The Chhattisgarh government has partnered with India Impact Drive (IID), a creator-led storytelling initiative for governments, to showcase development across the state through digital content created by influencers. The campaign generated more than 12 million views between October 4 and 12, 2026, with engagement rates of up to 10% and over 80% positive sentiment, according to the organisers.
Led by the Department of Information and Public Relations (I&PR) through Chhattisgarh Samvad, the initiative took 11 creators on a journey spanning more than 1,000 km, from Raipur to Raigarh, between September 26 and October 1. The creators, who collectively have a following of 14.6 million, documented local communities, infrastructure, industries and livelihood initiatives in their own formats.
The campaign aimed to move away from scripted government promotions towards ground-level storytelling, allowing creators to document their experiences and present stories of development in their own voices.
From infrastructure to grassroots livelihoods
The journey covered Raipur and Nava Raipur, Durg and Bhilai, Jashpur and Kunkuri, and Raigarh, highlighting planned urban development, industrial activity, women's self-help groups, horticulture, forest-based enterprises and connectivity.
Individual creator-led stories also explored the impact of government initiatives on local communities. Prem documented a family whose livelihood was rebuilt through a self-employment scheme, while Adarsh Gupta and Manvendra Chauhan featured women driving change in their villages.
Vishal Rattewal visited areas previously affected by Maoist violence, documenting the reopening of schools and the return of bus services. Aniket Thakur's video on the Garbage Cafe in Ambikapur alone garnered more than 2.5 million views, according to the organisers.
Government communication through creators
Umesh Mishra, CEO of Chhattisgarh Samvad, said the initiative allowed creators to document development directly rather than follow predetermined scripts.
“Chhattisgarh's development story is best told by the people living it. We gave the creators no script; instead, we gave them the chance to travel from village to village and city to city and see the change with their own eyes. Today's young generation gets its news on mobile, so government communication must reach them there, in their language. Through India Impact Drive, Chhattisgarh has shown that when the story is true, people believe it,” Mishra said.
The initiative comes as government departments increasingly explore digital platforms and creator partnerships to engage younger audiences who may be less receptive to conventional official communication.
Abhijit Sonagara, director of Adosphere, the company behind India Impact Drive, said creators were becoming important channels for reaching young Indians and communicating stories of development and grassroots transformation.
“Our job is to push for creator-friendly policies and help governments run campaigns that actually capture the story of change, progress and grassroots transformation. The Government of Chhattisgarh trusted creators to find that story on the ground, and in doing so has set a benchmark for every government that wants to be heard by Gen Z,” Sonagara said.
India Impact Drive's approach
India Impact Drive offers an end-to-end model for government creator campaigns, covering creator selection, route planning, on-ground production, logistics, permissions, safety and performance measurement. The platform tracks reach, engagement and audience sentiment across individual reels, with a chapter designed to be planned and executed within six weeks.
The Chhattisgarh chapter concluded in Raipur with a session on the growing role of social media in public communication, attended by more than 100 regional creators.
Following the campaign, several other states have expressed interest in hosting India Impact Drive, according to the organisers.
