How much does an influencer cost in India?

Is there a standard price list?

ClikCollab doesn't set prices. Creators set their own rates, and each brand and creator agree the final price for every collaboration.

No. There is no official rate card in India, and published "rate cards" are surveys and estimates, not prices. Global guides such as Meltwater and impact.com (2025 editions) list what creators charge, but they quote US dollars and disagree widely with each other, so they don't map neatly onto Indian deals.

The ranges below are our rough guide to what is commonly quoted in India, not survey or ClikCollab booking data. We'll publish real figures once there are enough bookings to make them meaningful.

What do influencers charge per post?

One Instagram Reel or feed post, roughly:

Quotes inside a tier can differ several times over. A creator with a very engaged audience in a niche you care about can reasonably charge more than a bigger account with a scattered audience.

Does the platform change the price?

Yes. Video takes more work than a photo, and longer videos take the most:

• Instagram Stories are usually the cheapest piece, often sold as a set of 2–3 frames.
• Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts are the most common paid formats and tend to be priced similarly at the same size.
• YouTube integrations (a segment inside a long video) are usually the most expensive, because they take more planning and keep getting views for months.

Global guides point the same way: in both Meltwater's and impact.com's data, YouTube videos are the most expensive format.

What else moves the price?

Both global sources agree that follower count is only the starting point. Meltwater lists platform, engagement rate, content format, usage rights, exclusivity and the number of deliverables. impact.com adds audience fit, media quality, creative requirements, production costs, payment terms and timeline.

In practice, expect to pay more when you ask for:

• Video instead of photos, or several deliverables (for example a Reel plus three Stories)
• Usage rights: permission to reuse the content in your own ads, website or email
• Exclusivity: the creator agrees not to work with your competitors for a period
• More than one language version, or a detailed script
• Tight deadlines, extra revisions or travel to a shoot
• A highly engaged or very specific audience, such as a niche or a city your buyers live in

Are there other ways to pay?

Yes. impact.com reports that brands often combine a flat fee with a commission on the sales a creator drives, for example through a discount code. Gifting free products is another common start with nano creators. Any of these counts as a paid relationship that has to be disclosed (see our #ad disclosure guide).

What could a small budget buy?

Using the rough ranges above (actual quotes vary):

• About ₹25,000: a few nano creators, or one smaller micro creator.
• About ₹1,00,000–₹2,50,000: a handful of micro creators, or one mid-tier creator, for a short campaign.
• ₹5,00,000 and up: a macro creator, or a wider group of micro creators across several cities and platforms.

Whether to spread a budget across several smaller creators or spend it on one larger creator depends on your goal. Our micro vs. macro guide explains the trade-offs.

What about GST and TDS?

Many full-time creators are registered for GST and will add it to their quote, so ask whether a price includes GST. Brands may also need to deduct TDS when paying creators, including on some free products and other benefits. The rules depend on amounts and your situation, so check with your chartered accountant.

How do costs work on ClikCollab?

On ClikCollab, creators keep 100% of their rate: we never take a cut. ClikCollab is free for brands and creators during launch, so you only pay what you agree with the creator. See pricing for details.

What should a quote include?

Before you accept, make sure the quote spells out:

• Deliverables: each Reel, Short, video or Story, on which platform, and how long each video is.
• Dates: when drafts are due and when the content goes live.
• Revisions: how many rounds are included.
• Usage rights: whether you may reuse the content, where, and for how long.
• Exclusivity: whether the creator will avoid competitors, and for how long.
• Disclosure: that the content will be clearly labelled as advertising.
• Taxes: whether GST is included.

A quote that leaves these out isn't comparable with one that includes them.

How do I get real quotes?

1. Write a short brief: product, goal, city and language, platforms, the deliverables you want, and your budget.
2. Shortlist creators whose audience matches your customers, not just their follower count.
3. Ask each creator for a quote for the exact deliverables, and confirm usage rights and exclusivity in writing.
4. Compare quotes against the ranges above. A price far outside them should come with a clear reason, such as a very engaged niche audience or extensive usage rights.

Smart Match on ClikCollab turns a plain-language brief into a ranked shortlist with reasons for each pick, so you can start from step 2.