Amazon has launched Creator Connections in India, opening campaigns from 50,000 brands to eligible creators on its platform. The programme will begin with 5,000 creators before expanding to Amazon’s wider base of 1.65 lakh creators.
The programme connects creators with brand campaigns that pay for clicks and sales, as Amazon expands creator-led shopping beyond India’s metros.
Creator Connections takes Amazon’s creator monetisation beyond fixed sponsorships and purchase-linked affiliate commissions. The launch also comes ahead of the festive shopping season, when Amazon says creator income on its platform can increase fivefold. Creator Connections joins Amazon’s existing creator programmes in India, including the Amazon Influencer Program, Amazon Live, Creator Central and Creator University.
What does Creator Connections change?
Creator Connections lets eligible creators browse campaigns through the Amazon Creator Console. Amazon surfaces campaign opportunities based on creators’ content and interests. Brands set campaign budgets, while the CPC offered for a campaign depends on that budget and the sales Amazon expects it to generate. Creators can choose whether to participate and continue earning affiliate commissions on resulting purchases.
Creators can therefore earn from clicks generated through campaigns, alongside affiliate commissions on purchases. For brands, the model links creator spending more directly to measurable traffic and sales.
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Why Amazon is focusing on new Creator Connections
The clearest indication of why Amazon is expanding this model comes from its existing creator-led commerce activity. Amazon says creator-led discovery has contributed to the sale of more than 6 crore products on Amazon this year. Nearly 70% of purchases driven by creator-led discovery come from non-metro areas, showing that creator-led commerce is not limited to major urban centres.
The figures show that Amazon is building on shopping behaviour already shaped by creators, rather than starting from scratch. The non-metro share is particularly relevant for brands because it points to the commercial influence of regional and emerging creators beyond traditional celebrity-led campaigns.
What does this mean for creators?
Amazon expects affiliate-first and mid-sized creators to be among the first users of the new programme. Affiliate-first creators are already familiar with recommending products and driving sales. Amazon says beauty, parenting, technology, home improvement and fitness are among the categories seeing strong participation. Nidhi Thakkar, Head of Social Commerce – Emerging Countries at Amazon, said creators are looking for monetisation opportunities that are “transparent, rewarding and aligned with the value they create for their audiences”. For creators already recommending products, Creator Connections adds a way to earn from campaign clicks as well as affiliate sales. It does not, however, replace direct brand collaborations or guarantee higher earnings.
What does this signal for the creator economy?
Amazon’s move reflects a broader shift towards performance-based creator commerce, where earnings are increasingly tied to measurable actions such as clicks and sales alongside fixed sponsorship payments.
The non-metro sales data is perhaps the more important signal for India: creator-led product discovery is already extending beyond the largest cities. Creator Connections gives Amazon and brands a more structured way to put campaign budgets behind that behaviour.
