Popular tech entrepreneur and prominent digital content creator Varun Mayya stated that the Indian influencer ecosystem has become an extraordinarily nepotistic industry where early success heavily depends on receiving endorsements from established internet celebrities.
Speaking at an unfiltered industry panel discussion hosted by business school Masters’ Union, Mayya argued that breaking out as an independent creator without access to existing digital networks has become immensely difficult.
The debate, which featured prominent digital video stars and mainstream media executives discussing market sustainability, highlighted a growing concern over gatekeeping and audience distribution across major Indian social media platforms.
According to Varun Mayya, the most viable path to building a sustainable audience in the current digital landscape involves leveraging the cultural and social capital of pre-existing digital stars.
He explained that large creator networks routinely pass along their credibility and audience metrics to seed new secondary channels.
Mayya noted that while platform algorithms occasionally allow for independent breakout stars, these instances are becoming increasingly rare.
This network-driven distribution model makes it exceptionally tough for outsiders to break through without an initial push from an insider.
Mayya stated that his own content company manages 11 distinct internal channels that successfully scale primarily because his primary, established channels actively promote the newer properties.
He compared this dynamic directly to traditional entertainment models, where access and platform availability are heavily guarded by industry gatekeepers.
The panel also addressed how this structural barrier impacts the financial viability of incoming digital talent.
Mayya and fellow creators on the panel emphasized that a staggering 95% of content creators fail to generate any meaningful revenue from their digital channels.
Mayya, who commands over one million subscribers on his personal YouTube channel, has a long history in the Indian startup and media technology sectors.
He previously co-founded the venture-backed recruitment portal Jobspire and later launched the media-tech firm AEOS to automate digital content operations using artificial intelligence.
Reflecting on his own journey, Mayya revealed that he spent the first seven years of his nine-year content creation career making zero profit. He urged aspiring digital producers to adopt a strict ten-year outlook rather than expecting quick viral fame in a crowded market.
