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EYE ON BOLLYWOOD OCTOBER 02, 2026 | The Indian Eye 36

From Bollywood to Boardrooms:

Stars Building Business Empires

Bollywood’s leading stars are increasingly turning their fame, personal brands and

consumer connect into businesses spanning fashion, beauty, fitness, healthcare and startups

OUR BUREAU health-tech sector, a space that has
attracted growing attention from
Mumbai
entrepreneurs and investors as tech-
or decades, Bollywood suc- nology increasingly becomes part of
cess was largely measured by healthcare delivery.
Fbox-office numbers, awards, His journey is significant because
endorsements and the ability to re- it illustrates that celebrity entrepre-
main relevant on the silver screen. neurship does not necessarily have
But the definition of stardom is to revolve around lifestyle products.
changing. A growing number of Bol- Public recognition can also be used
lywood actors are moving beyond to build businesses addressing wider
films to build businesses of their own, social and economic needs.
transforming celebrity influence into
entrepreneurial capital. Ranveer Singh
From children’s clothing and Ranveer Singh has also moved
cosmetics to fitness, health-tech and into the consumer-business space
nutrition, these ventures reflect a with SuperYou, a protein-snacking
larger shift in India’s consumer econ- Alia Bhatt (left) and Hrithik Roshan brand that he co-founded.
omy. Bollywood stars are no longer The venture targets consumers
simply endorsing products creat- ed with their public personalities. In active lifestyle. Roshan’s long-stand- looking for convenient snacks that
ed by others. Increasingly, they are this case, sustainability, parenting ing public image as one of Bolly- combine taste with nutritional value.
becoming founders, investors and and conscious consumption form an wood’s fittest stars provides a natural Its positioning reflects the growing
brand builders, taking greater con- important part of the brand narrative. connection between the actor and convergence of food, fitness and life-
trol over businesses associated with the brand. style consumption in India.
their names and personal identities. Katrina Kaif HRX demonstrates how a celeb- For Singh, SuperYou represents
The trend also underlines the Katrina Kaif took her entrepre- rity’s personal identity can become an attempt to translate his energet-
growing power of celebrity-led con- neurial ambitions into the fast-grow- an important component of a busi- ic public persona into a consumer
sumer brands in India, where a large ing beauty and cosmetics market ness proposition. Fitness is not mere- brand operating in a market where
social-media following can provide with Kay Beauty in 2019. ly a product category for the brand; health-conscious eating is becoming
a significant starting advantage. But The brand combines Kaif’s ce- it is connected to a lifestyle built increasingly mainstream.
sustaining a business requires more lebrity profile with a dedicated prod- around discipline, performance and
than visibility. Product quality, distri- uct and retail strategy. According to physical wellbeing. The new Bollywood entrepreneur
bution, pricing, consumer trust and available information, Kay Beauty The model has also benefited The rise of celebrity entrepre-
the ability to create a distinct identity has expanded to more than 300 retail from India’s expanding interest in neurship represents a broader trans-
have become equally important. stores across over 1,600 cities. fitness, sportswear and healthier life- formation in India’s entertainment
The journey illustrates the op- styles, particularly among younger economy. Social media has made
Alia Bhatt portunities and challenges of celeb- urban consumers. actors more directly connected with
Alia Bhatt entered the entre- rity-led beauty businesses. India’s consumers, allowing them to devel-
preneurial world in 2020 with Ed-a- cosmetics market has become in- Kunal Kapoor op audiences that extend beyond tra-
Mamma, a children’s clothing brand creasingly competitive, with domes- Kunal Kapoor has taken a dif- ditional film promotion.
built around the idea of comfortable tic and international brands fighting ferent entrepreneurial route, com- For Bollywood, therefore, the
and environmentally conscious fash- for consumers across physical stores bining technology, social impact and entrepreneurial journey is becoming
ion. and digital platforms. healthcare. an important second act. The stars of
The brand focuses on children’s For a celebrity brand to establish He co-founded Ketto with Var- today are not only seeking audiences
apparel and has sought to differenti- itself in such an environment, recog- un Sheth and Zaheer Adenwala. The in cinemas and on streaming plat-
ate itself through the use of natural nition can open the door, but repeat crowdfunding platform has focused forms. They are also building com-
materials and a sustainability-orient- purchases and consumer confidence on helping individuals and organi- panies, products and brands that can
ed approach. For Bhatt, the venture ultimately determine its staying power. sations raise money for social and potentially exist beyond their film
represents a move into a consumer medical causes and claims to have careers.
category that goes beyond her iden- Hrithik Roshan facilitated fundraising of more than The Bollywood success story is
tity as an actor. Hrithik Roshan has built one of $150 million. consequently moving from the red
Her entry into children’s fashion Bollywood’s more recognisable fit- Kapoor expanded his entre- carpet to the boardroom — where
also reflects a broader trend in which ness-focused brands through HRX. preneurial interests further with fame may open the door, but busi-
Bollywood entrepreneurs attempt to The venture is associated with MetaGo Health, launched in July ness strategy determines how far the
build brands around values associat- activewear, fitness products and an 2026. The move takes him into the journey goes.

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