ASCI Tightens Rules: Health & Finance Influencers Must Disclose Qualifications

The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) has introduced new guidelines that will reshape influencer marketing practices within the health and finance sectors.
Announced on April 28, 2025, these rules mandate that influencers offering professional advice in sensitive categories must clearly disclose their qualifications, promoting transparency and safeguarding consumer interests.

As influencer marketing continues its rapid growth, these updates aim to ensure that only genuinely qualified voices offer expert guidance, especially in areas impacting people’s well-being and financial security.

What Are the New ASCI Guidelines for Health and Finance Influencers?

Under the updated ASCI influencer guidelines 2025: 

• Health, nutrition, and medical influencers must display their credentials when offering advice on treatments, fitness, diet plans, or healthcare products.
  
• Finance influencers providing information about investments, taxation, insurance, or financial products must disclose their professional qualifications or regulatory registrations (such as SEBI certification).
  
• Disclosures must be clear, visible, and prominently placed on posts, videos, or sponsored content.
  
• Influencers without appropriate qualifications cannot portray themselves as experts offering technical advice.

Note: General wellness content or basic financial awareness posts, without specific advisory, are exempt from this disclosure rule.

Why Has ASCI Introduced These New Rules?

The move addresses growing concerns about misinformation on social media platforms.
In sectors like health and finance, inaccurate or misleading advice can lead to serious consequences, from personal health risks to significant financial losses.

By making disclosures mandatory:

• Consumers are better protected against misleading promotions.
  
• Qualified experts gain credibility, making influencer-led marketing campaigns more trustworthy.
  
• Brands can ensure safer collaborations, minimizing risks to reputation and customer trust.

These regulations also align India’s influencer marketing practices closer to global standards, where transparency and authenticity are becoming non-negotiable pillars of responsible digital advertising. 

Fun fact: This update builds upon ASCI’s August 2023 guidelines, which mandated that financial influencers disclose their SEBI registration numbers and relevant qualifications when offering investment advice.

Impact on Brands and Influencers

For influencers operating in health and finance:

• They must update their profiles and content to include qualifications wherever necessary.
  
• Influencers without relevant expertise must avoid giving technical advice.

For brands:

• It’s crucial to vet influencer partners carefully to ensure they meet disclosure norms.
  
• Campaigns must be reviewed for compliance before going live, reducing legal and reputational risks.

Agencies, platforms, and marketing partners must actively educate influencers and brands on these new requirements.

Conclusion: A Step Toward Greater Transparency

The ASCI’s latest guidelines represent a crucial move toward building greater trust, authenticity, and responsibility in the influencer marketing ecosystem. By mandating the disclosure of qualifications for health and finance influencers, the lines between genuine expertise and promotional content are now clearer, benefiting both consumers and brands.

As the industry adapts to these evolving standards, transparent communication and strategic collaborations will be key to success. To navigate this changing landscape and ensure your influencer campaigns are both impactful and compliant, explore how Vavo Digital can help elevate your brand presence.