Brand deals in India: how to disclose sponsorships the right way

Your first paid collaboration is exciting. A brand wants you, they are sending a product or a payment, and you get to make something new. It is also the moment you take on a responsibility: telling your audience clearly that this content is paid for. In India this is not just good manners. Advertising guidelines set out what creators should do, and consumer protection rules back them up. This guide explains the practical side in plain words. It is general information, not legal advice.

Who sets the rules

The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) is the industry’s self-regulatory body. In 2021 it published its Guidelines for Influencer Advertising in Digital Media, which explain when and how creators must label promotional content. In 2023 the Department of Consumer Affairs released its own “Endorsements Know-hows!” guidance for celebrities and influencers, built on the Consumer Protection Act, 2019. Together they point in the same direction: if there is a material connection between you and a brand, your audience must be told, clearly and upfront.

What counts as a “material connection”

A material connection is any relationship that could affect how much weight a viewer gives your opinion. Cash payment is the obvious one, but it is not the only one.

• Money, whether a flat fee, commission or affiliate share.
• Free products, even if you were told “no obligation to post”.
• Free trips, stays, event tickets or meals.
• Discounts or gifts given because you are a creator.
• An employment or family relationship with the brand.
• Equity, a role as brand ambassador, or a long-term contract.

Which labels to use

ASCI lists simple labels that viewers understand. Pick the one that matches the arrangement and use it plainly:

• #ad, #advertisement or #sponsored for paid promotions.
• #collab or #collaboration for joint content made with a brand.
• #partner or #partnership for ongoing ambassador relationships.
• #gifted or #freegift when you received the product for free.
• #giveaway when the brand provided the prizes for a contest.

Avoid vague tags such as #sp, #spon, #thanks or #brandname alone. They do not tell an ordinary viewer that money or gifts were involved.

Where to put the disclosure

The core idea is that a viewer should not have to hunt for it. A label hidden among thirty hashtags or below the “show more” fold does not count as clear.

• Long videos: say it out loud near the start (“This video is sponsored by…”), show a text label on screen while the brand appears, and repeat it in the first lines of the description.
• Shorts and reels: put the label on screen for long enough to read, and at the start of the caption.
• Live streams: announce it at the start, repeat it when the brand segment begins, and keep a label visible on screen. People join live streams late.
• Images and posts: put the label at the beginning of the caption or on the image itself.
• Use the platform’s built-in “paid promotion” toggle if it has one, as well as your own label, not instead of it.

Honesty about the product itself

Disclosure is only half of it. The guidelines also expect creators to have actually used the product, or at least checked it properly, before talking about its benefits. Do not repeat claims you cannot stand behind, such as “cures hair fall in 7 days”. If the brand insists on a claim, ask them for proof. Health, finance, crypto and betting-style promotions get extra scrutiny, and some are restricted outright, so read your brief carefully and say no when something feels wrong.

Common slips and how to avoid them

• Deleting the label later. The disclosure must stay as long as the content is up.
• Disclosing only in the description of a video, while the spoken promotion runs for a minute with no mention.
• Forgetting gifted products because “they didn’t pay me”.
• Using only the language of the brand’s contract. Use words your audience understands. If your channel is in Hindi, “yeh video sponsored hai” is clearer than a tiny English hashtag.
• Assuming the brand will handle it. Responsibility is shared, and the person speaking to the audience is you.

Make disclosure part of your contract

Write the disclosure into every brand agreement. Name the label you will use, where it will appear, and that you will not make claims without proof. Good brands welcome this, because a clear disclosure protects them too. If a brand asks you to hide the fact that a post is paid, treat that as a red flag about the whole deal.

Why it is worth it

Many creators worry that saying “sponsored” will make viewers trust them less. In practice the opposite tends to happen. Audiences are used to sponsorships and respect creators who are upfront about them. What damages trust is finding out later that a glowing review was paid. Clear labels let you take brand deals and keep your audience’s trust at the same time.