YouTube expands shopping affiliate programme in India, adds Amazon and more retailers

Google-owned platform brings Amazon on board and prepares to onboard AJIO, Meesho, Snapdeal and Tata CLiQ, alongside new AI-powered tools aimed at simplifying creator-brand collaborations and boosting shoppable content.

YouTube is broadening its Shopping affiliate programme in India, adding e-commerce giant Amazon to its roster of retail partners while preparing to bring on additional platforms including AJIO, Meesho, Snapdeal and Tata CLiQ. The expansion is designed to give creators access to a wider range of brands and allow viewers to browse and purchase products without leaving the platform.

These new entrants will join an existing lineup of retailers already integrated into YouTube Shopping, such as Flipkart, Myntra, Nykaa, Purplle, Shopsy and Tira, together spanning categories from fashion and beauty to everyday essentials.

Shopping content and creator earnings on the rise

The expansion comes as shopping-related engagement on YouTube continues to climb in India. According to the company, more than 450 million logged-in users in the country actively search for shopping-related content, with watch time for such videos growing 55 per cent year-on-year.

Creator involvement in the affiliate programme has also picked up pace, with more than half of eligible Indian creators now participating — a 200 per cent rise compared to the previous year. YouTube said over 19 million videos in India have been tagged with shoppable products so far, while average affiliate earnings for creators grew by more than 160 per cent between the first quarter of 2025 and the same period in 2026.

Alongside the retail expansion, YouTube is rolling out an interactive "Ask YouTube" feature, letting viewers ask product-related questions directly from a video's watch page. The tool will be available on mobile devices, with voice-based queries supported on smart TVs. Creators with international audiences will also benefit from automatic product tagging that routes viewers to relevant local retailers and currencies.

New AI tools to streamline brand partnerships

YouTube is also introducing a set of tools aimed at making collaborations between brands and creators more efficient. Its Affiliate Partnerships Boost feature allows brands to convert high-performing organic creator videos into paid advertisements, a tool the company said brands like Nykaa have already adopted ahead of seasonal sales periods.

An upcoming feature called Ask Studio for Brand Partnerships will use generative AI to help creators draft pitches and respond to advertiser briefs, while a planned Creator Partnerships Boost tool will let creators generate authorisation codes for published videos, giving advertisers access to performance data.

The platform is additionally testing Dynamic Brand Segments, enabling advertisers to insert sponsored segments across up to 20 long-form videos simultaneously, with support for regional targeting and product shelves featuring direct calls to action. Separately, Exclusive Affiliate Campaigns are expected to launch next year, offering select creators higher commission rates and performance-based bonuses for specific campaigns.