Govt lays ground for influencer marketing, brings 8 agencies on board

New Delhi: The Government of India has clarified that MyGov, its citizen engagement platform, has empaneled influencer marketing agencies to support its outreach activities. However, no payments have been made to any social media influencers under this framework so far.

The clarification came in response to a question raised by Congress MP Bachhav Shobha Dinesh, who sought details on ministerial collaborations with influencers and the selection process followed.

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting stated that while several Union Ministers have appeared in interviews with influencers, these were conducted as part of regular communication activities under MyGov's ongoing strategy for public engagement.

Launched in 2014, MyGov operates as a digital platform designed to facilitate participatory governance and direct communication between the government and citizens. It has historically collaborated with media houses and agencies and is now evolving to include digital-first creators and influencer-led content as part of its messaging mix.

According to the Ministry, a Request for Empanelment (RFE) was floated on March 7, 2023, for selecting influencer marketing agencies. As a result, eight agencies were empaneled through due process. However, no influencer partnerships have been executed under this arrangement to date.

“MyGov regularly engages with relevant stakeholders for disseminating information about government programs directly and through empaneled agencies,” said L. Murugan, Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting, in the official reply.

The Ministry did not disclose the names of the empaneled agencies or the influencers potentially under consideration. Still, the establishment of this framework suggests that influencer marketing may become part of the government's evolving digital communication strategy.