Over Rs 350 crore in influencer-brand collabs lost due to fake talent managers

New Delhi: A new nationwide survey has found that over 55% of content creators in India are losing brand deals — not due to underperformance or content mismatch, but because of misrepresentation and the absence of verified access. The findings point to systemic issues within the country’s rapidly expanding influencer marketing sector.

The survey, conducted by creator-marketer networking platform HashFame, covered more than 32,000 top Indian creators and revealed that miscommunication and the presence of unverified or fake talent managers have led to a significant number of missed collaborations. The report estimates that approximately Rs 350 crore worth of brand deals fell through in the past year as a result.

In many cases, brands looking to collaborate with creators are forced to go through several layers of intermediaries. This often involves agencies contacting third-party managers, who may not have direct ties to the creator. As a result, creators are frequently unaware of incoming opportunities, and brands end up walking away due to inflated quotes or unclear communication.

A Rs 5 lakh collaboration can often turn into a Rs 10 lakh proposal after passing through these intermediaries — a dynamic that discourages brands and results in the eventual collapse of the deal.

Key Findings

According to the survey:

• Over 55% of creators said they had lost deals due to the lack of a verified or direct contact route.
  
  

• Around 62% were unaware that brands had even attempted to reach out to them.
  
  

• Nearly 45% reported that unverified managers had quoted inflated rates without their knowledge.
  
  

Voices from the creator community

Revant Himatsingka, known online as FoodPharmer and followed by over 2.8 million users on Instagram, shared his experience, “I don’t actively chase brand deals, but even then, I’ve had brands come to me confused about people claiming to be my ‘official representative’ and quoting inflated numbers. That’s the bizarre part. I’m not even in the race, and I’ve still seen how messy this space can get. When creators lose deals they never knew existed, and brands walk away thinking we're inaccessible or overpriced, it points to a deeper issue of misrepresentation and fake gatekeeping. The system clearly needs more clarity and accountability.”

Anirudh Sridharan, Co-Founder and Head of Product at HashFame, noted, “In this industry, it’s not always the loudest creator who wins the deal, it’s the one brands can actually reach. What we’re seeing isn’t a lack of talent, it’s a lack of access. Somewhere between a brand’s intent and a creator’s inbox, the opportunity gets lost. That’s not just bad business, it’s disheartening. Creators are building careers, not just content. And if they’re missing out on deals they never knew existed, we have a deeper problem to solve than just campaign logistics.”

Actor and content creator Mallika Dua, who has worked across multiple agencies, spoke of long-standing issues, “I’ve been part of this industry for nearly a decade, having worked with multiple agencies. Unfortunately, creators like me are often used as marketing tools by agencies that falsely claim to represent us. Even now, I regularly hear about big agencies claiming to exclusively represent me, which is simply not true. Over the years, I’ve lost out on work because of this, people quoting the wrong prices on my behalf, or positioning me in ways I never agreed to. Misrepresentation isn’t just unethical, it’s damaging.”

Travel creator Anunay Sood, who has more than 1.1 million Instagram followers, echoed similar concerns, “This has happened to me more times than I can count. There have been people in the industry claiming to be my manager and quoting inflated prices to brands without my knowledge. I ended up losing deals I didn’t even know existed. In some cases, multiple people were involved in the same brand brief, and a few even claimed to be my exclusive managers, which is completely untrue. It not only confused the brand but also hurt my reputation. The worst part is, I had no idea any of this was happening until much later.”

Systemic trust issues

The study also suggests that most creators are unaware of how many potential opportunities they may have missed. From the brand side, there is increasing uncertainty over whether they are dealing with legitimate contacts, further complicating the influencer marketing process.

As the creator economy in India continues to grow, the findings raise questions about the infrastructure supporting it. Without greater transparency, verification, and streamlined access, the risks extend beyond lost business — potentially affecting trust and stability in the broader digital content ecosystem.