The print-on-demand platform Qikink has introduced the Creator Store—a free branded storefront that allows influencers, YouTubers, and digital creators in India to sell their own merchandise without needing to manage inventory, order fulfillment, or logistics.
For most creators in India, advertising revenue remains the primary source of income. Payments from YouTube and Instagram are tied to specific compliance thresholds, and brand sponsorships often favor authors with a large number of subscribers. This leaves the vast majority of the approximately four million content creators in India with limited opportunities to earn directly from their audience.
Merchandising has long been seen as a way to overcome this problem, but starting one's own product business involves several complexities. Partnerships with manufacturers, inventory management, payment gateways, shipping, and customer support require both capital and time, which individual creators often lack.
Sivaraman S, founder of Qikink, noted: 'Creators often have an established audience that trusts them. They need a way to turn that trust into income without taking on the risks associated with inventory, order fulfillment, and initial investment.'
With the Creator Store, creators can set up a personalized shop, choose from over 350 customizable products, upload their designs, set the selling price, and start operating the same day. There is no requirement for a minimum order quantity or advance purchase of goods. The platform instantly assigns a shop URL upon registration, offering the option to connect a custom domain. Creators who do not have their own designs can use ready-made design sets from Qikink. As soon as an order is placed, Qikink handles production, printing, packaging, shipping, and returns.
Customers receive orders under the creator's brand, with no mention of Qikink on the packaging. The platform operates on a print-on-demand model, meaning products are only manufactured after an order is placed. This eliminates the risk of holding inventory and makes launching a merchandise line feasible regardless of the creator's audience size. Payments are processed within the platform, and weekly payouts are transferred directly to the creator's bank account every Wednesday.
Qikink brings its established operational scale to this segment. The company has served over 25,000 brands, fulfilled more than five million orders, and delivers to 29,000 postal codes across India, including second and third-tier cities. The company's 50,000 square foot production facility handles manufacturing and shipping, with most orders dispatched within 48 hours.
India's creator economy is one of the fastest-growing globally. The country's creator base has grown from fewer than a million influencers in 2020 to over four million by 2024. According to a BCG report presented at WAVES 2025, Indian creators collectively influence consumer spending worth over $350 billion annually. Despite this scale, sustainable income solely from content remains out of reach for the vast majority. Merchandise businesses, when the operational side is handled by the platform, provide creators with a direct and regular stream of income that is not dependent on platform policies or algorithm changes.
The Creator Store targets a broader audience than just established influencers. The platform is also designed for students, homemakers, and entrepreneurs starting their online businesses without initial investment. For Qikink, this initiative represents an expansion of its core order fulfillment infrastructure into the seller segment, where traditional barriers to entry in the merchandise business have historically been the highest.
