Popular finance content creator and former digital head of ET Money, Shankar Nath, revealed he earned 41.5 lakh rupees in total revenue from his YouTube channel during 2025.
Nath, who transitioned from a high-profile corporate career to full-time content creation, shared a transparent breakdown of his finances, disclosing a pre-tax profit of approximately 36 lakh rupees for the year.
This milestone marks his first cumulative crore earned through digital platforms since starting his independent journey three years ago at the age of 42.
The revenue was primarily generated through two streams: ₹7.72 lakh from YouTube advertising and approximately ₹35 lakh from brand collaborations and sponsorships.
Nath highlighted a significant increase in his RPM (Revenue Per Mille), which is the amount a creator earns for every 1,000 views. His RPM climbed from ₹160 in previous years to consistently over ₹200 in 2025, a growth he attributes to the high-value financial nature of his content.
Despite the financial success, Nath admitted to a challenging year where he experienced burnout during September and October. This led to a 20% drop in video production compared to 2024, resulting in 48,000 new subscribers, a sharp decline from the previous year.
He noted that his 39 long-format videos in 2025 were significantly lower than his output in 2023, causing the YouTube algorithm to reduce his overall reach.
A key shift in his business model for 2026 involves a move toward a leaner production setup. While he previously spent ₹15,000 per video on professional editors and videographers, he has reduced his current cost to just ₹200 per video.
By recording via webcam and handling his own editing, Nath aims to prioritise content depth over high-end production value, planning to release 72 videos in the coming year.
Nath also announced plans to launch his first educational course in 2026, pivoting away from complex community management and advisory models like Smallcase.
He explained that managing a community would require a team of at least six people, including researchers and community managers, which does not align with his current goal of maintaining a flexible, solo operation.
Before becoming a full-time creator, Nath held leadership roles in major Indian financial institutions and was a key figure at ET Money, a popular mobile platform for personal finance.
His channel currently features over 180 long-format videos, with nearly half of them surpassing the 50,000-view mark, cementing his position as a trusted voice in India’s retail investing space.
