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Shivnath Thukral, Vice President of Public Policy at Meta India, has announced his departure from the company after a notable tenure of more than seven years. Thukral described the decision as difficult but timely, expressing confidence in the strength of the policy team he leaves behind.

“It is not an easy decision to make,” Thukral said, “but I feel very confident that our policy engagement with stakeholders is at a credible and constructive juncture… I do feel it is a good time to let the engine and the team work on their own.”

During his time at Meta, Thukral played a central role in shaping the company’s public policy narrative in India, a critical market for the tech giant. He was instrumental in building internal systems, engaging with stakeholders across government and industry and steering the company through a complex regulatory environment.

Thukral expressed gratitude to both his team and a host of prominent Meta leaders, including Joel Kaplan, Ajit Mohan, Sandeep Bhushan, Rishi Raj Gupta and Ankhi Das, among others. He also acknowledged the contributions of team members Natasha Jog, Sunil Abraham, and Rishabh Dara.

Thukral said he plans to take a short break to focus on health, running, and family. He hinted at a return soon, teasing that his next chapter may involve “taking India to the world.” Thukral’s departure comes at a time when Big Tech continues to face regulatory scrutiny in India, with data governance, digital competition and content moderation remaining top priorities for policymakers. 

<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/brand-makers/googles-public-policy-shake-up-are-big-techs-struggling-to-retain-policy-heads-in-india-56879.htm">Read more: Google’s Public Policy Shake-up: Are big techs struggling to retain policy heads in India?</a>

Shivnath Thukral steps down as VP of Public Policy at Meta

Meta has updated its advertising policy for online gambling and gaming businesses, including those operating in India. Under the new guidelines announced Thursday, real money gaming (RMG) advertisers must now obtain Meta's written permission to run ads, and such ads cannot be targeted to individuals under the age of 18.

According to the policy, Meta defines online gambling and gaming as any product or service where anything of monetary value is included as part of a method of entry and prize. Ads that promote online gambling and gaming are only allowed with our prior written permission. Authorised advertisers must follow all applicable laws and include targeting criteria consistent with Meta's targeting requirements.

As per the Meta guidelines advertisers which require written permissions include, all forms of online gambling. Some common types of gambling include betting, lotteries, raffles, casino games, fantasy sports, bingo, poker, skill game tournaments and sweepstakes.

"Games where anything of monetary value is included as part of a method of entry and anything of monetary value is included as part of the prize, including but not limited to cash or digital currencies such as Bitcoin. This includes games that require purchases to continue gameplay or provide an advantage in winning prizes in cases where the prize is of monetary value."

Guidelines for written permissions further state, that Ads with destination (landing) pages that contain promotions for online gambling or games, even if there is no opportunity to gamble or game directly on that page, such as aggregator or affiliate sites."

"Ads that promote online gambling and gaming are only allowed with our prior written permission," Meta stated in the updated guidelines. "Authorized advertisers must comply with all applicable laws and use targeting criteria in line with Meta’s standards."

To receive permission, advertisers must submit a formal request to Meta, providing documentation that the gambling activity is licensed or legally permissible in the regions they aim to target. Meta also requires that ads with destination pages promoting gambling content—whether or not direct play is offered—must follow the same rules.

In a significant development for Indian gaming companies, the All India Gaming Federation (AIGF) announced that Meta will now accept AIGF-issued certificates as valid proof for legal and skill-based classification of games.

“After nearly two years of sustained efforts and continuous engagement with Meta, we are pleased to inform you of a significant policy update,” AIGF stated in a memo to its members. “Meta has announced a change in its Real Money Gaming (RMG) authorization process for advertisers targeting India.”

Going forward, advertisers can submit either a court order confirming the game as one of skill or a certificate from AIGF or other recognized federations to gain advertising approval.

“This marks a major step forward in streamlining the ad approval process for RMG operators in India,” the federation added, noting that a more detailed operational process will be released in the coming weeks.

The move is expected to bring greater transparency and compliance ease to India’s rapidly growing online gaming industry while ensuring responsible ad targeting practices on Meta’s platforms.

EXCLUSIVE: Meta allows RMG advertising in India with legal compliance certificates

Meta is strengthening its commitment to the Indian media agency ecosystem by leveraging emerging technologies and platforms such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Reels, and Business Messaging to help agencies unlock new avenues for growth and future-proof their strategies.

At the recent Meta Marketing Summit – Agency Edition, held in Mumbai and Gurgaon, more than 350 senior agency professionals gathered to explore the evolving digital landscape and its implications for the future of agency-client relationships. The event emphasized Meta’s mission to empower agencies to become next-generation consultancies, capable of navigating and leading the next wave of digital disruption.

The adoption of AI and Generative AI tools is accelerating across agencies in India. These tools are streamlining creative development, enabling smarter audience targeting, and speeding up A/B testing—turning agencies into agile growth engines for the brands they represent.

“The agency ecosystem, which lies at the heart of India’s digital, brand, and advertising growth, is on the verge of a massive transformation. The evolving digital landscape—fueled by the rise of AI, short-form video formats like Reels, and Business Messaging—means that agencies of all sizes must adopt new skills to grow,” said Gaurav Jeet Singh, Director, Agency and VC Partnerships at Meta India.

He added, “Automation empowers agencies to scale more rapidly; the surge in short-form, engaging formats is reshaping the creative landscape; and messaging has revolutionized how people and brands interact. We’re working with agencies of all sizes to help them transform meaningfully and become future-ready to capture new business opportunities.”

According to Meta, one such success story is Sokrati India, which leveraged Meta’s Advantage+ Shopping Campaigns (A+SC) to drive performance across multiple accounts. Thanks to AI-powered automation and optimization, agencies are now better equipped to deliver measurable results in an increasingly competitive market.

India has emerged as the global leader in Reels creation, producing the highest volume of short-form video content each week. With the world’s largest community of Instagram creators, the market presents a unique opportunity for agencies to merge creativity with commerce.

“Reels is now a widely adopted product and a key component of the marketing strategies for nearly every brand we work with. We partnered with India Gate Basmati Rice to execute a mixed-creators strategy, working with 20+ regional creators and major celebrities to highlight its new packaging and reach a broader audience through Partnership Ads. The brand saw a 4.5-point increase in top-of-mind awareness versus the 0.9 APAC benchmark,” said Aakriti Sharma, Client Lead at Wavemaker.

This creator-driven ecosystem is prompting agencies to evolve from siloed media or creative roles into holistic brand consultants—capable of ideating, executing, and optimizing full-funnel strategies.

Messaging is quickly becoming a cornerstone of digital transformation in India. From generating leads with “Click to Message” ads to using the Conversions API for performance tracking, agencies are embracing business messaging to boost customer engagement and ROI.

“Performance media is now central to how businesses operate, with outputs increasingly tied to business outcomes. In today’s competitive environment, it’s essential for lower-funnel KPI campaigns to test, adopt, and scale emerging technologies and formats to maximize ROI,” said Iti Kaul, Head of Digital at OMD India.

Kaul continued, “Business Messaging on Meta has proven effective in delivering KPIs, such as high-quality leads at efficient costs, and has become a reliable part of our strategy for driving business results. Given WhatsApp’s widespread use across India, including in Tier-2 and Tier-3 markets, it offers a seamless platform to explore. Click-to-WhatsApp and Messenger Ads help bring engaged users from Facebook and Instagram onto WhatsApp, driving sales and other key business outcomes.”

Meta’s WhatsApp Cloud API now powers over 70,000 Indian businesses monthly—a number that continues to rise as more brands adopt conversational commerce. In response to this trend, Meta is co-developing custom solutions for agencies. A notable example is its collaboration with AdYogi to build a product performance management platform aimed at accelerating e-commerce growth through profitable catalog ads.

<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/brand-marketing/meta-introduces-ai-powered-marketing-tools-to-help-brands-partner-with-creators-60395.htm">Read More: Meta introduces AI-powered marketing tools to help brands partner with creators</a>

<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/brand-marketing/meta-tests-ai-generated-comment-suggestions-on-instagram-60258.htm">Read More: Meta tests AI-generated comment suggestions on Instagram</a>

Meta’s big India play: Boosting media agencies with AI, Reels, and Messaging

The Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting, speaking at an event organized by the Press Council of India, expressed concerns about fake news, algorithmic bias, artificial intelligence, and the need for fair compensation from Big Tech companies. Ashwini Vaishnaw also suggested reconsidering the ‘Safe Harbor’ provision, which shields social media intermediaries.

The recent speech by Vaishnaw has been hailed by the Digital News Publishers Association (DNPA). For last few years, digital platforms of legacy news publishers have been trying to convey to the policy makers the existential threats posed by monopolistic practices of Big Tech, particularly Google and Meta. 

They have been advocating about an urgent need for regulations to safeguard the interests of the digital news industry, which is crucial for the democratic fabric of the nation. According to DNPA, Big Tech companies have long enjoyed a dominant position in the digital media landscape, deriving substantial revenues from the content created by news publishers without adequately compensating them. 

The stakeholders have time and again reiterated that the Indian digital news platforms, which invests considerably in newsrooms and journalistic integrity, find themselves in a precarious position. The prevailing “take it or leave it” attitude dictated by these monopolistic giants leaves little room for negotiation or revenue-sharing based on transparency. With such limited leverage, many digital news outlets have no choice but to acquiesce to unfavourable terms set forth by these tech behemoths.
 
In recent years, there has been a global fightback against the antitrust practices of Big Tech, with actions taken across various countries, including Australia, Europe, the UK, Canada, and the USA. Investigations into these anti trust practices have intensified, prompting many governments to contemplate strict regulations and frameworks to ensure fair competition and accountability. Within India, the Competition Commission of India (CCI) has initiated investigations to examine these practices, although a comprehensive report is yet to be published. 

During the last 18 months , the dialogue surrounding the regulation of digital media has intensified only. Previous communications from the last Information Technology Minister indicated a need for oversight on Big Tech  within the digital media sphere. Minister Vaishnaw’s recent acknowledgment of the ramifications of allowing Big Tech to operate without accountability signals a significant resolve and openness  in acknowledging  of the threats faced by the digital news media and credible news . It lays a foundation for potential regulatory reforms to address the imbalance that has persisted for far too long. 

Legacy digital news publishers have consistently raised alarms about the proliferation of fake and unverified news, which often gains undue prominence on the search engines controlled by these tech giants. These platforms' complicated algorithms have enabled sensationalist and misleading narratives to overshadow credible journalism, posing a serious threat to both the nation’s social fabric and its democracy. The fact that unverified information can garner more visibility than factual reporting is reaching alarming proportions. 

According to DNPA, the emergence of AI-powered tools like ChatGPT and Gemini have introduced an entirely new dimension to the media landscape. These interactive platforms serve as surrogate news sources, disseminating information often rooted in Western perceptions of Indian reality. Such representations may not reflect the true essence of Indian narratives, but rather filter content through a lens that can distort or misrepresent critical socio-political contexts.

The proliferation of AI-generated content raises questions about the implications of foreign narratives on domestic discourse, and subverts the rationale of FDI regulations in news media sector that are designed to protect Indian media interests. This is a dangerous development that could further erode the information ecosystem, undermining local narratives and interests.  

Digital news media platforms are now looking towards the government to take decisive action – to craft regulations and enforceable guidelines that ensure fair revenue sharing with news publishers while simultaneously shielding them from the disruptive challenges posed by AI driven platforms. 

The current moment presents a critical opportunity for the Indian government to align policy with the evolving digital landscape. It is imperative to ensure that legacy news publishers are not only compensated fairly for their contributions but are also equipped with the tools to confront and adapt to new technological challenges.  

Moreover, establishing regulations to govern AI technologies used in news dissemination could create a balanced ecosystem where both innovation and journalistic integrity coexist. By prioritizing transparency, accountability, and support for local digital news media, the government can play a transformative role in securing the future of digital news in India. 

"Minister Vaishnav’s recent remarks signal a pivotal moment in recognizing the existential threats posed by Big Tech to digital news media in India. As the dialogue progresses, it is vital for the government to act promptly and decisively to implement measures that protect the interests of Indian news publishers," said Sujata Gupta, Secretary General, DNPA. 

"Such initiatives will not only ensure the sustainability of credible journalism but also fortify the very bedrock of democracy by fostering an informed and engaged populace. The call for regulatory frameworks and fair revenue-sharing arrangements is not just an appeal for survival; it is a clarion call to uphold the principles of equity, transparency, and fundamental fairness in the evolving media landscape," said Gupta. 


DNPA hails I&B Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw's stand on Big Tech platforms in India

The Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting, speaking at an event organized by the Press Council of India, expressed concerns about fake news, algorithmic bias, artificial intelligence, and the need for fair compensation from Big Tech companies. Ashwini Vaishnaw also suggested reconsidering the ‘Safe Harbor’ provision, which shields social media intermediaries.

Vaishnaw highlighted that platforms fail to verify the accuracy of the information shared online, leading to a flood of “false and misleading information.” He urged online platforms and Big Tech to take a more active role in combating misinformation and safeguarding democracy.

“The rapid spread of fake news is a big threat not only to the media because it undermines trust but it’s also a big threat to democracy,” he said.

Vaishnaw proposed re-evaluating the ‘Safe Harbor’ provision, which shields social media companies like Meta, X, and Telegram from being held liable for user-generated content. He argued that the provision, designed in the 1990s, may be outdated considering the vast influence of digital platforms today.

“With our diverse society, we have to be extra careful. Our country has many sensitivities which do not exist in the countries where these platforms originate. Therefore, if the circumstances are different, shouldn’t there be different metrics for the platforms? Shouldn’t there be more responsibility on the platforms?” he questioned.

Currently, Section 79 of the Information Technology Act, 2000, grants big tech platforms immunity from legal action over user-posted content. Removing or modifying the ‘Safe Harbor’ clause would hold these platforms directly accountable for such content, eliminating their legal protection.

Vaishnaw cautioned that the algorithms used by digital platforms often prioritize engagement by promoting sensational or divisive content. This trend, he claimed, poses significant risks to society and requires solutions that balance engagement with ethical practices.

“In a country as diverse as India, misinformation and such algorithmic bias can have serious social consequences, as we’ve witnessed in several instances. This approach, in my opinion, is irresponsible and dangerous for our society,” he stated.

As news consumption increasingly shifts to digital platforms, traditional media outlets are facing financial challenges, Vaishnaw noted. He called for fair compensation to bridge the economic gap between traditional and digital media.

“The efforts made by conventional media in creating content need to be fairly and suitably compensated,” he said.

On the topic of artificial intelligence, Vaishnaw raised concerns about its ethical and economic impacts, particularly regarding AI-generated content.

“AI models today can generate creative content based on vast datasets they are trained on. But what happens to the rights and recognition of the original creators who contributed to that data? Are they being compensated or acknowledged for their work? This is not just an economic issue; it is an ethical one too,” he remarked.

He urged all stakeholders to set aside political differences and engage in open discussions and collaborative efforts to address these pressing challenges.

'Need to revisit 'Safe Harbor' provision for Big Tech firms', says I&B Minister

Meta is likely to face new lawsuits by US states, this time being accused of fueling mental health problems among teens due to Facebook and Instagram addition. A federal judge in California allowed the states to sue Meta for social media addiction among teens. 

Oakland-based U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers rejected Meta's submission to dismiss the claims made by the states in two separate lawsuits filed last year, one involving more than 30 states including California, New York and Florida.

The judge also rejected motions by Meta, ByteDance's TikTok, Google parent Alphabet's YouTube and Snap's SnapChat to dismiss related personal injury lawsuits by individual plaintiffs. The other companies are not defendants to the states' lawsuits.

The ruling clears the way for states and other plaintiffs to seek more evidence and potentially go to trial. It is not a final ruling on the merits of their cases.

"Meta needs to be held accountable for the very real harm it has inflicted on children here in California and across the country," California Attorney General Rob Bonta said in a statement.

Lawyers for the personal injury plaintiffs in a joint statement called the ruling “a significant victory for young people nationwide who have been negatively impacted by addictive and harmful social media platforms.”

A Meta spokesperson says that the company disagreed with the ruling overall and that it had "developed numerous tools to support parents and teens," including new "Teen Accounts" on Instagram with added protections.

A Google spokesperson called the allegations "simply not true" and said, “providing young people with a safer, healthier experience has always been core to our work.”

Hundreds of lawsuits have been filed by various plaintiffs accusing the social media companies of designing addictive algorithms that lead to anxiety, depression and body-image issues among adolescents, and failing to warn of their risks.

Meta to face lawsuit for social media addiction among teens

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), in their study, has claimed that nine companies, including Meta, YouTube, and TikTok, engaged in extensive surveillance of consumers, including minors, collecting and sharing more personal information than most users realised.

The report states that the sites, which mostly offer free services, profited from the data by using it for advertising that targets specific users based on demographics. The companies also failed to adequately protect users, especially children and teenagers.

The FTC said it began its study nearly four years ago to provide the first comprehensive look into the opaque business practices of some of the biggest online platforms that have built multibillion-dollar advertising businesses using consumer data. “Surveillance practices can endanger people’s privacy, threaten their freedoms, and expose them to a host of harms, from identity theft to stalking,” said Lina Kahn, the FTC’s chair, in a statement.

Efforts by the companies to regulate themselves have also failed, the FTC concluded in its report. “Self-regulation has been a failure,” it added.

According to a New York Times report, Google, which owns YouTube, stated, “We have the strictest privacy policy in our industry. We never sell people’s personal information, and we don’t use sensitive information to serve ads,” said José Castañeda, a spokesman for Google. He added, “We prohibit ad personalisation for users under 18, and we don’t personalise ads to anyone watching ‘made for kid content’ on YouTube.”

In December 2020, the agency opened its inquiry into the nine companies that operate 13 platforms. The FTC requested data from each company for operations between 2019 and 2020 and then studied how the companies had collected, used, and retained that data.

The FTC found that the companies voraciously consumed data about users and often purchased information about people who weren’t users through data brokers. They also gathered information from accounts linked to other services.

Most of the companies collected users' age, gender, and the language they spoke. Many platforms also obtained information on education, income, and marital status. The companies didn’t provide users with easy ways to opt out of data collection and often retained sensitive information for much longer than consumers would expect, the agency said.

The companies used data to create profiles of users, often merging the information they gathered with details about habits collected on other sites, to serve targeted advertisements.

The agency also found that many sites claimed they restricted access to users under the age of 13, yet many children remained on the platforms. Teenagers were also treated like adults on many of the apps, subjecting them to the same data collection as adults. Many of the companies couldn’t tell the FTC how much data they were collecting, according to the study.

'Meta, YouTube and TikTok engaged in vast surveillance', says FTC

In an advisory issued on September 3, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) urged all intermediaries to promptly and proactively remove fake content, following a Bombay High Court directive. 

The HC required Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, and Telegram to delete all false information, including altered videos and profiles related to the National Stock Exchange (NSE), within 10 hours of receiving a complaint.

"The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology wishes to remind intermediaries of their duty to swiftly remove any prohibited material at the earliest opportunity. Intermediaries are advised to complete the takedown process, where necessary, as proactively as possible without waiting for the time limits set in the Rules, which serve only as an upper threshold.”

The advisory referred to the Information Technology Act and the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021. Under the IT Act, IT Rules 2021, and the 2015 Supreme Court ruling in the Shreya Singhal case, intermediaries are required to take down "unlawful information" within 36 hours of receiving "actual knowledge," either via a court order or a notice from the "Appropriate Government".

In July this year, India’s National Stock Exchange (NSE) warned investors about deepfake videos falsely featuring its CEO, Ashishkumar Chauhan, in some investment and stock advisory videos. 

Recently, the Mumbai police filed a case against the Maharashtra Youth Congress’ social media account and 16 others for allegedly sharing a deepfake video of Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Multiple well-known personalities, including Barack Obama, Nancy Pelosi, Elon Musk, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Tom Cruise, Scarlett Johansson, and Emma Watson, have also fallen victim to deepfake videos on the internet. Similar such cases have been reported widely across the country.


MeitY issues advisory to intermediaries, urges to remove fake content swiftly

The Australian Parliament on Wednesday grilled two top executives of Meta from Facebook and Instagram. The executives were summoned by the parliament for a hearing involving ongoing probe of news practices on the social media networks. 

According to The Australian, Antigone Davis, Meta’s global head of safety at Meta, and Mia Garlick, a regional director of policy for Australia, were summoned back to parliament after attending a hearing in June.

Their appearance follows a June hearing where Garlick avoided confirming whether Facebook would ban news in Australia, stating, “all options are on the table.” This comes after Meta announced it would not renew deals under the News Media Bargaining Code, which requires the company to pay publishers for news content on the platform.
 
According to reports by The Australian newspaper, Sharon Claydon, the new chair of the social media committee, said she intends to probe Meta on the claims made during the previous hearing.

“Australians are increasingly concerned about the influence and impact of social media on so many areas of our society, including our mental health, wellbeing, safety, and social cohesion,” said the Labour MP. Claydon also expressed interest in clarifying Meta's decision to halt its agreements with Australian news outlets.

This follows Meta's announcement in June 2024 that it is considering blocking news content in Australia if the government forces the platform to pay licensing fees. Meta has previously struck deals with major Australian media outlets, including News Corp and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, but has indicated it will not renew these arrangements beyond 2024.

Publishers say such a move would be “catastrophic”. One claimed it would lose 52 percent of its income if the ban went ahead.

According to media reports, Garlick said, “We haven’t had any indication about which way things are progressing and so there’s nothing further to update.” She also confirmed that Meta chief executive Mark Zuckerberg had not yet met with anyone from the Australian government.

Garlick and Davis were also questioned over child safety on the company’s apps. Davis said the country should enforce laws that require parents to approve downloading of the Facebook and Instagram apps by children under 16 in their care.

Davis’ answer did not impress Member of Parliament Zoe Daniels, who said Meta was “shirking responsibility.”

“So you will support some level of age assurance or age verification, as long as you don’t have to do it yourselves,” she added.

Australian Parliament grills top Meta executives over digital news policy

As state governments in India increasingly rely on the popularity of influencers, a key question arises: Will these state governments reduce their spending on traditional media platforms in favor of targeting younger audiences on digital platforms like Meta and Google? Experts believe that the state governments will reduce its Print budget and allocate it to influencer marketing. 

Recently, the Karnataka state government introduced the Karnataka Digital Advertising Guidelines-2024, which allows digital media entities, including social media influencers, to receive government advertisements. Similarly, the Uttar Pradesh Government announced the Social Media Policy 2024, enabling social media influencers to earn up to Rs 8 lakh per month by promoting state government schemes.

Experts believe that the funds allocated to these schemes and policies will impact the state governments' spending on traditional media. Anup Sharma, a PR & Strategic Communications Consultant, stated, "Various reports and trends show that Generation Z and millennials are gravitating towards social, user-generated video content because it's free, convenient, and they can endlessly scroll through content that is algorithmically targeted to their interests."

Sharma further noted, "This highlights the effectiveness of social media algorithms and the influence of content creators and influencers. Like businesses, the government has also recognized this trend and is increasingly using social media to engage with citizens, share information, and deliver services more quickly and effectively."

Elaborating further, Sharma added, "This will lead to a shift in advertising budgets, with content creators and influencers taking a significant share from print media, such as newspapers and magazines. TV will continue to hold a larger share due to higher rates, followed closely by print and social media. While the budget allocation may be small now, it wouldn't be surprising to see advertising on content creator- and influencer-led social media platforms increasing at a faster rate than on other platforms."

The Union government spent Rs 967.46 crore through the Central Bureau of Communication on awareness/publicity campaigns about Indian government schemes and programs through print media from 2019-20 to 2023-24 (as of 12.12.2023). TV still receives 60 percent of the budget, followed by print and outdoor media.

Shudeep Majumdar, Co-founder and CEO of Zefmo, commented, "Regarding the potential decrease in spending on traditional media due to state governments investing in influencers, it's plausible to anticipate some shift in budget allocation. As digital platforms increasingly become the primary source of information and entertainment for a large segment of the population, especially among younger demographics, governments are recognizing the value of leveraging these channels for broader reach and engagement."

Majumdar also mentioned, "The impact on traditional media sectors like print and television will likely vary. Television may experience a lesser impact compared to print, given that it still captures a significant share of advertising spend and audience engagement, especially in contexts like live sports, local news, and entertainment. Print media, however, might face greater challenges as it has been on a declining trend with respect to advertising revenue and circulation, exacerbated by the digital shift."

Discussing the paradigm shift, Majumdar said, "From an agency perspective, the increasing government investment in the influencer marketing sector opens up a myriad of new opportunities while also introducing challenges and potential shifts in both operational and ethical paradigms that influencers and their partners must navigate."

Speaking about the impact of these policies on the influencer ecosystem in the country, Rohit Agarwal, Founder and Director of Alpha Zegus, stated, "While the opportunity offered by state governments is very lucrative, influencers will have to navigate the social dilemma of balancing content freedom with monetary gain. They will also need to consider that if they are asked to endorse a particular political party, they will need to align their morals and beliefs with that party."

According to Google's transparency report for the period between October 3 and November 1, total spending on political advertising amounted to Rs 69,15,500. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led the chart with an expenditure of Rs 33,60,000. Other notable contributors included the Directorate of Public Relations, Madhya Pradesh at Rs 5,04,000; the Department of Information and Public Relations (DIPR) at Rs 2,30,000; Indian Pac Consulting Private Limited at Rs 2,19,000; and the Indian National Congress at Rs 1,39,000.

According to Meta’s ad library report, the BJP and its known affiliates spent Rs 2.5 crore on political ads in Maharashtra, a figure higher than in Uttar Pradesh.

META