Small and independent creators, who make up a major chunk of India’s creator base, continue to struggle with payment delays and inconsistent work despite brands increasingly turning to them for regional outreach and festive campaigns.
According to a recent report by the Indian School of Business, Hyderabad and Hashfame, a brand-creator network platform, more than half of non-metro creators in 2025 were nano creators, defined as those with 1,000 to 10,000 followers. Another 28% were micro creators, with 10,000 to 100,000 followers. Together, they accounted for more than 80% of the non-metro creator base.
Industry experts say payment delays can be particularly challenging for regional-language, micro and nano creators who may not have established processes around contracts, invoicing and payment follow-ups. Delays are often caused by brand approvals, procurement cycles, invoicing, documentation or changes in campaign timelines rather than an intentional withholding of payment.
For emerging creators, even a small delay can have a larger impact because they may depend heavily on individual collaborations. Income can also swing sharply from month to month as campaigns are irregular and tied to brand budgets and cycles.
Uneven earnings
“This happens more often in the creator ecosystem than people realise. From the outside, people see the campaigns and the content, but what they don’t always see is how unpredictable the actual flow of money can be,” said Shivani Gulhane, a beauty and lifestyle creator.
“A creator often completes the entire process-understanding the brief, planning, shooting, editing, revisions and delivering the content-before receiving the payment. Yet payments can sometimes take much longer than expected because of long payment cycles, internal approvals, invoice issues or multiple parties being involved between the brand and creator,” Gulhane said adding that for smaller creators, this can be particularly challenging.
“Unlike a regular job where you know when your salary is coming, creators don’t always have that certainty,” she pointed out.
Himadri Patel, a YouTuber, beauty and lifestyle creator and founder of women’s wear brand DRI by Himadri, agreed that late or delayed payments remain one of the biggest operational challenges, particularly for micro and nano-creators. Larger creators may have talent managers, legal support or stronger negotiating power, while smaller creators often manage follow-ups themselves. Payments can stretch well beyond the originally agreed timeline, she added.
Cash crunch
Many brands and agencies operate on 60- or 90-day payment cycles, while creators may have already paid editors, photographers, studios, travel and other production costs upfront. This can create significant cash-flow pressure.
Smaller campaigns are also sometimes finalised over WhatsApp, email or DMs without detailed contracts covering payment timelines, deliverables and other commercial terms.
“A creator may earn ₹1–1.5 lakh in one month and then have very little paid work the next month. Campaigns can get postponed, budgets can change or approvals can take longer than expected. For example, a creator may have three campaigns lined up worth ₹30,000 each, but if two are pushed to the following month, their expected ₹90,000 income suddenly becomes ₹30,000. Their costs, however, such as editors, equipment, travel and production, continue,” said Sanya Bajaj, co-founder at Crack'd, an influencer marketing agency.
According to Aditya Aima, managing director, growth markets and co-MD, India and MENA, at brand enablement platform AnyMind Group, the unpredictability for smaller creators is not necessarily about talent or audience but structure.
Working alone, creators can see three brand deals in one month and none the next. They may also spend significant time chasing invoices, pitching brands and managing cross-border tax rules. For brands, meanwhile, working with smaller creators can involve managing many small payments rather than a single large transaction.
Fixing the gap
“On the brand side, there needs to be more standardization; clear payment timelines built into contracts upfront, and ideally moving toward shorter cycles or partial upfront payments for smaller creators who don’t have the buffer to wait,” said Pranav Panpalia, co-founder of Opraah, a creator agency.
Jag Chima, co-founder at IPLIX Media, an influencer marketing and talent management agency, added that the industry needs greater standardization around payment terms. Clear expectations around deliverables, approval timelines, cancellation clauses and payment schedules can reduce confusion.
As the ecosystem matures, creators should also diversify revenue rather than depend entirely on brand collaborations. Building IP, affiliate revenue, products or creator-led businesses can provide greater financial stability, he pointed out.
The biggest misconception in the creator economy is that visibility equals stability, said Pratish Mepani, founder and creative director, Starting Monday Design and Branding Co. Someone with hundreds of thousands of followers can still have inconsistent cash flow, while a smaller creator can build a healthier business through stronger partnerships, repeat clients or multiple revenue streams.
“The awkward truth is that many creators spend years building audiences and very little time building business skills. Creators today are effectively media companies. Some have employees, editors, managers, equipment costs and recurring expenses. You wouldn’t expect a television channel to operate without contracts. The creator economy shouldn’t either,” Mepani added.