Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar has joined hands with DTC beauty and personal care conglomerate Good Glamm Group to roll out personal care and wellness products for men in the next six months. The newly formed joint venture (JV) marks the entry of Good Glamm Group into the men’s care category. Akshay Kumar, who has one of the largest and most engaged social media fan followings, will be involved in brand and product development, which are formulated using natural ingredients.
The male grooming and personal care segment is a $2 billion market opportunity in India, as per IMARC Group estimates. It expects the market to reach $3.1 billion by 2028, at a growth rate (CAGR) of 8.2% (2023-28).
Interestingly, in December last year, the Good Glamm Group had acquired 51% stake in Tweak India, a digital media company founded by actor Twinkle Khanna, who happens to be Akshay Kumar’s wife, in a cash and stock deal.
A year before that, the group had bought ScoopWhoop in 2021, which is one of the largest male content platforms in India, with over 70 million male active users (MAUs). “Leveraging ScoopWhoop’s audience and the products and the brand that the JV will create, the group will replicate its content to commerce flywheel in the men’s segment,” said Darpan Sanghvi, group founder & CEO, Good Glamm Group.
The JV will leverage the 200 million MAUs of Good Media Co (a consulting & network services and part of the Good Glamm Group), and over 1 million influencers of Good Creator Co, a creator ecosystem with over 1.5 million influencers and creators, in addition to the group’s offline distribution network across 150-plus cities in India.
It is not going to be a cakewalk for either Good Glamm Group or Akshay Kumar. “Personal product categories are driven by impulse, and awareness plays a big role in brand choice. A celebrity helps in creative cut-through, especially when your biggest competition is endorsed by a big name,” said Naresh Gupta, co-founder & managing partner, Bang In The Middle. That said, he added, the brand and the celeb have to be in sync to make it a successful venture. “Kumar is not known for vanity and is all about being rugged, macho, sweat, and hard work. A grooming brand is at crossroads with what the actor stands for… so him saying his skincare routine is a cream and lotion will be tough to establish,” he said.
