Best affiliate programmes for creators in India

DMFast publishes this post, and DMFast is not an affiliate programme, so it is not on the list. The programmes below are grouped by what they suit, not ranked, because the best one depends on what your audience buys. Every fact comes from the programme’s own page, opened in October 2026, and is dated. Commission structures change often, sometimes without notice, so treat each number as a snapshot and confirm it in your own account before you plan around it.

Four programmes are covered because their own pages could be read. Where a page did not say something, such as a payout timeline, this post says it did not, instead of guessing. That leaves out programmes that may be good, so the list is a start and not the whole market.

What it is for: recommending almost any product that Amazon.in sells, which suits creators whose followers ask what they bought. What the pages say: the Operating Agreement sets a session at 24 hours from the click, pays approximately 60 days after each calendar month ends, and allows Amazon to hold payment until the total reaches ₹1,000 for NEFT transfers. It requires the statement “As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.”

The fee schedule dated August 2026 shows how much the category matters. Apparel and accessories, shoes, luggage and bags, watches and beauty are listed at 10%. Books, toys, baby products, automotive and sports are at 5.9%. Kitchen, furniture and home are at 5%. Electronics, personal computers and smart watches are at 3.5%, data storage devices at 2%, and mobile phones at 1% with iPhones at 0%. It also lists fixed amounts for some actions, such as ₹100 for a Prime paid membership and ₹150 for Audible.

One real strength: the rules and rates are public and dated, so you can plan before you apply. One real limit: Amazon can end an account at any time with or without cause, and a 24-hour window rewards a viewer who buys the same day. Pick it if you already recommend products that are sold there. Look elsewhere if your audience buys from specific brands on their own websites. Whether Amazon requires a number of sales within a set period after you join could not be confirmed from the pages read, so check your own account for that.

What it is for: sending traffic from your site, mobile site or app to Flipkart and earning on purchases. What the page says, as of October 2026: category rates that include 6 to 12% for books and ebooks, up to 5% for mobiles, up to 6% for computers, 6 to 20% for toys and up to 4% for cameras. The page does not carry a date, so treat these as indicative and confirm them after you sign in.

One real strength: it is a second large catalogue, useful when your audience compares prices. One real limit: the page read for this post does not state who can join or how and when payment is made, and it describes sending traffic from a site or app, so check whether sharing links on social media or in DMs is allowed in its terms before you do it. Pick Amazon if you want public, dated rules. Pick Flipkart if your audience shops there, and read its terms first.

What it is for: sharing deals with your network and earning when people buy. EarnKaro describes itself as a deal-sharing platform, says it is free to join, says you earn when people shop through your links, and lists more than 200 brands, including Flipkart, Myntra, Ajio, Nykaa and MakeMyTrip. Its page states a withdrawal threshold of ₹10 once you have confirmed earnings. These are the platform’s own statements, as of October 2026.

One real strength: a low payout threshold and many stores in one place, which suits a small account that shares deals regularly. One real limit: the home page gives no payout timeline or per-store rates, and it carries earnings claims that cannot be checked, which this post does not repeat. Treat any earnings figure on any platform as marketing, not a forecast. Pick EarnKaro if you share deals across many stores. Pick Amazon directly if you recommend specific products with a reviewer’s depth.

What it is for: turning links to many brands into tracked affiliate links. Cuelinks describes itself as an affiliate network for influencers, bloggers, content creators and publishers, run by Parity Cube Private Limited. Its home page says you choose a brand, get your links and then promote, and lists tools including a Chrome extension, a WordPress plugin, a Telegram bot and a link kit. It states 60,000 or more publishers, 2,500 or more campaigns and more than 1,000 advertisers. Those are its own figures, not independently checked.

One real strength: one account and several link tools, which helps if you share across a bio, a channel and a blog. One real limit: the home page does not state payment terms, minimum payouts, schedules or payment methods, so find them in the account or terms before you join. Pick Cuelinks if you want a single dashboard across brands. Pick a store’s direct programme if you recommend one retailer’s products only.

• Where may links go? Many programmes limit social media, email or private messages. Read that section first.
• What is the tracking window, and what counts as a qualifying sale? Returns and cancellations usually cancel the commission.
• What is the payout minimum, and how long is the wait? Write both down.
• Who can end your account, and for what reasons? Amazon’s agreement says at any time, with or without cause.
• What disclosure does it require? Amazon requires a specific statement. ASCI treats an affiliate link as a material connection and accepts “Affiliate” as a label.
• Does it charge you? A genuine programme pays you from sales. Don’t pay to join.

Tip: Don’t pile into all four at once. Join one, share ten honest recommendations, and read its report for a month. Then add a second programme only if your audience asks for products the first one does not sell.

Many brands, such as software tools, courses and direct-to-consumer labels, run their own affiliate programmes. This post did not check them, so they are not rated. Look in the footer of a site you already use for “affiliate”, “partners” or “creators”, and apply the same checks as above. A brand’s own programme often pays more than a marketplace for a niche product, but it also tends to review applications and may ask to see your content.

Commission is income, so keep a record of each payment. Our guides to income tax and GST for creators explain the general principles, and a chartered accountant can tell you what applies to you. For disclosure, our guide to affiliate and sponsored post disclosure rules in India covers ASCI’s labels.