Google-owned YouTube announces the expansion of its shopping feature in India, with the launch of the YouTube Shopping affiliate program starting with ecommerce firm Flipkart and online fashion retailer Myntra.

Through the scheme, qualified creators will be able to tag products in their movies and get paid when viewers buy products from the retailers' websites.

Google had invested $350 million in Flipkart in May.

“The incredible global success of YouTube Shopping, with over 30 billion hours of shopping-related content watched in 2023 alone, demonstrates the power of connecting creators, viewers and brands in exciting new ways,” says Travis Katz, general manager and vice president, shopping, YouTube.

In order to help creators make money, the YouTube Shopping affiliate network supplements already-existing revenue-generating opportunities such as ad revenue, YouTube premium, channel memberships, and fan-driven features.

“YouTube's creator economy has generated Rs 16,000 crore of economic activity and created 7,50,000 jobs in India,” says chief executive Neal Mohan.

“A new area that I'm very excited about where I think India will lead the way in the world is video commerce — those types of shopping opportunities will be very vibrant on our platform,” adds Neal.

In order to reach a larger user base, online platforms have been relying more and more on video commerce and working with content creators for marketing and advertising. Over the past few years, Flipkart and its group company Myntra have been utilizing video commerce through programs like Flipkart's Affluencer program, Myntra Minis, and Ultimate Glam Clan. Competitor Additionally, Amazon is investigating video shopping, which works especially well for areas connected to fashion and beauty that depend on impulse influence driven purchases.

“To make shopping engaging and personalized and empower customers to make informed purchase decisions, we have pioneered video commerce on our platforms, covering a variety of categories, including fashion, beauty, personal care, home furnishing and more, with strong engagement with customers across tier-2 and -3 cities,” says Ravi Iyer, senior vice president and head-corporate development and strategic partnerships, Flipkart Group.