When Hrithik Roshan launched HRX in 2013, few expected an Indian celebrity-led athleisure label to compete with giants like Nike and Puma. Fast forward to 2025, HRX is clocking revenues of over Rs 1,000 crore and has become a case study in how star-driven ventures can succeed, if they’re rooted in authenticity and quality. Contrast this with Deepika Padukone’s 82°E, which, despite a global star founder, reported Rs 25.1 crore in losses last year, underscoring the brutal reality: in India, more than 80% of celebrity-owned brands struggle to survive.
The promise of instant awareness and star power remains irresistible. “Celebrity-led branding has a purpose, and the purpose is to attract the widest number of eyeballs,” Harish Bijoor, brand strategy expert and founder of Harish Bijoor Consults Inc, told financialexpress.com. “A celebrity causes awareness beautifully at first instance. But does it translate into much more? Not really. That’s where most fail.”
Fame fades, products endure
The failures outnumber the winners. From Anushka Sharma’s Nush apparel label, which has seen a revenue nosedive with Tracxn data mentioning the company’s revenue at Rs 1.04 cr as on 31 March, 2024, to Salman Khan’s Being Human, which once rode a wave of charity-driven hype but now struggles with stagnation, standing at Rs 1.51 cr as of March 2023 (Tracxn data) whereas in FY2017, it earned a net profit of Rs 20.02 crores as per a report by The Quint. “Star power drives trial,” Ambika Sharma, founder and chief strategist, Pulp Strategy, said. “Sustained success is product, experience, and distribution. If the formula, finish, or service disappoints, repeat rates collapse no matter how famous the founder is.”
That’s exactly what tripped up Deepika Padukone’s fashion brand All About You, which never got to be a strong contender in the apparel industry due to saturation. Mynta eventually bought the company from the actor. Consumers, industry experts note, hold celebrity-founded brands to a higher standard than simple endorsements. “A founder implies skin in the game,” Sharma said. “They expect authenticity, expertise, and accountability, not just a face on a billboard.”
The list of stumbles is long. Shahid Kapoor’s Skult, Yuvraj Singh’s YouWeCan, and Sonam Kapoor-Rhea Kapoor’s Rheson never managed to carve out a serious identity in the crowded apparel and lifestyle market. Karan Johar’s jewellery line Tyaani has struggled to gain traction, and even cricketing legends have faltered; Sachin Tendulkar’s and Virender Sehwag’s restaurant ventures shut shop after failing to sustain consumer interest.
When it works
Yet, the rare successes are instructive. Katrina Kaif’s Kay Beauty has emerged as India’s top celebrity beauty brand, reporting profitability and sustained sales growth, thanks to a careful focus on unit economics, strong product identity and a collaboration with Nykaa. Alia Bhatt’s Ed-a-Mamma executed a textbook play, building credibility in kidswear before Reliance swooped in with a Rs 300 crore acquisition.
The common thread? Alignment. “Alignment matters a lot,” Sharma said. “If the celebrity’s values and lifestyle do not fit the category, the brand struggles to earn trust.” Roshan’s HRX was a natural extension of his fitness persona. Kaif’s Kay Beauty tapped into her carefully cultivated image of glamour with substance. MS Dhoni’s Seven, though low-key, works precisely because it is seen as a genuine reflection of his athletic discipline.
There’s also a new wave of hybrid celebrity-led brands where the star is a co-founder but not the operational driver. Take Hyphen, co-founded by Kriti Sanon alongside industry professionals. The company reported Rs 7.53 crore in revenue from operations in FY24, its first significant topline year, thanks to a structure where celebrity clout sparks awareness while experienced founders run the machinery of supply chains, product development, and distribution.
At a global scale, Selena Gomez’s Rare Beauty, valued at over $2 billion with $350 million in sales in 2023, Kim Kardashian’s Skims, which crossed $500 million in revenue by 2023 and expanded with a Nike tie-up in 2025, and Dwayne Johnson’s Teremana Tequila, sold over 1 million cases in 2023.
The weak spots
Yasin Hamidani, director at Media Care Brand Solutions, pointed to structural weaknesses. “Star appeal may drive trial but not repeat purchase if the product lacks value,” he said. “Distribution depth, supply chain efficiency, pricing strategy, and digital-first marketing decide scalability. Yet many over-index on hype while under-investing in operations.”
Pricing missteps are another Achilles’ heel. Too many celebrity labels assume fans will pay a “star tax.” “Indian consumers are extremely value-conscious,” Hamidani said. “Unless the product justifies its price through superior quality or innovation, this strategy backfires.”
Even reputational risk looms larger. “Unlike endorsements, where brands can switch ambassadors, a celebrity-led brand is inseparable from the founder’s image,” Hamidani said. A public controversy can crater consumer sentiment overnight, leaving the brand exposed.
The trend is global. In Hollywood, Kevin Hart’s Hart House shut down all four outlets by 2024, Jennifer Lopez’s JLo Beauty was pulled from Sephora in 2024, and Kylie Jenner’s Glow drink fizzled out by 2024.
So, why do celebrity brands fail?
Celebrity-led brands in India are often built with a star-first, product-second approach. Hamidani noted that “teams are often marketing-heavy but weak on product innovation, R&D, and supply chain depth.” In some cases, marketing agencies are engaged without pay, offered only a credit mention in return for association with a celebrity-owned label. As Hamidani put it, “building an FMCG or D2C brand isn’t like producing a movie. It requires manufacturing partnerships, distribution muscle, retail tie-ups, and pricing discipline”, areas where long-term focus is not always sustained.
Consequently, many ventures are treated as side projects or quick monetisation plays, with limited founder involvement. “Without deep founder involvement, even a good team struggles to deliver sustainable results,” Hamidani said.
Experts suggest that pricing strategies are also often misaligned with consumer realities, as products are sometimes overvalued under the assumption that star appeal will compensate. But Indian consumers, being highly value-driven, tend to compare celebrity brands against legacy players offering better price–quality ratios.
The contrast is evident: Alia Bhatt’s Ed-a-Mamma succeeded because strong retail and supply partnerships were secured and the products were priced affordably, whereas Salman Khan’s Being Smart smartphones failed to take off because distribution muscle was absent against giants like Xiaomi and Samsung.
Beyond the hype
The lessons from India’s celebrity brand boom are clear: fame can spark, but substance sustains. The brands that endure, HRX, and Kay Beauty, combine authentic alignment, strong governance, and product-led scaling. The ones that flounder, 82°E, Being Human, Nush, mistake celebrity for strategy.
Or, as Sharma put it bluntly: “Fame is an accelerant. Without fundamentals, it also accelerates fallout.”