The AAP government in the state on Saturday came out with a 'Punjab Influencer Empowerment Policy, 2023', aimed at roping in social media influencers to "harness their potential to narrate rich stories of Punjab's culture, heritage, and governance initiatives to audiences across India."

This policy is envisioned to amplify the state's diverse cultural, heritage, and governance narratives through collaborative partnerships with social media influencers, an official statement said.

The policy delineated influencers into five categories based on the number of subscribers.

Under the category 'A', there will be a maximum compensation of Rs 8 lakh per campaign for an influencer having more than one million subscribers base. For an influencer having subscribers between five lakh to one million under category 'B', the compensation amount is Rs 5 lakh.

In other categories 'C' (1 lakh to 5 lakh subscribers), 'D' (50,000 to one lakh) and 'D' (10,000 to 50,000), the maximum compensation amount will be Rs 3 lakh.

"In a digital era where influencers significantly shape public perceptions and narratives, this policy aims to harness their potential to narrate the varied and rich stories of Punjab's culture, heritage, and governance initiatives to audiences across India," the statement said.

The Punjab government extends a warm invitation to influencers across various digital platforms to be a part of this unique initiative, it said.

"Through this policy, influencers and the government will collaboratively ensure that the tales of Punjab's progress, its lush culture, and the heart-warming stories of its people are celebrated and shared across India. Along with positive outreach, it also aims to contribute to the collective fight against fake and manipulated news," it added.

The statement said the policy invites participation from influencers who have a robust and active presence on major social media platforms, ensuring a wide reach and impactful dissemination of information.

Influencers should adhere to maintaining a positive and lawful digital image, with no criminal records or engagement in activities against state and national interests, it said.

"The policy outlines a structured compensation model, offering influencers remuneration based on the reach and impact of their content.

"Different categories of influencers will have varied earning potentials, details of which are outlined comprehensively in the policy document, ensuring transparency and fairness in compensation," it said.

Influencers, while crafting and sharing content, are expected to abide by ethical guidelines that ensure respect towards privacy, cultural, social, and religious norms, and adherence to relevant advertising and data protection laws, the statement read.

The Punjab government assures a transparent, supportive, and mutually beneficial collaboration, offering influencers a platform to amplify their reach while ensuring that the state's achievements and policies are communicated effectively to the public, it added.