Getting into influencer marketing and worried about compliance. What are the actual rules in India for creator content? What happens if we don't follow them?
ASCI influencer marketing guidelines in India (as of 2025): (1) All paid content must be labelled — creator must use #Ad, #Sponsored, #Collab, or #Partnership clearly visible without clicking "more." (2) Labels must be in the first 3 lines of caption, not buried. (3) Claims must be substantiated — creators cannot make claims your product hasn't proven. (4) Virtual influencers must be disclosed as AI. Penalties: ASCI can require content takedown and public correction. CCPA violations can result in fines. Practical advice: include disclosure requirements in your creator brief explicitly. Give creators the exact hashtag to use. Don't ask creators to hide the partnership — it creates liability for both of you.
Download ASCI-compliant brief template →Update for 2026: ASCI has become significantly more active. They're monitoring large creator accounts directly and issuing notices to brands for non-compliant creator content. As a creator, I now add #ad, #collab, or #sponsored to every single paid post, Story, and YouTube integration regardless of whether the brand asks me to. It's not worth the risk.
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