Inside the creator economy of India and InVideo’s meteoric rise

Explore the rise of India’s creator economy, the transformative role of AI, and how platforms like InVideo are revolutionizing content creation. Read More!

Like, share, and subscribe aren’t just a turn of phrase anymore. They’re almost like a virtual currency in the world of the creator economy that is currently unfolding. The relevance of social media today, can’t be underestimated. By merely posting a video or photo, it is possible to become famous across the world from the comfort of your own home.

So much so that globally, this market is expected to double in size and touch nearly $480 billion in value by 2027. As India braces to bring on the next billion of users to the internet, the role of the creator economy within this space will become too big to ignore.

AI plays a transformative role in this evolution, acting as both an enabler and a disruptor. AI-powered tools are helping creators generate content more efficiently and creatively. From AI-driven video editing, automated subtitling, and personalized content recommendations to generative AI platforms that create scripts, visuals, and even music, creators now have access to resources that save time and amplify quality. As India and the world continue their digital transformation, the synergy between AI and the creator economy will only deepen, shaping the future of entertainment, education, and online commerce. In this new landscape, every click and interaction carries unprecedented weight in defining success and influence.

At WeWork Labs, we thought of approaching the conversation about this space through the lens of someone who is right in the thick of it. In a recent episode of Upstart, Arvind Radhakrishnan, Head of WeWork Labs, sat down with Sanket Shah, CEO and Co-founder of InVideo to understand what drives the creator economy and what the next phase of its growth will look like.

(You can watch the full episode here.)

The evolution of the creator economy

Over the years, the creator economy’s relevance has become more critical. Some estimates suggest the creator economy could exceed a CAGR of 45% by 2028, indicating explosive growth potential. It has also created several jobs along the way, supporting upwards of 5 million people with employment. For several of these creators, it has redefined what it means to have and hold a job.

“If you look at generations away, work was work. Work meant money and life. But when you can match your natural instincts to work… it truly starts working (for you),” notes Sanket Shah. “I think like any field in life, if you start doing something for the right reasons, that is how the best work happens.”

That being said, he also notes that the path to success within this space shouldn’t be as easy as quitting your job and starting making videos. “It should require some amount of investment not just money, it is thought, time, creativity, ideas acknowledging the feedback, having empathy for your users ... if you start learning those things you could build any career.”

(Watch Sanket’s full take on the subject here.)

InVideo’s meteoric rise

After not getting closure from his previous startup Visify, Sanket set out to build InVideo in 2017. Their simple solution now attracts nearly 3 million users every year, and is regarded as one of the key companies driving the creator economy today. However, that wasn’t always the case. Sanket had to shift gears and move his company from his B2B model to the B2C, prosumer tech company it is today.

“In 2017-2018 when the company was in its B2B model, Meta was paying out a minimum guarantee to all newsrooms to just post video content. The thinking was quite straightforward … if people are not going to make money making news, they aren’t going to make money posting these videos and that market is going to go away,” he said.

“I tried to balance it with an experiment on the B2C side, which worked, and then flipped to B2C, because I saw that this business had to go away. Newsrooms are a tough business if they can’t run ads on their inventory, then they’re going to cut you off.”

(Watch Sanket’s full take on the subject here.)

Role of artificial intelligence in the creator economy

AI has played a massive role in the growth of InVideo. The platform harnesses AI to streamline video creation processes, enabling users to produce high-quality videos quickly and efficiently.

The company had a revival in August this year. InVideo took a leap of faith to become an AI-based text-to-video generator platform. Almost overnight, it saw a massive uptick in fortunes. Part of the reason InVideo has seen the levels of success that it has, is because of its dedication to understanding its core business and audience correctly. 

For instance, InVideo's features include automatic music selection, video style recommendations, and storyboarding automation, which helps reduce the time required for video production—from hours to just minutes. With the rise of players like Canva and Adobe in the same space, the creator economy is heating up. As Sanket Shah puts it: “I think to beat Adobe you can’t play on their turf, you have to go a different way … they all leave some gaps open and those gaps are the ones and those gaps are the ones where we think we will attack … but it’s always difficult for a company to attack everything all at once.”

(Watch Sanket’s complete take on the subject here)

What lies ahead in the creator economy?

The global digital video marketing industry is projected to reach $135 billion, with videos expected to account for 82.5% of all consumer traffic by the end of 2024 . This demand provides platforms in the space an opportunity to work on solutions that matter to consumers. But for companies to have that confidence, investors will have to back these companies too. “Taking (large, audacious) bets, funding them, taking them, is going to move us forward. We have to look at the world not just in the moment, but five- to eight- years down and invest today to not miss those waves,” says Sanket.

The WeWork Labs take

"Like, share, and subscribe" have transcended being mere phrases; they now symbolize the lifeblood of a burgeoning creator economy. As social media and digital platforms empower individuals to turn creative passion into global influence, the market is poised for unprecedented growth—projected to reach $480 billion by 2027. For countries like India, on the cusp of bringing the next billion users online, the creator economy represents a transformative force in employment, culture, and commerce.

At the heart of this revolution lies AI, reshaping how creators produce, distribute, and monetize content. Platforms like InVideo exemplify this synergy. By leveraging AI-driven tools such as automated storyboarding, video style recommendations, and text-to-video generation, InVideo has empowered creators to cut production time from hours to mere minutes. This innovation is not just a convenience; it's a competitive edge in an industry where consumer attention is the ultimate currency.

What is your understanding of the creator economy? Let us know! See you in the next WeWork Labs blog.