In short
- Since 6 October 2026 the NMC bars registered doctors from endorsing drugs, devices and health or commercial products with their name, face, voice or status, paid or not.
- Doctor-led health education is allowed if it does not promote the practice, solicit patients or become promotional marketing. A paid sponsor needs counsel's approval first.
- For sponsored health content, cast qualified non-doctors such as dietitians, physiotherapists and psychologists, and keep doctors for independent education.
- Every doctor post must show name, qualifications, registration status and registration number. Collect and check the number before you book.
A brand can work with a registered doctor as a creator, but only inside a narrow lane. On 6 October 2026 the National Medical Commission's Ethics and Medical Registration Board issued guidelines on ethical advertising and public communication. In our reading they bar a doctor from endorsing any drug, device, health product or commercial product with their name, face, voice or professional status, whether or not money changes hands. They also say doctor-led education must not be monetised through promotional marketing.
So the first job in a doctor campaign is to decide whether a doctor is the right hire at all. Our complete guide to influencer marketing in India covers the channel, and our page on health and wellness influencer marketing covers the category. This post covers the person: why brands still want doctors, what the notice means for a brief addressed to one, and how to vet, brief and budget a medical creator. The notice's effect on hospitals and clinics is in our post on influencer marketing for healthcare clinics, and the qualification and claims rules are in our post on health influencer rules. We do not repeat them.
We read the notice as listed on the NMC's own site. Check the clause numbers below against that copy, and take counsel's advice before you brief any doctor.
Why brands still want doctors
A doctor answers the question a buyer cannot ask a brand: is this safe, and does it do what it says? Seven in ten brands surveyed by WPP Media and Kantar in 2025 said trust and credibility were why they used influencers at all. A doctor who explains how a screening works, or what a lab report means, lends that credibility to a topic, not to a product.
That is also the limit. The notice is written to stop the credibility being sold. A doctor can be the reason a viewer understands a subject, and cannot be the reason a viewer buys a brand.
What the notice means for a brand's ask
The table sets common brand asks against the notice. The readings are ours.
| Brand ask | Clause | Our reading |
|---|---|---|
| "Dr X recommends our product" | 8.1(iv), 8.1(ii) | Barred. Product endorsements with professional status are out whether or not the doctor is paid |
| Doctor's face or voice in a product ad | 8.1(ii) | Barred for any product, not only health products |
| "Best doctor", "No.1", "100% success" in a script | 8.1(iii), 8.1(ix) | Barred unless objectively verifiable. Do not ask |
| Paid educational series with a brand sponsor | 5.1, 8.1(xi) | Grey. Education must not be monetised through promotional marketing, yet the notice speaks of disclosing commercial relationships in lawful public-health communication. Counsel and the State Medical Council decide |
| Pay per enquiry, booking or code | 8.1(vii), 8.1(viii) | Barred. No payment linked to procuring or referring patients |
| Discount, coupon or giveaway through the doctor | 8.1(x) | Barred where it is an inducement or solicitation |
| Patient stories, before-and-after | 8.1(v), 6.2 | Barred. Patient consent does not cure it |
| AI-made doctor, voice or patient | 7.2 | Barred for promotional campaigns with a commercial interest |
| The doctor speaking on public health in their own name | 8.2(iii) | Allowed, without promoting an employer |
ASCI adds a layer for well-known doctors. Its guidelines for celebrities in advertising (13 July 2023) count doctors among celebrities when they have 500,000 or more followers on a single handle or earn ₹40 lakh or more a year from advertising. Such a doctor must do due diligence that claims can be substantiated and the doctor or their manager must give ASCI a signed confirmation of it. Under the NMC notice the brand will rarely be asking a doctor to front a product, but the duty is there if a doctor appears in an ad for any reason.
Two further points shape the deal. Clause 3.2 treats influencer-led and sponsored communication as advertising where it has a promotional character, and exempts information shared in the normal course without any intent of commercial benefit. And clause 4.4 says an agency or influencer does not absolve the practitioner of content they authorised or sponsored. The doctor will carry the risk personally: the graded action in clause 10.1 runs from a warning and ethics training up to suspension and removal from the register. Only government campaigns in the larger public interest are exempt, so a brand's own campaign is not.
The lane that is left
| Lane | What it looks like | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Independent doctor education | The doctor makes their own health-awareness content in their own name. The brand does not pay or script | Allowed if it does not promote the practice or solicit patients |
| Disclosed sponsorship of education | A brand funds a public-health series, with a disclosed sponsor line and no product | Grey. Needs counsel and the doctor's State Medical Council in writing |
| Medical review behind the camera | A doctor checks a script's facts and is not shown or named as an endorser | Not covered by the notice. Our view only, so ask the doctor's council |
| Qualified non-doctors | Dietitians, nutritionists, nurses, physiotherapists and psychologists speak within their credentials | Allowed under ASCI's rule, subject to each profession's own council code |
| Experience creators | Parents, patients' families and fitness fans share routines with a not-medical-advice disclaimer | Allowed, with no condition claims |
For a brand selling a product, the practical answer is the last three rows. The doctors stay in the education lane, and the brand's spend goes to people who are free to be paid.
Vet before you book
Our vetting checklist applies, with five additions for doctors.
- Registration. The notice says a practitioner's electronic posts should show name, qualifications, registration status and the State or National Medical Register number. Collect the number and check it against the register.
- Ninety days of content. Look for product pitches, discount codes, before-and-after posts, patient faces, AI voices and superlatives. Each is a flag.
- Employer. A hospital-employed doctor may be bound by the hospital's rules. Ask.
- Own interests. Check whether the doctor runs a clinic, a supplement line or an online pharmacy, because that decides what a brand deal looks like to a reader.
- Audience fit. Ask for audience insights. Our post on reading audience insights shows what to look for.
We score every creator on the Gully Score, where brand safety and audience authenticity carry 40 of the 100 points.
Briefing and approvals
A doctor brief is shorter than a normal brief and begins with what the brand will not ask. Send a one-page list of topics, the tone, the sources for any facts, and the list of things excluded: no product endorsement, no superlatives, no offers, no patient material, no AI. Our approval workflow sets the sequence.
- Script review. The brand's regulatory lead reviews the script, and the doctor signs off the facts. Neither edits the other's lines.
- On-screen layers. Qualification and registration number at the start, the disclaimer that the content is not a substitute for medical advice where the doctor presents as a health expert, and the sponsor label if counsel allows sponsorship. The Department of Consumer Affairs' health guidelines and ASCI's Addendum II are explained in the post linked above.
- Comments. A doctor who answers "what should I take?" under a post is giving advice. Brief the reply line: "please consult your doctor".
- Contract. Warranties that the registration is valid, written confirmation that the engagement is permitted by the doctor's council, no payment linked to patients, takedown rights and a morality clause. Our influencer contract guide lists the others.
Risks
| Risk | What it looks like | Control |
|---|---|---|
| Doctor disciplined after your post | The creator goes quiet and your campaign loses its face | Written confirmation from the council or counsel before booking |
| Implied endorsement | A caption, hashtag or reply that reads as "I use this" | Review captions and monitor comments for 14 days |
| False credentials | A degree or number that does not match | Register check, dated copy on file |
| Patient data in footage | Faces or records in b-roll | No patient material; see data protection for influencer marketing |
| Claims that name a disease | A script that implies treatment of a condition | Claims library, 1954 Act review in the health rules post |
| Lost trust | A hard-sell inside an education series | Keep the product out of the doctor's content |
What it costs
Doctors who are creators price in the same bands as other creators of their size. The figures are asking prices from the benchmarks behind our influencer rates guide, not audited deal data.
| Format | Micro (10K to 100K followers) | Mid-tier (100K to 500K) |
|---|---|---|
| Instagram Reel | ₹8,000 to ₹80,000 | ₹50,000 to ₹3.5 lakh |
| YouTube dedicated video | ₹20,000 to ₹1.2 lakh | ₹1 lakh to ₹5 lakh |
| YouTube integration (60 to 90 seconds) | ₹15,000 to ₹60,000 | ₹60,000 to ₹2.5 lakh |
One booking platform's note puts health creator fees up 25 to 50 percent year on year in 2026, and our cost calculator allows up to 50 percent over base for premium niches. Budget for legal review and a longer approval cycle. Published add-ons run at about 30 to 50 percent for ad rights and for 30-day exclusivity. Try the influencer cost calculator for a first estimate.
What we could not source
We did not find any State Medical Council decision on sponsored health education, so the grey lane is unresolved. We read the notice itself and did not read the 2002 ethics regulations beyond the clauses the notice cites. The conduct rules for dentists, Ayush practitioners, physiotherapists and dietitians sit with their own bodies, which we have not read.
If a creator plan that starts from counsel's limits would help, send us a brief and our team will build one. This is general information, not legal advice.
Sources
- Guidelines on Ethical Advertising and Public Communication by Hospitals/Medical Institutions and Registered Medical Practitioners (public notice R-13014/01/2024-Ethics; listed on the NMC's What's New page), National Medical Commission, Ethics and Medical Registration Board (6 Oct 2026)
- ASCI Code and guidelines page: Addendum II for health and financial influencers (6 Mar 2025), ASCI (undated page, accessed 1 Nov 2026)
- Press release: update to the influencer guidelines, ASCI (28 Apr 2025)
- Centre releases additional guidelines for health and wellness celebrities, influencers and virtual influencers, PIB, Department of Consumer Affairs (10 Aug 2023)
- 69% of Indian consumers turn to influencers for information and 63% for product discovery (WPP Media and Kantar), Campaign India (12 Jun 2025)
- Influencer fees in India: complete pricing guide (health fee growth), Booking platform guide (low confidence) (20 Mar 2026)
Frequently asked questions
Can a doctor promote a brand's product on Instagram in India?
Treat it as barred. The NMC's 6 October 2026 guidelines say a registered practitioner shall not give any endorsement of a drug, device, health product or commercial product in connection with their name, photograph, voice or professional status, whether or not they are paid. They also bar letting others use their endorsement for any products. Ask counsel before any exception.
Can a brand pay a doctor to make health education videos?
It is a grey area. The guidelines allow educational content if it does not promote personal practice, solicit patients or become monetised through promotional marketing, and they mention disclosing material commercial relationships in lawful public-health communication. Whether a paid sponsor fits is for counsel and the doctor's State Medical Council. Until you have that answer in writing, do not book the doctor.
What must a doctor show on a social media post?
The guidelines say a registered practitioner publishing an electronic media post should disclose their name, qualifications, registration status and State or National Medical Register number. Ask for the number in the contract, check it against the register, and plan the on-screen layout so it appears with the post. ASCI's qualification rule for health advice adds its own upfront disclosure.
Can a doctor creator say a product is the best, or doctor recommended?
No. The guidelines bar practitioners from claims such as best doctor, number one specialist or guaranteed cure, and from comparative superiority claims that cannot be independently verified. They also bar endorsing products with professional status. Do not brief a doctor to say a product is the best, or that doctors recommend it. See our post on health influencer rules.
Which experts can a brand use instead of doctors?
ASCI's Addendum II names a medical degree, or certification as a nurse, nutritionist, dietician, physiotherapist or psychologist, matched to the advice given. Those creators sit under their own councils' codes, which we have not read, so ask each for written confirmation that the deal is permitted. The health and wellness page lists the creator types we cast.
How much do doctor creators charge in India?
Doctors with micro-size audiences quote in the same bands as other micro creators: about ₹8,000 to ₹80,000 per Reel and ₹20,000 to ₹1.2 lakh for a dedicated YouTube video, as asking prices. One booking platform's note puts health creator fees up 25 to 50 percent year on year in 2026. See the rates guide.
Does hiring an agency move the legal risk away from the doctor?
No. The guidelines say that publishing through an agency, influencer or other intermediary does not by itself absolve a practitioner of content they authorised, commissioned or sponsored. They also bar engagements structured so that pay is linked to procuring or referring patients. The doctor carries personal risk, so a careful doctor will turn down loose briefs.