MUMBAI: Indians are no longer just shopping; they are video-shopping. Videos drive a lot of traction on online platforms such as Amazon, Flipkart, Myntra and Meesho. Consumers scroll through creator-led content reels or shorts, discovering a host of new brands and products with many eventually clicking on the ‘buy’ tab, often embedded in them. The trend is more popular among Gen Z shoppers and consumers residing in smaller towns, companies said.For one, there’s live commerce wherein creators showcase a product or give demonstrations in real time. The other format is shortform shoppable videos which may or may not always feature creators and may not be live, but they allow people to buy products without leaving the video stream by way of links included within them. Live commerce and shoppable videos have both scaled to collectively create a content-to-commerce ecosystem. For Bengaluru-based IT professional Sanjeet Singh, influencer reels play a big role in product discovery. “Reels give me an idea of what the product is,” Singh said.
For one, there’s live commerce wherein creators showcase a product or give demonstrations in real time.
Social media platforms such as Instagram and YouTube had already made access easier than ever—people sat at their homes, browsed through videos, subscribing to influencer-led recommendations and buying products. Platforms took note of the shopping habit and launched their own video and live formats.Amazon, for instance, launched Live in 2022 while players such as Myntra and Meesho joined in after a couple of years or so. The strategy seemed to have worked—creator-led discovery has influenced the shopping journeys of nearly two crore consumers on Amazon so far in 2026 while for Meesho, active order-generating content grew by over 140% to 1.7 million in Q1FY27, the firms said.Besides, all the e-commerce companies have active accounts on platforms such as Instagram wherein they collaborate with influencers to market their products and sale events, amplifying visibility.Creator-led commerce will become a key driver for e-commerce growth, contributing nearly $25 billion in gross merchandise value (GMV) by 2030, a joint April study by Deloitte and Google showed. “Creator content will scale significantly, with creator-owned storefronts and online videos becoming instantly shoppable. Eventually, these formats will also help onboard 50-60 million new online shoppers from tier 2 markets by effectively addressing key barriers around trust, product understanding, and quality,” analysts said in the report.
Cos’ video strategy
Amazon has scaled Live beyond real-time product demonstrations and creator recommendations to shortform, shoppable video experiences that are integrated directly into the shopping journey. “Short-form shopping videos complement live commerce and help keep product discovery contextual and engaging. The video format helps customers understand how a product works, see it in a real-life context, compare options, ask questions and move directly towards purchase,” said Nidhi Thakkar, head of social commerce, emerging countries at Amazon.Nearly 70% of creator-led purchases on Amazon marketplace have come from non-metro cities, including cities such as Bathinda, Bhubaneswar, Coimbatore and Dehradun. “This reflects the role regional creators are playing in helping customers discover products through content that is relevant to their language, context and communities,” Thakkar added.Myntra launched Ultimate Glam Clan (UGC) in Aug 2024—a shopper creator programme which enables customers to create fashion and beauty content around products they discover and shop on the platform. UGC grew to more than eight million sign-ups and 12 million cumulative pieces of content as of Sept 2026, the company claimed.It also built Glamstream in July 2025, which brings together creator-led video, entertainment and commerce within the Myntra app. “Video is increasingly becoming an important part of the discovery journey, helping consumers explore fashion and beauty through creator recommendations, styling inspiration and realworld context. Users engaging with social commerce content convert around 10% better than those who do not, highlighting the role of content in influencing purchase decisions,” said Deepash Jain, vice-president, marketing, Myntra, adding that the format has enabled platforms to move beyond traditional catalogue-led shopping.Flipkart’s video commerce ecosystem spans shortform videos, live shopping, creator-led product demos, Q&As, gamified formats and seamless in-video shopping journeys. “Shopping in India is increasingly being shaped by what consumers watch, share and trust,” said Ramesh Gururaja, senior vice president, consumer products and growth, FCC, Ads and Cleartrip at Flipkart.
