Top 7 Social Media Influencers In India
“Working with influencers, to co-create content, delivers value and can inspire audiences to take action.”- Amisha Gandhi
(Vice President, Influencer Marketing and Communication, SAP)
Social Media is the new playground where the brands showcase their products and services, with the influencers being the new players of this game known as Influencer Marketing. The brands need to be where their customers are – on the social media platforms! They need to collaborate with whom their customers follow – the influencers. The game has changed, and so have the players and the rules.
Let us look at the top 7 Indian influencers on social media that are followed by thousands, if not millions of people! They engage with the audience in a quirky way. Be it funny videos or hard-hitting facts or fashion or any other path, they are influencing the audience and helping brands capture their target audience.
Top 7 Social media influencers in India:
The funny guy. The comedian. The one in Pretentious Movie Reviews on YouTube along with Biswas Kalyan Rath. The one who never fails to make you laugh and isn’t afraid of doing that at his own expense!
Kanan started his career as a software engineer and, after winning a few competitions, decided to quit his daytime job and pursue his passion – Stand-up Comedy. He achieved fame for his show “Pretentious Movie Reviews,” wherein Biswas humorously reviewed popular Bollywood movies. Today, he’s a megastar and an influencer with a huge fan-following.
He starred in the Bollywood movie Noor alongside Sonakshi Sinha. His latest Netflix special, “Yours Sincerely, Kanan Gill,” which talks about a letter written by his younger self enumerating his life goals and whether he has achieved them or not today, strikes a chord with his viewers. Haven’t we all written or attempted to write such a letter to our older selves? Have we managed to check off all the goals? How different are we from that younger version? His show makes us ask these questions.
Kanan’s connection with his audience and 8% engagement rate has encouraged several brand collaborations, some of them are OnePlus (53.50%), Spotify India (ER – 20.30%), WeWork, Swiggy (ER – 29%), Cadbury 5Star (ER – 32%9), Dewar’s Scotch (ER – 44%), GQ India (ER – 19.50%), ConverseIndia (ER – 10.80%), musical.ly (ER – 160.60%), Bizotico Group (ER – 7.30%).
@kanangill is now streaming on Instagram!
Kusha is counted among the top social influencers in our country, unsurprising. She often speaks out on social issues apart from posting funny videos on her digital homes. She spoke against body shaming in her recent post and encouraged her followers to post what they think is their best feature. When a user commented about her daughter feeling low from being fat-shamed by her friends, this sweet-hearted digital creator asked if she could speak with the young girl. This is one among several examples of Kusha’s genuine and kind nature.
Kusha’s caricatures on South Delhi girls and her fictitious “Billi Maasi” avatar at the start of her digital content creator journey grabbed the attention of her followers. Both young girls and women look up to her for fashion inspiration. Kusha isn’t new to this field, having worked as Trends Analyst, Content Creator, and Fashion Correspondent for various clothing brands.
Kusha interacts with her followers at over 7% and makes it a point to reply to their comments. Seeing this one of the top female Instagram influencers connect and influence her audience, several brands have collaborated with her. To name a few are – Levi’s (ER – 3%), OkCupid India (ER – 5%), spoke up in support of Stop The Beauty Test in association with Dove India, Femina, and GRAZIA India (ER – 29%), shared a discount coupon for Olay India on Nykaa (ER – 69%), Pizza Hut India (ER – 7.70%), Giveaway Alert with SWAROVSKI (ER – 40.90%), LENSKART (ER – 32.80%), gifted her husband a Bombay Shaving Company gift hamper (ER – 73.30%), spend your next vacation at Vista Rooms (ER – 13.20%), Urban Company (UC) (ER – 6.40%).
Never afraid to speak out against social issues and breaking norms, Kusha is a fierce influencer who encourages others to voice out their thoughts and opinions to help make the world a better place!
If you are a fan of stand-up comedy, you must have come across Kenny Sebastian. You couldn’t have missed him! He tours India and has performed live across the globe to sold-out shows and jam-packed venues.
Kenny was a judge on Comicstaan, a show searching for new stand-up comedians and several comedy shows and other famous stand-up comedians like Kanan Gill, Abish Mathew, Kaneez Surka, and others. He’s also a musician who owns a production house and even edited a Bollywood movie when he was just 21!
This top social media influencer in India gained popularity for his video “Middle-Class Restaurant Problems,” shared across social media. He hosts a series known as “Chai Time With Kenny,” wherein he interacts with his fans, cracks jokes, and plays music while drinking his tea! He has partnered up with @awkwerrrrrd for the “Ken and Chip” comic strip series about his dog.
The fame and recognition Kenny has earned along with his over 6.50% engagement rate have led to several brand collaborations – Bumble India (ER – 6.30%), Gillette India (ER – 17.80%), KFC India (ER – 24.60%), Amazon Alexa India (ER – 14%), Nescafé India (ER – 8%), AliveCor India (ER – 18.40%), Xiaomi India (ER – 25.60%), Spotify India (ER – 15.80%), Flipkart (ER – 9.40%), Gojek Tech (ER – 4.70%).
Kenny Sebastian, the guy who can’t keep still while on stage cracking jokes and serenading his audience with soulful music!
An actor, entrepreneur, and author, this Indian-born Australian model, owns a bold presence on Instagram. Born in Mumbai, Saloni was exposed to the cinema early. She played a role in Madhuri Dixit’s Prem Granth. That marked an ever-on-the-rise acting career for Saloni.
She later rose to the limelight with roles in movies such as Race 3 and Screwed up Maggy. She set the stage on fire by playing ‘Isha’ in MTV’s ‘Girls on Top’ in 2016. This versatile influencer never let boundaries limit herself. She worked as an associate director for the movies Krish 3 and Kick at an early age.
Bold and beautiful as she is, Saloni authored a book named ‘Rescued by a Feminist: An Indian Fairytale of Equality and other Myths.’ Having spoken at the Editor’s Panel Feminist Voice of the Year 2019, Saloni never shies away from speaking bitter truths women face in their daily lives. A voice for many, no wonder this versatile actress is on our list of top Indian influencers!
The sassy social influencer, Dolly, is also an actress who recently starred in the Netflix series “Bhaag Beanie Bhaag” alongside Swara Bhaskar. She posts funny videos which don’t take long to go viral and make you feel happy. Her impersonation of a (her) mother in the comic series “Raju Ki Mummy” made her an instant star!
Dolly pursued a Master’s in Fashion Management, and her outfit posts have garnered much attention from her followers. She interned at iDiva and was later offered a writer’s job after graduation. Coming from a humble background, she faced hardships and was also bullied by her classmates and even teachers for her background, dark complexion, and skinny body. Recently she bought a house for her parents in their hometown of Nainital and inspired others to not give up on their dreams.
Dolly engages her followers at over 9% and has been sought out by various brands for collaborations – Reliance General Insurance (ER – 7.60%), Olay India (ER – 3.80%), uploaded a series “What’s Your Rashi” in association with MYNTRA (ER – 62%), Swarovski (ER – 60.50%), MotherDairy Fresh Delights (ER – 133%), Breezer Vivid Shuffle, a platform for India’s Hip Hop artists (ER – 6%), Cadbury 5Star (ER – 79.60%), Amazon (ER – 5.80%), Domino’s Pizza India (ER – 81%), Urban Company (UC) (ER – 6.40%), and many more.
Dolly Singh, the one who made her dream “Become Famous” come true!
One of the most recognized faces on the Internet in India, Srishti attained fame with her videos on Buzzfeed India, where she worked as a content writer. The videos like “If Real Life Was Like Big Boss” and “If Koffee With Karan Happened In IRL” went viral making this accidental actor an overnight sensation.
Srishti quit Buzzfeed India after a few years and currently works as a freelance content creator. Her latest show, “Behensplaining,” on Netflix India’s YouTube channel is a hilarious take wherein Kusha Kapila, and Srishti explain what the “behens” worldwide are thinking! Do check them out for some fantastic comedy sketches.
Being a social star means that Srishti has been a victim of online trolls, with trollers accusing her of remaining mum about social issues. She clarified that the reason for not voicing her opinions is simple – She doesn’t have complete knowledge of the events and prefers to remain silent rather than expressing half-baked views. Way to go, girl!
Srishti engages her audience at over 13% answering their questions and fulfilling their requests posted on “Ask Me Anything.” She has collaborated with several brands, some of which are – Wacoal India (ER – 9.30%), Flipkart Video (ER – 68.70%), Emma Mattress (ER – 75%), GIVA – Modern Silver Jewellery (ER – 6.20%), ICICI Bank and Mastercard India (ER – 32.80%), JOVI INDIA (ER – 7%), OnePlus Buds Z (ER – 12.80%), Alpenliebe India (ER – 39%), Olay India, Amazon Alexa India (ER – 70.30%).
This social media influencer is making the world a happier place with one funny video at a time!
Mithila is famous for her roles in “Girl In The City” and Netflix’s “Little Things.” She debuted in the Marathi language film ‘Majha Honeymoon,’ and her first Bollywood movie was Katti Batti, wherein she essayed the character of Imran Khan’s sister.
Her cup song version of the Marathi song “Hi Chal Turu Turu” turned her into a star, with the music crossing 6 mn views on YouTube. She sang the song “Maharashtra Desha” in association with the Bharatiya Digital Party (BhaDiPa) on Maharashtra Day. She acted in two plays with the Aarambh theatre group. Mithila has been recognized by Forbes India in their “Forbes 30 Under 30 List” and was even a part of “Entrepreneur India’s 35 Under 35 List” in 2020. She won the Best Actor (Female) in the Comedy series for Little Things S3 at the Filmfare OTT Awards 2020.
Mithila engages her followers at 9.50% and has been roped in by several brands like – Photoshoot with Stylist Shreeja Rajgopal and MUA Kajol Mulani (ER – 4.80%), did the Macarena while vacationing at Amara Villa Alibaug by Vista Rooms (ER – 13.30%), participated in the #NeverHaveIEverChallenge by Veet India (ER – 7%), spoke about Bollywood’s leading stuntwoman @geetastunt in association with Royal Dutch Shell (ER – 20.80%), entered the #FullOnSpeedy Insta Talent Hunt with Flipkart and Samsung India (ER – 9%), Mia by Tanishq, Realme India (ER – 4%), spoke about Consent with UN Women India (ER – 6.20%), December Cover Shoot for Travel + Leisure India (ER – 13.60%) and many more.
An actress is making everyone around her fall in love with her acting chops, Mithila Palkar!
Several studies on Influencer Marketing -
The buyers pay the most attention to the ones they follow and trust. These influencers are trusted by their followers as they are genuine and connect with them. The way they promote a product or service is rarely in the face. They seamlessly incorporate the brands in their posts. We at Confluencr, are a pro at the Instagram influencer marketing game and have built a strong team of influencers who will help you win the game! To talk strategy for your next successful outing on the field, connect with us at [email protected].
