YouTube is bringing more e-commerce names to its shopping affiliate programme in India, with the expansion coming just ahead of the festive shopping season. Amazon and Meesho are joining the platform, while Ajio, Tata CLiQ and Snapdeal are also being added to the list of merchant partners.

The programme already works with Flipkart, Myntra, Shopsy, Nykaa, Purplle and Tira. For creators, that means more products and sellers to choose from when they recommend something to their audience.

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Gunjan Soni, YouTube India managing director, said during a media brief, "Together, this would mean one of the most comprehensive commerce catalogues is being made available on a single platform, YouTube. In a way, we have unified India’s retail powerhouses on a single digital shelf for both users and creators,"

How Will It Help YouTube Creators?

Since arriving in India in October 2024, YouTube Shopping has allowed eligible creators in the YouTube Partner Program to add product tags to their regular videos, Shorts and livestreams.

The programme is available to creators with at least 500 subscribers. They can add product tags to videos that are already on their channels as well as new uploads. During livestreams, products can also be pinned so viewers can find them more easily.

The bigger merchant network also gives creators more freedom in choosing what they want to promote. They can pick products from different retailers and categories instead of having to rely on one particular seller or type of product. Gunjan Soni said, "They can pick and choose from every possible product, retailer or brand they want to work with, rather than being limited to one niche or vertical."

Amazon's addition is another major step for the programme. The company's YouTube Shopping integration went live in the US last month and is expected to reach creators in India in the coming weeks. YouTube plans to take the partnership to Brazil and other markets later this year.

There is another change that could matter to creators with viewers in different countries. YouTube is updating product tags so that shoppers can see relevant deals from sellers in their own market. The platform can also display prices in the viewer's local currency, depending on their location.

“Shoppers are increasingly turning to creator content to discover and evaluate products they love. Our partnership with YouTube makes this journey more seamless, enabling customers to move from a creator’s recommendation to a confident purchase on Amazon in just a few taps," said Nidhi Thakkar, Head of Social Commerce - Emerging Countries, Amazon.

YouTube Shopping is getting "Fundamentally Mature"

YouTube says the shopping programme has already picked up pace in India. More than 50% of eligible creators have joined it, and products have been tagged in over 19 million videos.

There has also been a sharp increase in affiliate earnings. According to YouTube, average payouts to Indian creators rose by more than 160% between Q1 2025 and Q1 2026. The company did not disclose the actual payout amount. Globally, the corresponding growth was 100%.

The audience for shopping content is growing too. YouTube says more than 450 million logged-in users in India searched for shopping-related content. The time spent watching such videos also went up 55% year-on-year.

The opportunity is not limited to YouTube's own affiliate programme. A Google and Deloitte report published earlier this year estimates that creator-led commerce in India could reach around $25 billion in GMV by 2030. That would be about 10% of the country's projected $250 billion e-commerce market.

YouTube Is Also Adding New AI Tools

Shopping is not the only area getting an update. YouTube has announced several new tools aimed at helping creators and brands work together.

YouTube is also bringing Ask Studio for Brand Partnerships to creators. The AI-powered feature will be available within YouTube Studio and can help creators put together pitches for brand deals, while also handling questions they receive from brands.

YouTube is also making it easier for brands to use creator content in their campaigns. With Creator Partnerships Boost, creators will be able to give a brand access to a published sponsored video using a single-click code. Brands can then track the campaign and promote the creator's original video as a paid advertisement.

Another tool, Affiliate Partnerships Boost, is aimed at videos where products have already been tagged. Brands can pay to give those creator videos additional reach, potentially helping both product sales and creator earnings. Nykaa plans to use the feature for its festive-season campaigns.

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YouTube is testing another feature called dynamic brand segments, which lets creators add brand segments to up to 20 long-form videos at the same time. These segments can be targeted by location and can include a product shelf with direct call-to-action buttons.

YouTube is planning another addition for affiliate marketing with Exclusive Affiliate Campaigns. The feature will let brands approach creators directly for selected campaigns, with the option of offering extra bonuses or better commission rates. It is expected to roll out in India next year.