Centre Clarifies: No Spending on Social Media Influencers

Quick Summary

• Union Minister of State for Information & Broadcasting L. Murugan stated in Lok Sabha that the government has not incurred any expenditure on engaging social media influencers till date.
• The statement was made in response to a written query by MP Bachhav Shobha Dinesh on July 30, 2025.
• MyGov, a citizen engagement platform used for disseminating information and fostering participatory governance, engages with stakeholders through direct and agency-based outreach efforts.
• on March 7, 2023, MyGov issued an RFQ (request for Quotation) for hiring influencer marketing agencies; eight agencies were selected through due process but no payments or engagements have taken place yet.

Indian Opinion Analysis
The clarification provided by the Union Minister highlights openness regarding government spending on influencer marketing-a matter increasingly scrutinized in today’s digital age. While the empanelment of eight influencer marketing agencies shows planning readiness to use modern dialog strategies, the absence of actual expenditure suggests cautious or delayed execution of such initiatives so far. Given its emphasis on participatory governance and stakeholder outreach through platforms like MyGov, India could be exploring ways to connect more effectively with younger audiences who primarily consume information via social media platforms.

This development signals a possible future shift towards utilizing influencers as part of governmental campaigns while balancing fiscal prudence and public scrutiny over expenditures in this domain.Read More