Greying Indians are finding their second calling as content creators

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. A career as an influencer may be an instinctive choice for younger Indians born in the digital age. But even older professionals in their 40s, 50s and 60s are taking it as a serious pursuit.

Retired bureaucrats, corporate executives, startup founders, veteran actors and professionals from diverse backgrounds have discovered content creation as a second calling–one that offers an engaging, creative outlet and additional post-retirement income. While young creators often seek backup plans because the “influencer" tag feels unstable, taking to content creation later in life carries far less pressure, according to actor Ashish Vidyarthi, who has reinvented himself online as a stand-up comic, travel and food vlogger, and motivational speaker. The work, he says, becomes an extension of lived experience rather than a risky first bet on the future.

“I usually crack a joke in my stand-up comedy set, that I am sixty. Nothing in my life is long-term and predictable," said Vidyarthi. For him, that unpredictability is not a threat but a kind of freedom—a permission to experiment without being pinned down.

Influencers in this age bracket have grown by at least 20–30% in recent years, although the space is difficult to track given the lack of formal reporting, according to Anirudh Sridharan, co-founder of creator network HashFame. On average, creators with around 500,000 followers can earn roughly ₹30–35 lakh a year, which is comparable to what many of them made towards the end of two or three decade-long corporate careers, he said. Most people in this demographic have already planned and invested for retirement, so influencer income typically functions as a supplementary stream rather than their