Mumbai, May 18 -- Remember when you casually shared the perfectly synced choreography of dance influencer Parveen Kumar Sharma on the viral hip-hop track 'Vartman'? While it feels like harmless fun, sharing such content can unknowingly step on copyright infringement.

India's meme marketing boom, where pages earn lakhs monthly promoting brands through witty, viral content, is built on a fragile foundation of widespread copyright violations, misinformation, and regulatory grey areas.

What started as a fun, low-cost way for brands to tap millions of young social media users has ballooned into a Rs.3,000 crore industry by 2025, according to equity firm Equentis.

"When I started this page for fun in 12th standard in 2014, I never anticipate...