Myntra, Meesho, Nykaa intensify creator-led commerce efforts as India’s $125 billion e-retail market evolves

India's e-commerce majors are doubling down on creator-led shopping. Growth in the country's online retail market has cooled for the past two years. Amazon, Myntra, Nykaa, and Meesho are expanding their "content commerce" efforts--short videos, makeup tutorials, and styling guides in shopping feeds--to boost conversions and keep users engaged.

Notably, the platforms acknowledged that creator-led content is emerging as a key differentiator, along with the traditional growth levers such as wider assortment and faster delivery.

'Online retailers bet big on shopper-creators'

Myntra's Ultimate Glam Clan (UGC) program has quickly become one of the company's fastest-growing initiatives. The program allows shopper to sign up to become a shopper-creator, unlocking earning opportunities based on the engagement their posts generate.

UGC creators earn an average of Rs 3,000–Rs 4,000 a month, according to Sunder Balasubramanian, Chief Marketing Officer of Myntra.

He said that the UGC program contributes over 10% to platform revenue and drives 25%–28% higher conversion rates. Nearly one in five Myntra customers engage with creator-driven content.

Bengaluru-based Meesho is also scaling its influencer ecosystem.

Ahead of its market debut, the company's co-founders revealed they were working with over 50,000 creators who post product-led videos across the platform. Influencers earn commissions directly from sellers for every sale their content drives.

“It’s a win-win,” co-founder Vidit Aatrey said. “Creators who were unable to monetise their following are earning for the first time, and sellers who never had access to influencers now do".

Meesho has nearly one million creator videos that generated sales for its sellers last year.

Co-founder Sanjeev Kumar added that India is still in the early stages of content commerce but said the company aims to emulate the high-engagement models seen in China through Taobao, Pinduoduo and Shopee.

Similarly, Flipkart has launched an in-app platform "Creator Hood", aimed at emerging influencers from Tier 2 and 3 cities. The company has set up experiential studios in Mumbai, Bengaluru and Gurugram to ramp up video commerce. Video streams on the app have grown eightfold in the past, the company has mentioned.

Beauty and fashion retailer Nykaa has also increased its focus on creators. Through the Nykaa Affiliate Program (NAP), the company works with more than 10,000 beauty, fashion and lifestyle creators who together drive 400 million impressions every month. Nykaa said 2–2.5 million creators now influence consumer purchase decisions in India.

However, India's $125-billion online retail sector is losing some steam. Data from Elara Securities shows combined sales for Amazon, Flipkart, and Myntra grew just 17% between fiscal 2023 and 2025--a sharp contrast to the explosive expansion from 2015 to 2020. High inflation and the rapid ascent of quick commerce platforms have squeezed traditional e-commerce players. This has forced them to look for new ways to attract and hold on to users.

Yet the pivot is not easy or cheap. Flipkart, which has planned an IPO next year, and its sister firm Myntra both registered significant growth in their fiscal 2025 financials by raising their marketing spends.

Flipkart cut losses by 37% to Rs 1,494 crore in FY25 but increased marketing spend by 37% to Rs 4,100 crore. Revenue rose 14% to cross Rs 20,000 crore.

Myntra's profit nearly zoomed 18X from Rs 30.90 crore in FY24 to Rs 543.30 crore in FY25. While its advertising expenses surged 37% to Rs 2,105.3 crore.

Nykaa's consolidated ads and marketing spends rose by 34.5% to Rs 994.82 crore in FY25. According to P Ganesh, Chief Financial Officer, marketing expenses rose to 12.5% of revenue in FY25 compared to 11.6% in FY24.

Industry analysts believe that government policy changes, including tweaks in GST slabs, could support a rebound in e-retail growth. But the longer-term driver is demographic. A large base of young, value-conscious consumers, who are active on social media, will reshape the social-first commerce boom.

"Through the Nykaa x Snapchat Gen Z Beauty Creator Incubator, we’re nurturing the next wave of Gen Z voices—who already influence 44% of India’s $20 billion beauty market," said the beauty retailer.

Myntra's Balasubramanian said that of the 3.5 million-plus shopper-creators on the Ultimate Glam Clan, 66% are Gen Z participants.

According to Bain & Company, Gen Z (born between 1997 and 2012) spends three times more on insurgent fashion brands than older cohorts.

Retailers said that's exactly why the creator push is here to stay and why content commerce is rapidly becoming a core part of India's e-commerce strategy rather than just another marketing tool.