YouTube, owned by Google, announced the expansion of its shopping capabilities in India with the introduction of a new affiliate program in partnership with e-commerce giants Flipkart and Myntra. This program allows eligible content creators to tag products in their YouTube videos and earn commissions on any resulting purchases made on the retailers' platforms.

Earlier this year, Google invested USD 350 million in Flipkart, underscoring its commitment to digital commerce in India. The success of YouTube Shopping has been remarkable, with over 30 billion hours of shopping-related content viewed in 2023 alone. Travis Katz, YouTube's general manager and VP of shopping, highlighted the platform’s value in connecting creators, brands, and viewers to make shopping more interactive.

The affiliate program complements YouTube’s existing revenue streams, such as ad income, YouTube Premium, memberships, and fan-driven features, providing creators more opportunities to earn.

YouTube’s impact on India’s creator economy has been substantial, generating an estimated Rs 16,000 crore in economic activity and supporting 750,000 jobs, according to CEO Neal Mohan. He expressed confidence that India could lead in video commerce, noting YouTube’s testing of a new app, YouTube Create, alongside AI-powered language tools, in the country.

Video commerce has become a popular strategy among online platforms aiming to broaden their market reach, especially in fashion and beauty, which thrive on influence-based purchases. Over the years, Flipkart and Myntra have invested heavily in video commerce, with initiatives like Myntra Minis, Ultimate Glam Clan, and Flipkart’s Affluencer program. These efforts have boosted engagement, particularly in smaller cities across India.

With 98% of Flipkart’s influencers being micro and nano creators, the platform has fostered authenticity and community through video-driven marketing. Flipkart’s SVP, Ravi Iyer, highlighted that the YouTube Shopping Affiliate program would enhance customer engagement and product discovery on both Flipkart and Myntra through authentic creator content on YouTube.

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