India’s heartland influencers reshape social media landscape

Bharwani also highlights the role of Instagram in empowering these influencers: “It has given these creators a platform to showcase their unique perspectives and has provided them with the tools to build sustainable careers. This has been a game-changer for many influencers who may not have had access to traditional avenues of success.”

Collaborations and Monetisation

From FMCG giants to startups, all kinds of companies are collaborating with these creators to promote their products and services. Sejal Kothary, CEO of See Love, a skincare brand dedicated to transforming beauty narratives towards authentic wellbeing, believes regional influencers are a powerful force for brands like hers, seeking genuine connection and meaningful change. “They command deep trust within their communities, and thus their endorsements are actively embraced,” she says.

Jadhav, with his focus on agriculture, for example, has partnered with Mahindra and Bayer, Kanpuriya has promoted Shark Tank, Jeevansaathi.com, Amazon Alexa, and Colors TV, and Seetharaman, a tech influencer from Madurai, Tamil Nadu, has collaborated with tech giants such as Motorola and Samsung, to name a few. Through his TechSatire platform (@techsatire), which has 341k followers, Seetharaman appeals to enthusiasts and consumers looking for gadgets and advice in Tamil. “Recently, we did branded content for Kia Sonet, and that worked well. People seemed to enjoy such content from our handle. We had created a reel for a hydrogen-based car earlier, which too did well, as do reels on smartphones. Content about Apple, in particular, does very well,” he shares.

Ram Parmar (@farmer_choice), a 23-year-old farmer from Birakhedi village in Madhya Pradesh, who started his YouTube channel at the age of 17, is thrilled about his capacity to earn on socials. “When I started, I used to earn $100 on YouTube; the pay went into my dad’s account as I didn’t have a bank account back then. Today, I earn over Rs 1 lakh for a single brand collaboration; my monthly income, on average, is Rs 1.5-2 lakh. From my earnings, over these last five years, I’ve built an office worth `10 lakh in my village, and now, I work with a team of two. I’ve purchased a car, an iPhone, a gaming PC and MacBook,” shares the influencer with 220k followers on Instagram.

However, not all heartland influencers have found the same level of monetary success. Despite a following of 3.7M, Shivani Kumari (@shivani__kumari321) from Ariyari village in Uttar Pradesh, finds it challenging to monetise her content. Kumari, who showcases rural life through humorous sketches and songs, says, “I hear of other regional creators making lakhs off their Instagram collaborations, but I haven’t managed to do so.” She says she knows of English creators with the same sort of following who “make twice as much money as I do”.

Despite her growing popularity, Thombre too says, “Relying solely on social media for my earnings is not an option for me.” She remains committed to her full-time job as a superintendent at National Law University.

While Jose and Tharien’s perspectives on the future of social media and the influencer landscape may seem contrasting at first glance, both underscore the importance of adaptability and financial prudence in this industry. Jose believes that while social media has potential, influencers should not rely on it as their sole source of income. In his view, the wise approach is to have a primary business that social media supports and complements. “In my opinion, people are losing interest in social media, and one must not depend on it as a source of revenue 100 per cent,” he says.