ASCI rules for sponsored content in India: what brands, creators and publishers must disclose
Updated 20 October 2026
In India, the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) expects any paid or otherwise connected promotion to be clearly marked as an ad. That covers sponsored articles, branded content and paid links as well as influencer posts. This is a summary of ASCI's own guidelines as of October 2026, not legal advice.
01
What counts as an ad under ASCI?
The ASCI Code covers paid-for communication that promotes goods or services, and its definition of digital media explicitly includes sponsored posts, branded content, promotional blogs, paid-for links and native advertising.
For creators, disclosure is needed whenever there is a "material connection" with the brand. That isn't limited to money: free products (even unsolicited ones), discounts, gifts, trips, barter deals, awards, and family or employment ties all count, even if the review is honest.
02
Which disclosure labels does ASCI accept?
ASCI's influencer guidelines list: Advertisement, Ad, Sponsored, Collaboration, Partnership, Employee, Free gift and Affiliate, plus platform tags such as Instagram's "Paid Partnership" and YouTube's "Includes Paid Promotion". The label must be in English or the language of the ad.
03
Where must the label go?
- Upfront and prominent: not only in the bio, at the end of a post, behind "more", or buried in a group of hashtags.
- Platform disclosure tools are in addition to your own label, not instead of it.
- Image or video with no text: the label is shown on the image or video itself, for at least 3 seconds on videos of 15 seconds or less, a third of the length for videos up to 2 minutes, and the whole brand section for longer videos.
- Live streams: announced at the start and end. Audio: at the start, the end, and around every break.
04
What about sponsored articles on publishers' sites?
ASCI's guidelines on disguised ads say an ad in the same format as editorial content must clearly disclose that it is an ad, and name ads placed to look like editorial as an example. Promotions on media companies' own social handles must be clearly distinguishable from editorial, with the disclosure at the start of the post.
05
Who is responsible?
Under the Code, responsibility lies with everyone who commissions, creates, places or publishes an ad: advertisers, agencies and media. For influencer posts, the advertiser and the influencer are both responsible, and the advertiser should ask the creator to fix a non-compliant post. ASCI applies the Code to ads aimed at consumers in India, even if published abroad.
06
What happens if a complaint is made?
ASCI asks the advertiser to respond, and its Consumer Complaints Council decides. An advertiser found in breach must modify or withdraw the ad within a set time, decisions are public, and ASCI also acts on its own initiative. It publishes a list of brands and influencers that failed to comply with disclosure rules.
07
Are there extra rules for finance, health or AI content?
- Finance: advice on stocks or investments needs SEBI registration, with the number shown; other financial advice needs a relevant qualification.
- Health and nutrition: advice needs a relevant qualification, shown upfront.
- Virtual influencers must also disclose that people aren't interacting with a real person.
- AI-generated content: ASCI's 2026 guidelines say that where AI recommends a sponsored product, the disclosure should say "Sponsored by [Brand]".