In India, creators must clearly disclose any paid or material connection with a brand when they promote it, under the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) guidelines for influencer advertising and the government's endorsement guidelines under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019. In practice that means a clear label such as #ad, #collab or #sponsored, placed where viewers will see it immediately, on every platform and in every language. This page is a plain-language summary, not legal advice; always check the latest rules on the ASCI website.
When do you need to disclose?
Disclosure is required when there is a material connection between the creator and the brand. That includes:
- Payment in money
- Free products or services, including gifted items and barter
- Free trips, hotel stays or event access
- Discounts, commissions or affiliate earnings
- Employment or family relationships with the brand
Which labels can you use?
Use a clear, recognisable label such as #ad, #advertisement, #sponsored, #collab, #collaboration, #partner or #partnership, or #employee or #freegift where relevant. Vague tags such as #sp, #thanks or a hashtag buried among many others are not enough. Using the platform's own paid partnership tool is a good practice, alongside a clear label.
Where should the label appear?
- Upfront and prominent: in the first lines of the caption, not after "more" or at the end of a long list of hashtags.
- On the content itself for picture posts and Stories, where captions may not be read.
- In videos, the guidelines link how long the label stays on screen to the video length, and require it during the part where the brand appears. Short Reels need the label on screen long enough to be noticed.
- In live streams, disclose at the start and the end.
- In the language of the content, so a Hindi Reel needs a disclosure viewers can understand.
Due diligence and honest claims
Creators are expected to review the brand's claims before endorsing them and to avoid misleading statements. If you have not used the product, do not imply you have. Brands remain responsible for the claims they ask creators to make.
Health and finance creators
ASCI has added stricter requirements for creators who give health, nutrition or financial advice. Health and nutrition advice should come from creators with relevant qualifications, and creators giving investment advice should hold the appropriate SEBI registration and display it. Brands in these categories should check credentials before signing creators.
What are the penalties?
ASCI can ask for non-compliant posts to be changed or removed and publishes names of violators. Under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, the Central Consumer Protection Authority can impose penalties for misleading advertisements, which can reach ₹10 lakh and up to ₹50 lakh for repeat violations, and can bar endorsers from endorsing for a period.
Checklist for brands
- Add disclosure requirements to every creator brief and contract
- Approve captions and on-screen labels before posting
- Substantiate every claim creators are asked to make
- Check credentials for health and finance creators
- Keep records of briefs, approvals and posts
Good and bad disclosure examples
| Situation | Not enough | Better |
|---|---|---|
| Paid Instagram Reel | #ad hidden after 20 hashtags | "#ad" at the start of the caption plus a label on screen and the paid partnership tag |
| Gifted product review | "Thanks @brand" | "#freegift from @brand" upfront |
| Affiliate link in Stories | Link sticker with no label | "#ad" or "#affiliate link" clearly on the Story |
| YouTube integration | Mention only in the description | Spoken and on-screen disclosure when the brand segment starts |
| Hindi Reel | English tag in tiny text | Clear disclosure viewers can read and understand |
Checklist for creators
- Disclose every paid, gifted or affiliate post
- Put the label at the start, on the content and in the right language
- Use the platform's paid partnership tag as well
- Do not make claims you cannot back up
Every FNF Media campaign is briefed with disclosure rules for creators. Brands can start a compliant campaign here, and creators can join our network. For choosing a partner, see our agency checklist.
