Celebrity brand extension through licensing and other means has been on the rise in India of late, as famous faces from a variety of sectors introduce merchandise programs. The personalities’ efforts often (but not always) revolve around brands they have developed, rather than their names alone. Some key segments include:
- Cricket players. Virat Kohli, captain of the Indian national cricket team and member of the Royal Challengers Bangalore club of the Indian Premier League, teamed with Lux Industries’ Artimas Fashions division late last year for a line of children’s innerwear, socks, and sleepwear under his One8 brand. Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s Seven brand and Yuvraj Singh’s YWC Fashions are two other examples.
- Bollywood actors. Hrithik Roshan launched a fashion-forward fitness brand called HRX, co-owned with Exceed Entertainment and licensed by Wild East Group. Brand initiatives have included apparel with partner Myntra, footwear, fitness trackers with Xiaomi, and a workout program with Cult gyms. Similarly, Shahid Kapoor launched his athleisure brand Skult with the e-tailer Abof, owned by the Aditya Birla Group.
- Bollywood actresses. Mandira Bedi forged a collaboration with Myntra for saris, Alia Bhatt paired with Jabong for apparel, and Shilpa Shetty Kundra teamed with Snapdeal for her Satyug Gold-branded jewelry, to name a few illustrations. All of the partners are e-commerce sites.
- Yogis. Yoga guru Baba Ramdev launched the Patanjali brand, which encompasses foods, supplements, oils, and soaps that support ayurvedic medicine and a holistic lifestyle.
One indication of the growth of celebrity brand extension in India is the launch last year of Mojostar, a licensing agency focused specifically on overseeing local and global celebrities’ product initiatives in the Indian market. Its initial clients include Bollywood actress Jacqueline Fernandez and actor Tiger Shroff.
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