a report by

1 Why are we doing it?

Hear it from the Horse’s Mouth

Who is it for?

2 Acknowledgements
3 The Key Takeaways

4 Shift from Entertainer to Creatorpreneur

in the Creator Economy
Infotainment vs. Entertainment

Y-o-Y Growth Trend

Diversification - Less Dependency on Algorithms

Industry Leaders Selling Courses

5 The Rise of Retail Investors

Increase in Financial Awareness

Rise of Finfluencers
6 Teaching Tricks of the Trade
Successful Entrepreneurs as Creators

Categories for “Bharat”

Organic Farming
Makeup Art
Jewellery Designing
Cooking and Catering
Fashion Designing

7 Upskilling for Professional Growth

Fastest Growing Categories

Self-paced Alternative to Colleges

Mentorship from Industry Leaders

8 Focus on Health and Well-being

9 About Classplus

10 References
 lu s u s e rs , t h is
a f r o m C l a s s p
a r c h a n d d a t li g h ts
d o n o u r r e s e o m y a n d h ig h
B as e c r e a to r e c o n
t h e b o o m in g t ly
rt e x p l o r e s 0 2 3 . C u r r e n
repo e w it n e s s e d in 2
g tr e n d s w e ’v 3 0 0 m il lio n
th e e m e r g in lv in g ar o u n d
l l io n a n d in v o
o v e r $ 1 0 0 b i r s t h is y e a r . ¹
va lu e d a t s s h i f te d g ea
e i n d u s tr y h a
o r l d w id e , t h e ss io n , a n d
peo p le w o n s e lf - e x p r
t o rs , f o c u s e d
g r o u p o f c re a
A ne w in c r e a s i n g .
t h a n f a m e , i s
tio n ra th e r
educa
g e i n s t e a d o f
h a r e k n o w l e d
c h o o s in g t o s a
re a t o r s a r e g iv in g r i s e to
Many c g c e l e b r it y s t a tu s ,​
n in g o r s e e k in
just ent e r t a i to c a ll -
w e w o u ld li k e
d o f c r e a to r s
n ew b re e
in t h i s r e p o r t.
t o r p re n e u r s ”
“cr e a

At Classplus, we're
at the center of thi
change. Our platfo s
rm helps creators t
their skills into pro u rn
fitable online busin
through content m e s s e s
onetization. This re
shares insights from p o r t
the performance a
behavior of these 1 n d
L+ creators on Clas
giving a clear pictu s p lu s,
re of recent trends
what’s to come in t a n d
he creator econom
space in the future y
.
 r e s t e d i n t h e
a n y o n e in t e
re p o r t is fo r k in g
Th is l ly th o s e lo o
m y , e s p e c i a
a t o r e c o n o f u l fo r
cre o n li n e . It ’s u s e
e th e ir sk il ls
to m o n e t iz e r s , o r
u r s , i n flu e n c
, e n t r e p r e n e
creat o rs s ta n d t h e
in g t o u n d e r
s io n a l s lo o k
profes r .
n o m y b e t te
crea to r e c o

s a n d f ut u re
u rr e n t t re n d
a n a l y z e c to
We e a t io n , a im in g
n c o n te n t c r
d ire c t io n s i s ab o u t
in o r c u ri o u
o s e i n v o l v e d
up d a t e th
a n g e .
this ch
 This report, detailing the e
volving landscape of
the creator economy and
digital learning, is a
result of the collaborative
efforts of many.

We would like to extend o

ur gratitude to all
1L+ creators on Classplus.
We surveyed over
5000 of them and spoke d
irectly with several
successful creators to und
erstand current
trends in the creator econo
my. Their
experiences, successes, an
d challenges have
provided us with real-wor
ld insights into the
dynamics of the industry. T
heir stories are at
the heart of this report.

Our gratitude also extends

to the authors of
several industry reports th
at have provided us
with essential data and ins
ights that we’ve
referred to for our researc
h while drafting this
report.

Lastly, we thank you, dear

reader, for your
interest in our research an
d detailed work.
1. The creator economy, now valued at over $100
billion, is shifting from entertainment to knowledge
sharing, with "creatorpreneurs" leading the way.
Creators are now offering content that genuinely adds
tangible value to their audience.

2. Creators are diversifying income streams to reduce

dependency on social media. They want to insulate
their business from external factors and establish
platform independent personal brands. Creators are
now relying on social media as a traffic source, instead
of the sole income stream.

3. The rise of retail investors has increased the

demand for financial literacy and investment know-
how, with "finfluencers" gaining popularity across
social media platforms. They are teaching basic to
advanced courses on investments, personal finance,
market analysis etc.
4. Successful small business owners are creating
content to share their expertise, especially with Tier
II+ city audiences, in fields like farming, makeup art,
fashion designing, cooking/catering etc, supporting
growth of micro businesses in India.

5. Online creator-led courses in coding, digital

marketing, and personality development have a
growing demand since they offer practical
alternatives to traditional education. Professionals
are also engaging with leaders from major tech
companies for 1-on-1 mentorship and consultations.

6. There's a growing focus on health and well-

being, with an increase in demand for online content
related to yoga, fitness, and nutrition post-
pandemic.
 The creator economy, once domin
ated by
entertainers, is witnessing a signific
ant shift
towards education and knowledg
e sharing. This
transition is marked by creators va
luing self-
expression and education over fam
e and celebrity
status.

Today, nearly 2X as many creators

prefer to
establish themselves as sustainab
le business
owners rather than chase celebrit
y influencer
status​.² One big way creators are
looking to build
sustainable revenue is through dig
ital learning
products, which, along with books
and podcasts,
have seen the biggest year-over-
year growth in
creation.³
The e-learning industry is projected to exceed
$460 billion by 2026, representing a vast opportunity
for creators in the educational space​​.⁴ This growth is
driven by the rapid pace of technological innovation,
increase in the demand of technical skills at work, and
willingness to start a business and attain financial
independence amongst millennials and GenZ.⁵ This
shift requires continuous learning and upskilling, which
creatorpreneurs are uniquely positioned to provide​​
through their social media, webinars, 1-on-1
consultation or courses.

o f n o n -
a r n in g s
e , th e e
u s a lo n se d by
la ss p l i n c r e a
On C rs h as s
c re a t o A s fa r a
ad e m ic s y e a r.
ac p re v io u
o m t h e in g t h e
2.5 X fr t o rs u s
o f c r e a o w n by
u m b e r h a s g r
the n r n e d , it
s c o n c e
tf o rm i
pla 2 1 .
f ro m 2 0
300 %
Students studying each year from the
apps powered by Classplus (in Lakhs)

300

250

200

150

100

50

0
Pre-Covid Covid Post-Covid
 o ri th m ch a n g es h ad a
re a t o r s sa id a lg
77% of c d ie n ce
a n t im p a ct o n th e ir a u
moderate-to - s ig nif ic
o f c re a t ors e st im ated
e n t. A d d i t io n a ll y , 2 5 %
enga g e m
9 9 9 i n re v e n u e d u e t o
o s t $ 1 ,0 0 0 -$ 9 ,
they’ve l
s , a n d 2 4 % e st im at e d
algorit hm ic c h a n g e
0 -$ 4 9 ,9 99 i n lo s s e s . ⁷
$10,0 0

ili ty o f a d r e v e nu e a n d
u n p r ed ic t a b
Fearing the y in g t h eir
, c r e a t o rs a r e d iv e r s if
sea so n a l br a n d d e a ls
lis h in g th e ir p e r so n a l
e am s b y e sta b
income str e a ls o
r i n g c o u r s e s . S o m e a r
brands and / o r o ffe
h a n d i se to b o o s t t h e ir
n ch in g th e ir o w n m e r c
lau to d o n’t
f 5 c re a to r s w e s p o k e
n a l b ra n d . 4 o u t o
perso n t ir e in c o m e.
o c ia l m e d ia f o r t h e ir e
want t o d e p en d o n s

g e n e r a ti o n o v e r p u re
r s w h o f o c us on v a lu e
Cre a to de ep er
it h t he ir a u d ie n c e in a
in m e n t , e n g a g e w
enterta a y to f in d
l o y a lty . T h is is t h e ir w
w ay , le a d in g to m o re
in d e p e nd en ce in t h is
financ ia l s ta b ility a n d
g a m e o f a l g o rith m s .
in g a nd v o la tile
ever-evolv
 Industry Leaders across va
rious
categories are monetising
their social
media presence through o
nline courses,
webinars, memberships, e
tc. Sectors such
as personal development,
health & fitness,
personal finance etc have
seen significant
growth, indicating a strong
demand for
creator-led educational c
ontent​.

For instance, Kajabi report

s that the
creatorpreneurs who have
an online
community are utilizing th
eir engaged
audience and launching o
nline courses,
coaching programs, podc
asts, or
membership sites.⁶
 Warikoo
Ankur

k Ahuja CA Rachana Ranade

Sartha
CA
 o m y h a s c o in c id e d w ith
e c re a to r e c o n
The rise of th a il
l a w a re n e ss a m o n g re t
an increa s e in fin an c ia
in v e st o r a c co un t s h a s
. T h e n u m b e r o f
investors 1 3.2 3
r e in D e ce m b e r 20 1 9 to
surged fro m 3. 9 3 cr o
e n d o f O c to b e r 2 02 3 .⁸
crore by th e

t o r s ’ p o rt fo lio h a s b ee n
th in re ta i l in v e s
The grow e a se
o s a b le in c o m e a n d th e
due to increa s e i n d i sp
la tfo rm s l i k e , Z er o d h a ,
o in ve s t m e n t p
of access t l
c . T h i s s u rg e in fi n a n c ia
Groww, S m a llc a s e , e t
o rt e d b y a n in c r e a s e i n
activity h a s to b e s u p p
g o u r e d u c a tio n s y ste m
r a c y , s o m e t h in
financial lite t
t. T h is l e a v e s a g a p t h a
is not ve r y a d e p t in y e
need s b ri d g i n g .

o k in g to e n h an c e t h e ir
o re in d iv id u a ls lo
With m
n ve st m e nt s kills , o n lin e
financia l lite r ac y a n d i
h a v e be c om e c rit ic a l in
platfor m s a n d cr e at o r s
m p re h e n s iv e f in a n cial
cc e s sib le a n d c o
providing a
education.
 e fin a n cia l s e ct o r is t h e ris e o f
A no ta b le tr e n d in t h
e rs w h o s p e cia liz e in fin a n c ia l
'finflu e n ce r s' – in fl u e n c
s e fin flu en c e rs le v e ra g e s o c ial
educ a tio n a n d a d v ic e .T h e
n d s , a n d t ip s , m a k in g fin an cia l
media t o sh a re in s ig h t s , t r e
s s ib le a n d u n d e r s t a n d a b l e to a
knowledge more a c c e
r o w in g in flu e n c e in d ic a te s th e
wid e r a u d ie n c e . T h e ir g
fin a n c ia l e d u c a t io n in a ra p id ly
incr e a s in g d e m a n d f o r
evolving econo m ic la n d s ca pe .
 astava
at Sriv CA Ne
Aksh
ha Na
gar

CA Anant L
adha
“I strongly believe that India has a
lot of latent entrepreneurial energy,
which needs to be harnessed so
that we become a nation of job
givers, more than job seekers.”
Narendra Modi
- PM
 m e d iu m f o r su c c e s s f u l
h a s b e c o m e a
Social Media in s ig h ts ,
h a r e th e ir e x p e r t is e a n d
b u s in es s o w ne rs t o s
ta rt a n d g ro w th e ir o w n
l in g o th e r s t o s
thereby enab
h i s tr e n d i s s ig n if ic a n tly
micr o- b usine s s es . T
ic u l a rl y w o m e n in T ie r
in d iv id u a ls , p ar t
empowering s f u l
c o m e a n d s t a r t su c c e s
II+ India, to g e n e ra t e in
h e a u d ie n c e a c c e s s in g
o u n d 7 0 % o f t
ventures. Ar r e fr o m
a t o rs u s i n g C l a s s p lu s a
courses by th e s e c re
s a n d t o w n s .
Tier II+ citie
 Farming
Organic

f a rm e rs ar e s te p p in g
Experienced organic
th e ro le o f e d u c a t o rs , o ff e rin g c o u r se s
in to
o v e r th e in t ric a c ie s o f s u s t a in a b le a n d
that c
T h e s e c o u rs e s n o t o n ly
organic farming.
fa r m in g te c h n iq u e s b u t a lso d e lv e in to
tea ch
s in e s s a s pe c ts o f ru n n in g a s u c c e ss fu l
the b u
farm, such as mark e t in g p r o d u c e a n d
g in g fin a n c e s . T h is g u id a n c e is c r u c ia l
man a
p ir in g fa rm e rs lo o k in g t o in c r e a s e t h e ir
fo r a s
agricultural pro d u c e a n d in c o m e .

Khetiyari
 eup Art
Mak
Professional makeup artists are
expanding their reach beyond just
makeup tutorials. They are now
creating comprehensive courses that
detail the journey of becoming a
makeup artist. These courses include
aspects like building a portfolio,
understanding client needs, and
managing a makeup artist and hair
stylist business. This has opened
doors for many, especially women in
smaller towns and cities, to pursue a
career in this field.

PK Makeup
 esigning
ellery D
Jew
Jewellery designers are sharing
their craft and business knowledge
through online platforms.
These courses teach not just the art
of jewellery design but also the
nuances of starting and running a
jewelry business, including
sourcing materials, branding, and e-
commerce. This democratizes the
knowledge once confined to
specialized institutions, making it
accessible to a wider audience.

Divine Gallery
Manju
 Catering
king &
Coo
Home chefs and culinary experts are
transforming into educators, offering
cooking courses that go beyond
recipes. These comprehensive
modules cover culinary techniques,
menu planning, and the essentials
of managing a successful cloud
kitchen, catering service, or
restaurant. Aspiring chefs and
bakers benefit not only from honing
their cooking skills but also from
insights into the business side of
setting up a food business.

Om Sai Classes
 e s i gn i n g
a s h i o n D
F
Experienced fashion designers and
boutique owners are becoming
mentors through online courses.
These programs extend beyond basic
sewing skills, delving into the
intricacies establishing a fashion
business. By providing practical
insights into client interactions, pricing,
and marketing, these courses
empower individuals to turn their
passion for tailoring and fashion
designing into a micro business.

Raja Rani
The trend of educator-entrepreneurs in India is
particularly transformative for Tier II and Tier III
cities, which house a significant portion of the
country's population.

These regions, often overshadowed by metro

cities in terms of educational and economic
opportunities, are experiencing a surge in
entrepreneurial activities.

The growth of micro-businesses is pivotal for

local economic development. A report from the
Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises
(MSME) shows a 7.62% annual growth rate in
the number of registered MSMEs in India,
signifying the rise of entrepreneurship.⁹

r e a ls o
w h o a e
e n e u r s a w a v
a t o r p r g n it i n g
Cr e r s a re i
s o w n e c y b y
s in e s f f ic i e n
bu s e lf- s u
n o m ic a b o u t
of e c o y k n o w
h a t th e e i r
ch in g w u g h t h
te a s s t h r o l in
b u s i n e c r it ic a
in g a t io n is
runn i r c o n tr ib u
n t . T h e e,
con t e n c l u s i v
ia a n i w h e r e
in g In d n o m y,
m a k e d e c o ti es.
g e - b a s t ie r I c i
n o w le d i te d t o
k n o t l i m
o w th is
the g r
 cr ea tor - le d c ou r se s is so aring,
The d ema nd for o n lin e
al m a r k e tin g , a n d p e rs on alit y
with coding, dig it
itn e ss in g r e m a r ka ble g ro w t h .
developmen t w

Gupta
Divas

hTip24
Tec

rs v is it
le a r n e to
m illi on r e ato rs
nt h , 1 5 th e se c
e ry m o p p s o f
Ev w e re d a
ig ita l
p lu s p o ills in d
Cla s s s o n s k , e tc .
m s elv e ic a ti o n
k ill th e m m u n
ups in g , c o
n g , co d
a rk e t i
m
 in g t ra c tio n a s v ia b le a n d m o r e
Creato r-le d c o u r s e s a r e g a in
a l c o l le g e e d u c a t io n . T h is s h if t
e r n a tiv e s to tr a d it io n
affordable alt it y o f
e f f ic ie n c y a nd d ire c t a p p lic a b il
signifies a reco g n it io n o f t h e
r g o a ls . T h e a p p e a l o f c re a to r-
s in m e e t in g c a r e e
these course id e ,
it y a n d a c c e s sib ilit y t h e y p r o v
led courses lie s in t h e fl e x ib il
th e ir o w n p a c e f ro m a n y w h e r e
iv id u a l s t o u p s k il l a t
allowing ind p lu s
rs e lis t in g s o f c r e a to rs o n C la s s
at an affordab le c o s t. T h e c o u
s iz e d v id e o c o u r s e s t o 5 0 k IN R
g e f ro m 1 k fo r b it e -
typically ran
for certif icatio n c o u r s e s .
 s fr o m m a jo r
p r o fe s s i o n a l
Notab ly ,
M A A N G s ) a r e
c o m p a n i e s (
te c h
in g g u id a n c e
ly p r o v id
active s a n d
c o n s u l ta t io n
th ro u g h 1: 1
c o ll a b o ra t iv e
r s . T h is
webina le a rn in g
n h a n c e s t h e
appr o a c h e
s t r y in sid e r s
e n c e , a s in d u
exp e r i in g
s ig h t s, f o s t e r
e f ir s th a n d in
shar n d
m e n t o r s h ip a
a sen s e o f
e f o r a s p i rin g
t i c a l g u id a n c
p ra c
r of e s s i o n a l s .
p
Around 94 per cent of Indians are
worried about their own and their
family’s health¹⁰ and feel that lifestyle
changes like exercising, yoga and
dieting will benefit their health and
overall wellbeing. People are spending
more on gym memberships, yoga
classes, and curated diet plans.

a t f o r m s
lin e p l
g t o o n s t i s
e t u r n i n in t e re
p l e a r u r g e i n s
Peo w s . T hi s s
c a te g o r ie
n o w - h o o n t e n t
fo r k e n t in c s s ,
rl y e v i d h , fi t n e
t ic u l a h e a l t
par a , m e n t a l
io ri t iz e
a s y o g u a l s p r
su ch in d iv id g ,
t i o n . A s e l l- b e in
n u tr i n ta l w
and l a n d m e
p h y s ic a e c o m e
the ir h a v e b a n d
t f o r m s e s s ib le
l in e p la f o r a c c f
o n o u r c e s e t w o o
b l e re s e lo w a r
in v a lu a a n c e . B
e d g u id e g o r ie s
s o n a l iz e s e c a t
pe r r s i n t h
c re a t o
t h e to p
s s p lu s .
C la
from
Classplus is India’s leading B2B edtech startup that
helps content creators launch and scale their online
coaching businesses.

Classplus has digitized creators across 3,000+ cities

serving 50M+ students. Classplus creators have
conducted 1.5 million live classes in the last 12
months, and have multiplied their earnings 5-6X by
reaching out to students beyond their local
geographies. On Classplus, they can launch their
courses, live webinars, 1-on-1 consultations, books
and their own merchandise.

Since inception, we have raised approximately $150+

million from global marquee investors like Tiger
Global, AWI, RTP Global, Blume Ventures, Sequoia
Capital India’s Surge, Spiral Ventures, Strive, Times
Internet and Abu Dhabi-based Chimera Ventures.
 1. Karzua A., “Make the Most of the Creator Economy”, Forbes,
(July 2022).
2. “The Digital Learning Trends Report 2023”, Thinkific
3. “State of the Creator Economy 2022”, Convertkit, (December
2022)
4. “E-Learning - Global Market Trajectory & Analytics”, Business
Wire, (October 2021).
5. “2024 Instagram Trend Talk”, Instagram, (December 2023).
6. “Creator Economy Predictions: The Forecast For 2023”, Kajabi,
(January 2023).
7. “Creator Economy Predictions: The Forecast For 2023”, Kajabi,
(January 2023).
8. Mascarenhas R., “Going for Good Stocks: Here's how Indian
retail investor has grown post-pandemic”, Economic Times,
(November 2023).
9. “Annual Report 2023”, Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium
Enterprises, (March, 2023)
10. “The confluence of Food, Pharmaceuticals, Ayurveda and
Technology paving the way for the rise of India’s Consumer
Health and Nutrition sector”, Ernst & Young, (February 2022).