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Budget 2026 expectations live: ‘As creators build visibility scale, concerns around online safety, cyberbullying becoming prominent’

Prince Khanna, CEO at Eleve Media and CreatorTag: India’s creator economy has increasingly begun to mirror the structure of a startup-driven economy. Over the past few years, initiatives such as Startup India, Digital India, and the Fund of Funds for Startups (FFS) have helped create an enabling environment for digital-first businesses, including content-led enterprises, to formalize operations and scale sustainably.

In parallel, policy support for MSMEs and the expansion of public digital infrastructure, ranging from affordable internet access to UPI-led monetization has lowered entry barriers for creators and small content businesses. These frameworks have allowed many creators to move beyond informal gig models toward more structured, entrepreneurial setups.

At the same time, as creators build visibility and scale, concerns around online safety and cyberbullying are becoming more prominent, especially for independent and regional voices. Existing regulations such as the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules 2021, and the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, offer an important starting point. Strengthening awareness and enforcement around these safeguards will be essential to ensure creators can grow in a safer, more sustainable digital ecosystem.