The UP Govt’s move to engage influencers to promote state schemes cheers the digital community, which would like to see influencing as a mainstream career option
The UP Government has come up with the UP Digital Media Policy, 2024, which allows influencers to promote state schemes and earn up Rs 8 lakh per month... something that comes as welcome news for influencers. With newfound love and respect for this influencer generation, influencing has become a mainstream career option!
Lifestyle and fashion creator Muskaan Khandelwal calls UP government’s announcement a recognition for digital content creators’ community. “With this new initiative of the UP government, there will be a shift in how influencers are perceived. While there’s a sense that ‘we have arrived’, there’s still much more to do. As influencers, we face challenges like inconsistent income streams, the pressure to stay relevant and the constant need for creativity. It’s still a relatively new career path and for it to be seen as truly mainstream, we need more stability and recognition across industries,” she adds.
Digital content creator and actress Miloni Jhonsa believes that the perception has definitely changed as people got platforms to showcase their skills and productivity. “The chances of experimentation in a creative space increase, and hence monetisation and the scope of work does too, which makes it as good as any other career choice for someone. Also, at this point it all comes down to a mix of hard work, luck and talent.”
Actress Shivangi Verma also thinks that content creation is in. She says, “If the UP Government wants to incentivise the reach of influencers and social media, there is nothing wrong in it. Everything can co-exist. In the digital age, everyone is a consumer and government too wants to reach out to the general public about their policies. What better way than spreading awareness through social media influencers or digital content creators.”
Whereas Khandelwal opines that even though government grant is a great start, there’s a need to hold workshops, mentorship programmes, and collaborations between the government and influencers. She adds, “By providing resources for budding content creators, the government can help shape this evolving industry and encourage more young people to pursue it confidently.”
On the other hand, Jeetusri, fashion, beauty and lifestyle influencer, is concerned how there are still many different states wherein influencers are not allowed to shoot at specific locations. She explains, “First and foremost, influencers need the support from the government with respect to permission to shoot. As per job categories, there are various roles which could be created for influencers as in there are so many breakthrough technologies government is using to make livelihoods easy and clean. So, showcasing that through influencers would make a bigger impact on citizens.”
