Building the Backbone of India’s Creator Economy — The CREATE Story

StartupTalky News

20 May 2025 — 3 min read

Avi Chanodia and Piyush Agrawal - Building the Backbone of India’s Creator Economy, The CREATE Story

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], May 20: What started as a mission to bring structure and scale to India’s booming influencer ecosystem has evolved into one of the country’s most formidable creator management companies. CREATE, co-founded by Avi Chanodia and Piyush Agrawal, is powering the next wave of digital fame, helping creators go from content to commerce, reels to revenue, and virality to value.

Scaling Influence into Impactful Careers

At its core, CREATE addresses a growing challenge in the content world: creators with massive reach but limited support to scale sustainably. With trends evolving overnight and platforms constantly shifting, today’s digital stars need more than just management—they need business blueprints.

“We don’t just sign creators—we build careers,” says Avi Chanodia, Co-Founder of CREATE. “From brand partnerships and IP development to strategy, finance, and long-term monetization, we work behind the scenes so creators can shine on screen.”

CREATE’s roster includes over 60 of India’s most dynamic digital personalities—such as Passenger Paramvir, Monkey Magic, Satya Swagat, and many more—spanning storytelling, travel, art, lifestyle, and fashion. Whether it’s expanding a YouTube presence, launching personal brands, or securing international deals, CREATE functions like a startup studio for creators.

The company has executed standout campaigns with brands like Google, CRED, Coca-Cola, and Blinkit, delivering collaborations that go far beyond surface-level metrics.

Rather than chasing fleeting virality, CREATE focuses on cultivating creators with a distinct voice, authentic storytelling, and the ability to build lasting communities. The team looks beyond follower counts to support individuals with originality, consistency, and a strong sense of purpose.

A Journey from Management to Co-Creation

When Avi and Piyush started CREATE, the goal was clear: streamline creator operations and unlock new income channels. But what followed was a deeper involvement—one where CREATE wasn’t just managing influencers, but actively co-creating with them.

As the team built processes around deal negotiation, calendar management, and content pipelines, they also began incubating original IP, launching and driving collaborations that extended beyond social media. The result? A hybrid model that marries the agility of talent agencies with the vision of brand accelerators.

Take Monkey Magic, for example. He turned his journey along the Ganga into Melodies of India, a self-published photo book that’s nearly sold out. It’s this shift from just creating content to owning and monetizing it meaningfully that embodies the kind of creative entrepreneurship CREATE aims to fuel.

“We’ve always believed creators are businesses,” says Piyush Agrawal, Co-Founder. “They have audiences, brand equity, and storytelling power. All they need is the right engine—and that’s what CREATE delivers.”

What’s Next: Platforms, Products, and Creator-Led Brands

As CREATE enters its next chapter, the roadmap includes exploring regional markets, investing in original content formats, and launching creator-first brands. Strategic collaborations with production houses and consumer brands are also on the cards, along with international forays to take Indian creators global.

The focus is on continuing the momentum, bringing in culturally relevant creators, experimenting with new storytelling formats, and expanding into categories that reflect where the audience is headed. They’re also strengthening their internal ecosystem to offer deeper creative and strategic support, both to talent and to the brands they work with.

“We’re building for a world where every creator can also be a founder,” says Piyush. “From India to the world, we’re laying the foundation for sustainable creator entrepreneurship.”

The Future is Creator-Led, and CREATE-Backed

With the creator economy set to become a $500B global industry by 2030, India is poised to play a major role. But it won’t be just about views and followers—it will be about depth, trust, and long-term brand value.

That’s where CREATE is placing its bets. With a vision rooted in partnership, and a team fluent in both culture and commerce, the company is building the infrastructure for tomorrow’s content pioneers.