit and posts about the brand, the connection should be disclosed.
Both. Brands should require disclosure in the contract and check that posts comply.
Use unique discount codes, tracked links, platform insights and, where possible, whitelisted ads to measure reach, clicks and sales.
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