For some years now, influencer marketing has been booming in cities like Mumbai and Delhi, drawing in big brands, multi-crore campaigns and full-fledged digital agencies. In contrast, Kolkata’s influencer scene — though vibrant and growing — is still struggling with systemic disparities, underpayment, and a chaotic local ecosystem. My Kolkata reached out to a few Kolkata influencers to get their views on the scenario.
A growing scene, but an uneven playing field
According to many content creators in the city, the influencer industry in Kolkata is evolving, but still far from being at par with India’s major digital capitals. Despite the surge in creators and content, Kolkata influencers say they are paid far less than their counterparts in Delhi or Mumbai for similar projects.
Indroneel Mukherjee
Indroneel Mukherjee (@neely4u), a Kolkata-based fashion and lifestyle influencer, reflects on how far the city has come since the early days of Reels. “It’s definitely evolved. When I started, only a handful of us were making content seriously. I was selected by Instagram when Reels launched — they trained 25-30 of us from Kolkata. Back then, we were directly paid by Instagram. But today, the space is overcrowded. Everyone’s an influencer, and the value has dropped,” he said.
What makes this boom feel bittersweet is the disparity in compensation. “There’s no way Kolkata-based influencers are paid on par with Mumbai or Delhi creators. Once, a Delhi brand paid me Rs 80,000 for a reel. In Kolkata, getting even Rs 8,000 is considered a big deal. Brands here mostly want barter deals or give low-ball offers. There’s constant haggling,” Indroneel said bluntly.
Indrajit Lahiri
Indrajit Lahiri (@indrajit_lahiri), a content creator and food influencer, shared a similar view: “Where influencers from Kolkata mostly depend on budgeted or pocket-friendly places, due to audience pressure, other places focus on big brands. And the production quality, barring very few from Kolkata, is not at par with Delhi-Mumbai influencers.”
Professionalism or the lack of it?
One of the biggest hurdles Kolkata influencers cite is the lack of professionalism. “The influx of so-called influencers — people who go viral once and think they’ve made it — dilutes the space. They don’t understand branding or strategy, and that affects how brands view creators from the city,” said Indroneel. According to him, the viral nature of ‘cringe content’ often overshadows more thoughtful creators, making it harder for serious professionals to stand out.
Jude Martin (@thefoodseeker_jude), a well-known food vlogger from the city, echoed this concern. “There are so many people who randomly start calling themselves bloggers. Brands often end up working with the wrong people, get disappointed, and come back to us later. By then, a lot of time has been wasted trying to build trust again.”
Jude Martin
Indrajit said, “It’s unorganised and cluttered. The expectations from many of the brands are not really very clear, and many still follow on mere numbers (bots) rather than ROI-driven activity and organic/targeted reach.”
Jude pointed out that in Kolkata, brands are often unsure about allocating marketing budgets to influencers. “Many brands here don’t even have a budget, and if they do, it’s very small. That’s a big disadvantage. Plus, they aren’t always educated about how influencer marketing works or why it’s valuable.”
Wearing multiple hats to stay afloat
Limited opportunities have forced many Kolkata influencers to diversify their roles. Jude, for instance, now works as a brand consultant, strategist, and adviser alongside content creation. “I help brands with social media marketing and creative planning. These roles are more stable than the blogging space, which remains scattered and disorganised.”
Indroneel has chosen to keep his content work entirely in-house. “I manage, edit, and promote my own posts. I learned from Instagram directly, so I don’t involve agencies. It’s a matter of privacy and control, but also money. Agencies take a cut, and given how little we’re already earning here, it doesn’t make sense.”
Still, disparities persist. “The number of brands, and brands willing to pay a price in Kolkata is less. And there is no proper sales-oriented influencer management agency in Kolkata,” he pointed out.
Fresh voices, familiar challenges
Dipyaman Basu
For Dipyaman Basu (@whenstomachtickles), the city’s influencer boom is rooted in passion. “The advent of social media platforms has seen quite a boom in the past few years with people of varying ages doing something that aligns with their passion. Food has always been a popular subject here, with the multitude of cross-cultural influences leading to a plethora of cafes and restaurants combined with the dominance of our street food. The other fields are definitely trying to catch up.”
Still, he acknowledges the financial roadblocks. “The financial attributes have always been on the economic side when it comes to comparing expenditures and capital gains with some of the other cities in our country. With declining budgets and a rise in intermediaries, the commercial structures often seem compromised.”
Basu believes a more level playing field would go a long way: “A fair and just platform, where every content creator gets to apply for the marketing requirements and promotional needs of the brands, can level the field to a large extent. Everyone would get a fair chance to earn exposure and knowledge.”
He also emphasises that good content comes from understanding brand vision. “Being a good content creator often means understanding the necessities and vision of the brands and following marketing basics. With a city as diverse as Kolkata, there exist ample opportunities to build your content.”
Koninika De
Koninika De (@konizfoodwheels), another prominent food vlogger, agrees that Kolkata’s scene is expanding rapidly. “The influencer scene here has been growing in the last two-three years, especially with food, since that is the easiest to catch up with. Other niche areas are slowly gaining pace with people discovering their interests and following their passion.”
De believes creators must adapt while advocating for fair compensation. “It is imperative to understand the perspective of the brand before trying to formulate content. Keeping in alignment with the views and requirements of what the brand wants is of paramount importance. But often, communicating with the otherwise moving landscape of this city poses challenges.”
Looking ahead
Despite the challenges, creators remain optimistic about the potential in Kolkata. The talent is there, the audiences are engaging, and the content is increasingly creative. But for the industry to thrive, brands need to acknowledge the value of creators and invest accordingly.
“There is creativity in Kolkata. We just need more structure and better support. Brands must see that we’re not behind in talent — just under-recognised,” Jude stated.