Paid partnership and disclosure rules for creators in India

By the Rupees.com team. Updated 1 November 2026.

In India, a creator with a paid or material connection to a brand must disclose it clearly. The label must be upfront and hard to miss, such as Ad, Advertisement, Sponsored or Paid promotion, and not buried in hashtags. Penalties under the 2022 guidelines run up to Rs 10 lakh, and Rs 50 lakh for repeat violations.

This is a plain summary, not legal advice. Check the current text with your lawyer before relying on it.

Which rules apply

CCPA guidelines, 2022: the Guidelines for Prevention of Misleading Advertisements under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019.
Endorsement Know-Hows: the Department of Consumer Affairs' guide for celebrities and influencers, with no minimum follower count.
ASCI guidelines, 2021: the industry body's influencer advertising guidelines, in effect from 14 June 2021.

Which label to use

The Know-Hows name "advertisement", "ad", "sponsored" and "paid promotion". ASCI's list includes Advertisement, Ad, Sponsored, Collaboration and Partnership.

Where it goes

Upfront, so nobody has to click "see more". ASCI says a "link in bio" style disclosure is not enough.
Not mixed in with a group of hashtags or links.
In a video: in the video itself and not only in the description, in both audio and visual form.
In a livestream: shown continuously through the stream.

Is the platform's paid partnership tag enough?

Do not rely on it alone. As summarised by Obhan & Associates, the Know-Hows say disclosures must be separate from those made through a platform's own tools. The safe approach is to use the tag and also add a clear label.

What can go wrong

The CCPA can fine manufacturers, advertisers and endorsers up to Rs 10 lakh, and up to Rs 50 lakh for later violations. It can also bar an endorser from endorsing for up to one year, and up to three years for later violations. Compliance is still low: ASCI's 2025 scorecard found 69% of the top 100 influencers it reviewed were violating its disclosure guidelines.

A checklist for your brief

State the exact label in the brief.
Say where it goes, including in the video.
Ask creators to use the platform tag as well.
Check every live post for it.
Have a plan for a post that misses it.
Have product claims read before the brief goes out.

Common questions

Do small creators need to disclose?

Yes. The Endorsement Know-Hows set no minimum follower count.

Does a free product count as a paid connection?

It can. ASCI's labels include "Free gift", and a material connection is not limited to cash.

Who is responsible, the brand or the creator?

Both can be. The 2022 guidelines cover manufacturers, advertisers and endorsers.