The self-regulatory body said that brands and agencies often rely on informal arrangements and varied templates that do not interpret the scope correctly. This leads to recurring challenges about payment structures, content ownership and usage, revisions and approvals, exclusivity, morality and dispute resolution. In this scenario, IICS said it has introduced the Indian Influencer Contract Standard (IICS) that provides a “neutral, industry level, contractual baseline” that aims to bring clarity to various aspects for all stakeholders involved.
“In the recent past, influencer marketing in India has grown from experimental budgets to a core pillar of brand strategy. As the industry matures, informal arrangements are no longer sustainable. Payment clarity, defined usage rights and structured dispute mechanisms are not optional, but foundational to long-term trust. We believe it is time for brands and creators alike to adopt common standards that reflect the commercial scale and responsibility this ecosystem now carries,” said Sahil Chopra, Chairman, IIGC.
The framework states that campaigns must be be defined with a “clear statement of work” that should specify the applicable deliverables of the influencer, including “platforms to be used, posting schedule, commercials, usage scope, territory, duration, exclusivity (if any), disclosure obligations and any category specific compliance requirements.” It also solves for issues regarding content and usage rights, disclosures and compliances and clear payment clauses, including timelines, performance-linked payments and structured escalation mechanisms.
The framework also incorporates a dispute resolution mechanism with the first step being mediation through IIGC’s Task force. “This step can attempt to resolve issues before they become serious, potentially mitigating financial and reputational risks for all parties involved,” it added. The self-regulatory body that the framework will serve as a strong foundation and reduces ambiguity and supports long-term and sustainable creator-brand relationships.
Published on March 3, 2026