ASCI (Advertising Standards Council of India) regulates advertising content in India, including influencer marketing. In 2021, ASCI released strict guidelines for disclosure labels on branded content.
Key ASCI Guidelines for Influencers:
- Material Connection Disclosure: Must disclose ANY material connection with brands (paid, gifted, affiliate, barter, etc.)
- Prominent Placement: Disclosure must be in the FIRST 3 LINES of your caption, not buried at the end
- Standard Hashtags: Use #ad, #sponsored, #gifted, or #collab - ambiguous tags like #partner or #brandlove don't count
- Same Language: If your caption is in Hindi, disclosure should be in Hindi too
- Video Content: Disclosure must appear IN the video, not just the caption
Consequences of Non-Compliance:
- ASCI can flag your content and report to government authorities
- Ministry of Consumer Affairs has taken action against non-compliant influencers
- Brands may blacklist influencers who don't follow guidelines
- 69% of top Indian influencers had violations in ASCI's 2024 audit
Use this free tool to check every branded post before publishing. Takes 10 seconds, saves you from violations.