Instagram to make Reels shoppable in India

Ending the long-standing “link in comments” friction, Instagram has announced launch of shoppable Reels in India, allowing creators to add product links directly within videos. The move turns short-form content into a seamless path to purchase and comes as creator-led commerce gathers pace in the country, reshaping how users discover and buy products online.  

The launch comes at a time when creator-led commerce is expected to play a defining role in India’s digital economy. According to a joint report by Google and Deloitte, creator influence could shape nearly 30% of total retail spending by 2030, with the e-commerce market projected to grow to $250 billion, up from $90 billion currently.

The report points to a structural shift in consumer behaviour, driven by a surge in digital-native users. Around 150 million new users are expected to join the online economy, while per capita spending is likely to double. At the centre of this transformation is Gen Z, a 220-million strong cohort projected to contribute 45% of online spending.

It also highlights a transition from traditional linear shopping funnels to an always-on cycle of discovery, validation and purchase, increasingly powered by artificial intelligence and immersive formats.

Against this backdrop, Instagram’s latest update aims to embed commerce deeper into content consumption.

With the new feature, creators can tag products directly within Reels by either pasting a product URL, including affiliate links, or selecting items from a brand’s catalogue. Users can add up to 30 individual products in a single video, and viewers can tap on these tags to directly visit a brand’s app or website to complete purchases.

The feature is designed to monetise creator influence more effectively. Creators can earn affiliate commissions on purchases made through their tagged products, while their content becomes discoverable to brands via partnership ad tools, opening up further collaboration opportunities.

“People want to hear from trusted voices before they buy, and your audience already trusts your taste. The new ‘Add products’ feature gives you a simple, seamless way to turn that trust into income,” the company said in a statement.

For brands, this effectively transforms creator content into a performance-driven sales channel rather than just an engagement tool. The integration also ensures that product details such as pricing and availability remain accurate, as only items listed in a platform-verified commerce catalogue can be tagged.

The rollout is part of a broader push to build a creator-commerce ecosystem within social platforms, where discovery and transactions happen within the same interface.

The Google-Deloitte report underscores the scale of this opportunity. By 2030, one in every ten online purchases in India is expected to be directly linked to creator storefronts. The impact is likely to be particularly strong in smaller cities, where creators could bring up to 60 million first-time buyers into the digital economy.

Live commerce is also gaining traction and is projected to become an $8 billion market, especially across categories such as fashion, beauty and electronics.

Instagram said the shoppable Reels feature is being rolled out across key markets including India, the US, Brazil, Indonesia and Thailand, with plans to expand further.

While Instagram is pushing deeper into creator-led shopping, platforms like YouTube and X have also been building their own commerce ecosystems around video and real-time engagement.

YouTube, for instance, has steadily integrated shopping features into its core video experience. Through YouTube Shopping, creators can tag and showcase products directly within videos, Shorts, and live streams. The platform has also partnered with e-commerce players such as Shopify, Myntra, enabling merchants to sync product catalogues and turn creator content into storefronts.

This allows viewers to browse and purchase products without leaving the platform, particularly during live streams and Shorts, which mirror the short-form, discovery-led consumption behaviour seen across social media.

In India, earnings from affiliate links and product tags on YouTube vary widely based on scale and content type, but industry estimates suggest a clear range. Creators earn a commission per sale, not per view, with brands typically offering around 3%–8% for electronics and general products, and 8%–15% or higher for beauty, fitness and niche categories. Small creators with 10,000 to 50,000 subscribers usually earn between ₹1,000 and ₹40,000 a month through affiliate sales, while mid-sized creators (50,000 to 500,000 subscribers) can make ₹30,000 to ₹3 lakh monthly, especially in high-intent categories. For large creators with over 500,000 subscribers, affiliate income can range from ₹3 lakh to upwards of ₹20 lakh per month, with top creators often earning as much as or more than ad revenue.