India passes Creator Economy Bill

India’s upper house has passed a bill that would put social media creators, YouTubers and digital artists under a formal legal framework. (exchange4media.com) Coverage on April 13 and April 14 identified the measure as the National Creator Economy Bill, 2026, and said the Rajya Sabha approved it this week. One report said the bill now goes to the President for final approval. (adgully.com) (exchange4media.com) The bill would define “digital content creators” as a professional category, require registration for “professional creators” above an annual income threshold, and introduce standard contract templates for brand deals. It also sets up a dispute-resolution mechanism for payment fights between creators, agencies and brands. (adgully.com) (exchange4media.com) The same coverage said creators covered by the law would become eligible for social-security style benefits through a Creator Welfare Fund financed by a cess on digital advertising. Reported benefits include health insurance and retirement support for full-time creators. (exchange4media.com) (adgully.com) The bill also adds disclosure rules for paid partnerships and content made with artificial intelligence tools. The stated aim in the reports is consumer protection, tax compliance and clearer accountability in a market that has grown faster than its rulebook. (adgully.com) (exchange4media.com) That market is already large. A Boston Consulting Group report cited by DD News in December 2025 estimated India had about 2 million to 2.5 million monetised digital creators and said they influenced more than 30 percent of consumer purchase decisions. (ddnews.gov.in) The bill arrives as New Delhi is also weighing broader internet rules. On March 30, 2026, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology published draft amendments to the Information Technology Rules that Deccan Herald said would expand oversight of creators who post news and current-affairs content online. (deccanherald.com) Supporters quoted in trade coverage said standard contracts and a payment-dispute system could reduce opaque brand agreements and delayed invoices. Critics cited in the same reports warned that registration rules and compliance costs could hit smaller creators and narrow creative freedom. (exchange4media.com) (adgully.com) One caution: the bill does not appear in the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs’ public bills list available on April 14, 2026, so several specifics remain confirmed mainly through trade-media reporting rather than a published government bill text. Until the text is released, the clearest picture is a law aimed at turning creator work in India into a regulated profession with contracts, disclosures and basic protections. (mpa.gov.in) (adgully.com)