New Delhi: YouTube has expanded its shopping affiliate programme in India, partnering with major e-commerce platforms including Amazon, AJIO, Meesho, Snapdeal and Tata CLiQ as it looks to strengthen the connection between creators, product discovery and online commerce.
The new partnerships build on YouTube’s existing affiliate tie-ups with Flipkart, Myntra, Nykaa, Purplle, Shopsy and Tira, creating a broader digital shopping catalogue across categories such as value marketplaces, fashion and beauty.
The expansion comes as shopping-related activity on YouTube continues to grow in India, with the platform reporting a 55% year-on-year increase in shopping-related watch time.
YouTube expands creator-commerce partnerships
YouTube said the latest partnerships will give Indian creators access to a wider range of products and merchants through its shopping affiliate ecosystem.
The addition of Amazon, AJIO, Meesho, Snapdeal and Tata CLiQ significantly broadens the range of platforms represented in YouTube’s affiliate programme. The existing partnerships with Flipkart, Myntra, Nykaa, Purplle, Shopsy and Tira had already established a presence across electronics, fashion, beauty and other consumer categories.
The expanded network is designed to bring these offerings together through a unified digital catalogue, allowing creators to connect product recommendations with shopping opportunities on the platform.
For viewers, the expansion could also make it easier to discover products through videos and creator recommendations before completing purchases through participating merchants.
Indian creators see sharp rise in affiliate payouts
YouTube said the expansion is taking place alongside strong growth in the economic returns generated by Indian creators.
According to the company, average affiliate payouts to Indian creators increased by more than 160% year-on-year between the first quarter of 2025 and the first quarter of 2026.
That growth was higher than the 100% increase reported globally over the same period, highlighting the growing role of shopping-related content within India’s creator economy.
Gunjan Soni, Managing Director – India at YouTube, said the company was seeing significant revenue opportunities emerge for creators while merchants and brands were also benefiting from measurable results.
“With our creators seeing life-changing revenue, and our merchant partners and brands seeing measurable impact, we’re building a thriving economy where creativity directly leads to commerce,” Soni said.
The affiliate model allows creators to recommend products to their audiences while earning payouts when those recommendations generate eligible shopping activity.
Shopping-related watch time rises 55%
YouTube also pointed to a sharp increase in shopping-related viewing activity in India.
The platform said shopping-related watch time has risen 55% year-on-year, indicating growing interest among users in discovering and researching products through video content.
More than 45 crore logged-in users in India are searching for product-related content on YouTube, according to the company.
The numbers reflect the growing overlap between entertainment, product discovery and e-commerce, particularly as creators increasingly use videos to demonstrate, review and recommend products.
For brands and merchants, this creates another route to reach consumers at the product-discovery stage, while creators can potentially turn their recommendations into an additional source of income.
Amazon, AJIO, Meesho among new partners
The latest expansion brings some of India’s biggest e-commerce platforms into YouTube’s shopping affiliate programme.
Amazon adds one of the country’s largest online marketplaces to the network, while AJIO strengthens its fashion offering. Meesho and Snapdeal expand the programme’s reach across value-focused online shopping, while Tata CLiQ adds another major Indian retail platform.
Together with existing partners such as Flipkart, Myntra, Nykaa and Tira, the expanded network covers a broad mix of shopping categories and consumer segments.
YouTube’s move comes as creators increasingly play a role in helping consumers discover products online. Product reviews, demonstrations, recommendations and shopping-focused videos can influence what viewers research before making purchasing decisions.
Creator economy moves closer to commerce
The expansion marks another step in YouTube’s efforts to connect its creator ecosystem with e-commerce.
The sharp rise in affiliate payouts reported in India suggests that shopping is becoming a more significant part of the revenue opportunities available to creators. At the same time, the increase in shopping-related watch time indicates that viewers are using YouTube not only for entertainment but also to research and discover products.
With its latest partnerships, YouTube is bringing more merchants into the same affiliate ecosystem and expanding the range of products that creators can potentially recommend.
The company said the broader programme reflects its aim of building an environment where creator content can directly connect with commerce, benefiting creators, brands, merchants and consumers.