YouTube is expanding its Shopping programme in India. With new merchant partners, AI-powered tools, and programmes to strengthen brand collaborations, the platform is helping creators turn their content into a sustainable business while making it easier for viewers to shop what they love.
According to YouTube, shopping-related watch time has jumped over 250% in a year, and over 200 million logged-in users in India have searched for products on the platform. To meet this demand, YouTube is expanding its Shopping Affiliate programme, adding big names in beauty and lifestyle like Nykaa and Purplle alongside existing partners Flipkart and Myntra.
Creators can now tag products from these merchants in their videos, and Nykaa is launching a programme with YouTube to help discover and accelerate the next generation of India’s beauty and lifestyle creators. Since the affiliate programme launched a year ago, more than 40% of eligible creators in India have signed up, tagging 3 million videos.
YouTube is also rolling out AI tools to make shopping seamless. Soon, products mentioned in a video will automatically appear as tags at the exact moment they’re talked about. Later this year, the platform plans to test automatically tagging all eligible products in videos. Other tools include Product Stickers on Shorts, synced Timestamps, and a Chrome Extension that makes saving products easy for creators.
YouTube is also making it easier for creators to partner with brands. New features will allow creators to insert and update brand segments, add links to brand websites in Shorts, and help brands find the right creators via the Creator Partnerships Hub in Google Ads. The goal is to make collaborations more authentic, profitable, and measurable.
Gunjan Soni, Managing Director – India, YouTube, said, “We’re building a complete monetisation ecosystem. By giving creators new tools, engaging formats for viewers, and partnerships with top merchants, YouTube is shaping the future of shopping on video.”
