YouTube India is accelerating the convergence of content and commerce with the expansion of its Shopping Affiliate Program, introducing AI-powered features and new creator tools such as Shorts-stickers, timestamp tags, and a Chrome extension to make videos more shoppable. At a recent press briefing in Mumbai, the platform outlined its vision to transform discovery into direct sales while strengthening India’s creator ecosystem. Over the past year, 100 million channels uploaded content, and 15k creators crossed the one-million-subscriber mark, highlighting strong audience engagement and trust. With 200 million logged-in users searching for shopping content, 88% using YouTube for product research, and 96% likely to repurchase after creator-driven discovery, the program comes at a time of high engagement across the platform. Major partners like Nykaa and Purplle have joined Flipkart and Myntra, enabling seamless shopping across mobiles and connected TVs, while AI ensures context continuity and helps creators turn influence into sales.
After the briefing, in an interview with IMPACT, Gunjan Soni, Country Managing Director, India, explained the program’s genesis, adoption, and future plans. She highlighted how insights from user behavior shaped the initiative, the addition of new partners to cover diverse categories, and YouTube’s ₹850-crore investment in technology, AI, training, and creator support programs. Gunjan emphasized transparency and trust as the program’s cornerstone, ensuring creators and viewers engage confidently in this evolving ecosystem.
Find the edited excerpts below:
Q] How did the idea for YouTube’s Affiliate Marketing Program come about?
We launched this program a year ago to leverage YouTube’s shopping journey insights. Nearly 200 million logged-in users were actively searching for shopping content, and surveys showed that 88% trust creator recommendations, while 85% use YouTube for complex purchase decisions. This highlighted the opportunity to shape the journey, and the bet has paid off. Creator adoption has been strong, and merchant expansion is underway, with Nykaa and Purplle joining Flipkart and Myntra, growing a vibrant shopping ecosystem on YouTube.
Q] What led to adding Nykaa and Purplle, and are there plans to include platforms like Meesho to connect with rural vendors?
The decision came from continuous research on what viewers and creators want. One key insight was that 89% of users feel confident in beauty recommendations from creators- a very strong indicator of purchase intent. Confidence drives decisions, which is why we brought Nykaa and Purplle on board. And without naming specific platforms yet, our intent is to nurture the entire ecosystem. This is just year one, and we’ll continuously add more partners over time, covering all brands, price points, and verticals. Over time, I’m confident the entire ecosystem will be covered, including initiatives that connect with local vendors in rural areas.
Q] How will YouTube’s ₹850-crore investment be used—training, infrastructure, AI, or other areas?
Almost all of them. Our role is to provide the best stage for creators, so tech investments, including AI, remain a strong focus. But we’re also nurturing creators through programs like Shopping Star and Creator Collectives, which provide training, community building, and events. This investment covers all these areas.
Q] With potential concerns about sponsorship, how will you keep consumer trust?
Complete and unequivocal transparency has always been the way we work. In the Affiliate Program, the creator tags the product they are already talking about in the video, providing a link for purchase if the user chooses. The user is fully aware and can make an informed choice. Sponsorship ads are different but again fully transparent, clearly marked as promotional where users can expect it to be an ad.
