PNN
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], November 20: India's creator economy is in the middle of a major shift -- one that's no longer centred around metros. According to a recent Boston Consulting Group (BCG) report, close to 2-2.5 million monetized content creators are already influencing about $350-400 billion in consumer spending. By 2030, that number is expected to cross $1 trillion, driven largely by creators from Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities.
What's unfolding is a decentralised creative wave. Platforms such as ShareChat and Moj state that about 80% of their creators hail from non-metro cities. Taking into consideration cheap smartphones, accessible internet, and an upsurge of interest in localized language content, small towns are rapidly emerging as the epicenter of India's digital storytelling.
The Rise of Local Storytelling
The influx of creators drives a level of completion, otherness, and authenticity to the landscape of digital content creation in India. These types of creators shelf authenticity in their content -- a combination of regional culture, language, dialects, and lived experience -- which makes it very resonant for local users. For many, it's not entirely entertainment, but representation.
This effect is beyond reach; regional creators are changing how audiences engage with brands and communities online. Most have more authentic engagement with viewers, which typically leads to greater trust and influence than more mainstream or corporate campaigns run from major cities. Furthermore, they are generating new opportunities for themselves, from brand deals and collaborations to independent studio projects.
Building the Ecosystem Behind the Lens
With the increasing number of creators coming out of small towns, the availability of quality gear and production tools has become vital. Companies such as StudioBackdrops have created space in the ecosystem to help with that. StudioBackdrops specializes in providing professional-grade photography and videography gear at affordable prices to facilitate higher-quality content for regional creators who do not have access to expensive studios.
In the last few years, StudioBackdrops has built a distribution network with over 25,000 pin codes in India. The company even runs educational workshops, on-ground sessions, and a learning hub to help facilitate new creators around using professional equipment. The goal is simple - to make not just professional tools and technology available, but access to professional content creation for anyone who has the aspiration to tell their story.
"The real growth of India's creator economy will come from the heart of the country -- Tier 2 and Tier 3 towns," says Archisman Misra, Founder & CEO of StudioBackdrops. "These creators have the ideas, the drive, and the audience. What they need is access to the right tools, mentorship, and opportunities to showcase their work. Our focus has always been on removing those barriers and helping them turn their creativity into something sustainable."
Bridging Challenges with Access
There are challenges when reaching smaller cities, too, from inconsistent courier networks to no service hubs. Keeping costs low while providing reliability is another ongoing wishlist balancing act. The challenges listed have also spurred innovation. Brands/logistics partners are figuring out ways to get creative tools to be open more efficiently and safely, including the most remote locations.
The creative economy in India is no longer about who has the biggest workspace, but rather it is about who can tell the most engaging story. Tier 2 and Tier 3 creators are demonstrating that great concepts can come from anywhere: a small room, a terrace, a backyard, etc. They just need access to tools, a community, and confidence to explore.
As the community grows, we will collectively pivot toward building a much stronger support framework: one that includes enhanced distribution opportunities, experiential learning, and logistics partnerships that value the regional creator as much as the urban creator.
In many respects, companies like StudioBackdrops are quietly ushering this transition along. They are streamlining the easy access to tools and knowledge for a generation of creators to go from passion projects to professions, and while doing so, propelling the next chapter for India's digital economy.
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