After nearly two years of muted activity, the prolonged funding winter that gripped India’s startup ecosystem has finally begun to thaw in 2025. Investor sentiment is visibly strengthening, confidence is returning, and capital is once again flowing into innovation-led ventures. In just the first half of 2025, Indian startups secured $5.7 billion in funding, setting the stage for what Inc42 estimates will be a $14–$15 billion funding year—marking one of the strongest rebounds in recent times.

Amid this revival, one trend continues to accelerate with surprising momentum: the rise of celebrity startup investors.

Once limited to endorsements, celebrities today are actively stepping into more serious roles—angels, strategic partners, co-founders, fund participants, and long-horizon investors. What began with early movers like Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan has evolved into a mainstream movement that now includes India’s biggest actors, sporting icons, musicians, and creators.

The line separating fame from entrepreneurship has blurred dramatically. In 2025, India’s stars aren’t just lending their faces to brands; they're shaping business narratives, influencing product design, and helping young companies achieve scale. Their choices reflect their values, interests, and cultural impact, and their strategic presence is turning into a powerhouse of capital and credibility for the startup landscape.

Badshah: From Music Charts to Startup Boards

Rapper and music icon Badshah has steadily expanded his footprint in the startup universe. In 2025, he invested in Gabit, a healthtech venture building a longevity-focused wellness ecosystem powered by smart-ring wearables and personalised AI-driven coaching.

His startup journey began in May 2023 with an investment in the mobility marketplace Droom, paired with a long-term brand partnership aimed at boosting its reach among young consumers.

Alongside investments, Badshah is also creating his own ventures. This year, he launched Badboy Pizza, a mass-premium pizza QSR brand developed with Ghost Kitchens India. The first outlet opened in Mumbai, with an aggressive roadmap of 50 stores planned.

Ben Stokes: Bringing Global Sports Influence to Indian Startups

English cricket all-rounder Ben Stokes, a familiar name in the IPL circuit, has begun to build a diversified startup portfolio in India.

In 2025, he invested in The Medical Travel Company, joining Nexus VP, Kriscore Capital, and 4cast.uk. The startup provides end-to-end support for international patients seeking treatment in India, covering everything from consultation to recovery.

Stokes also backed fintech venture Fundamento in its $1.9 million pre-Series A round via The Players Fund. Fundamento focuses on agentic AI solutions that automate borrower interaction workflows for banks—a space that clearly intrigued Stokes.

Beyond India, Stokes holds stakes in UK-based alcohol-free spirits brand CleanCo and remains an active participant in The Players Fund, signalling a sharp interest in sports-driven entrepreneurship.

Glenn Maxwell: Blending Cricket and Fitness Innovation

Australian superstar Glenn Maxwell officially joined the Indian startup investor circle in 2025 with a direct investment in Drive FITT, a membership-based cricket-and-fitness club.

Founded in 2024 by Preity Zinta, Shubman Gill, Mark Sellar, and Deke Smith, Drive FITT offers 24/7 cricket training, gym workouts, yoga, and elite recovery services designed with input from cricketers such as Chris Lynn and Ryan Harris. It aims to redefine fitness through cricket-inspired training infrastructure.

Maxwell also co-owns Twenty20 Vision, a performance eyewear brand specialising in cricket and other outdoor sports.

Hrithik Roshan: Strengthening His Longstanding Fitness Tech Presence

Bollywood star Hrithik Roshan, who announced his interest in investing in startups as early as 2015, deepened his presence in 2025.

Roshan, who famously signed a $15.6 million (INR 100 crore) brand partnership with Curefit in 2017, rejoined the company in February 2025 as an investor and brand ambassador for EatFit, now repositioned under the “Kitchens of EatFit” portfolio.

He also continues to scale his fitness-lifestyle brand HRX, which offers athleisure wear, footwear, and accessories.

Jasprit Bumrah: Turning a Brand Partnership Into an Investment

India’s pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah, long associated with brands such as Zepto, Fangraze, BharatPe, and Zaggle, made his debut startup investment this year.

In April 2025, Bumrah invested in uppercase, a sustainable luggage brand based in Mumbai. Beyond capital, he is co-creating a new product line with the startup—an extension of his earlier role as brand ambassador.

Uppercase, founded in 2021, manufactures eco-friendly travel gear using recycled materials. It currently retails across 1,600+ points of sale and aims to expand to 4,000.

MS Dhoni: Doubling Down on Tech, Drones and D2C

Legendary cricketer Mahendra Singh Dhoni continued his strong run as a startup backer in 2025.

He invested in Acko, the D2C insurance platform, and backed House of Biryan, a cloud kitchen brand that raised INR 32 crore in growth capital.

Dhoni also increased his stake in Garuda Aerospace, participating in its INR 100 crore Series B round at a $250 million valuation. The drone manufacturer plans to scale production, expand R&D, and strengthen defence capabilities.

With more than a dozen investments—through his family office Midas Deals—Dhoni supports companies including Khatabook, CARS24, Centricity and HomeLane.

Prakash Padukone: Championing Sports Tech and Grassroots Training

Veteran badminton champion Prakash Padukone has been an active investor through Ka Enterprises, which also backs brands like Epigamia and 82°E.

In 2025, he invested in Bengaluru-based sports tech startup Machaxi, alongside Rainmatter. Machaxi offers AI-backed training programmes that help athletes improve game strategy.

Padukone also stepped away from day-to-day operations at his academy PPBA—now renamed the Centre for Badminton Excellence (CBE)—to focus on grassroots development through the Padukone School of Badminton (PSB).

Rana Daggubati: Versatile Actor, Consistent Startup Backer

Actor Rana Daggubati has been a startup supporter since 2016, beginning with Gamezop. Over the years, he has invested in Pulp, Ghost Kitchens, and Salud Beverages.

In 2025, he backed Chai Bisket, a microdrama platform, along with investors like Info Edge Ventures and Swiggy cofounders Sriharsha Majety and Nandan Reddy.

Ranbir Kapoor: Expanding His Entrepreneurial Portfolio

Bollywood star Ranbir Kapoor has been steadily strengthening his investment portfolio since his first bet on Saavn in 2016.

In 2025, he invested in Prozo, a supply chain management company, and Gabit, the healthtech startup.

His portfolio also includes Beco and listed dronetech firm DroneAcharya. Kapoor prefers seed and early-stage bets via personal capital.

In 2024, he also launched ARKS, an omnichannel lifestyle brand offering modern, minimalist apparel and accessories.

Notably, Kapoor’s wife Alia Bhatt remains equally active through her brand Ed-a-Mamma and investments in StyleCracker, Phool, and Nykaa.

Rinku Singh: Among the Youngest Celebrity Investors

Emerging cricketer Rinku Singh entered the investor club in 2025 by backing supplement startup BeastLife, founded by creator Gaurav Taneja and Raj Vikram Gupta. The startup sells high-quality proteins, creatine, and gainers across ecommerce and quick-commerce channels.

Rohit Sharma: Continuing His Multi-Sector Investment Spree

Former Indian captain Rohit Sharma added Prozo to his growing portfolio this year. The company serves 150+ brands, operates 45 fulfillment centres, and covers 24,000+ pin codes.

Sharma’s existing investments span LEO1, Beco, TechEagle, Veiroots, and more, and he continues endorsing major consumer brands including Swiggy, Noise, ixigo, and Lenskart.

Salman Khan: Betting Big on Luxury Fashion

Superstar Salman Khan, long known for his Being Human brand, invested in Purple Style Labs (PSL) in March, ahead of its planned INR 660 crore IPO. PSL owns designer labels such as Pernia’s Pop-Up Studio, Wendell Rodricks, and Hemant Trevedi.

He has earlier backed Yatra, Chingari, Republic Labs, GARI, and ProfitBoard.

Shah Rukh Khan: Backing AI-Led Entertainment Innovation

In 2025, global icon Shah Rukh Khan invested in Mythik, an AI-powered media startup by Jason Kothari, which adapts mythology and history into modern video content.

He also participated in a INR 150 crore capital raise for Venture Catalysts.

SRK’s portfolio includes NuMi, Nourish, KidZania, and luxury streetwear brand D’YAVOL, co-founded with son Aryan Khan.

Shraddha Kapoor: Building Brands and Backing D2C Growth

Actor Shraddha Kapoor is among the most active celebrity entrepreneurs. She co-founded jewellery brand Palmonas in 2024, which raised INR 55 crore from Vertex Ventures in 2025 to expand its collections and open 100 new stores.

Kapoor also launched ethnic wear label Imara in 2015 and invested in Purple Style Labs this year alongside Suryakumar Yadav and Salman Khan.

Her portfolio includes Power Gummies, Bella Casa, and Palmonas.

Surya Kumar Yadav: Heavy on Endorsements, Now an Investor

Suryakumar Yadav, widely recognised for his brand partnerships, entered investment territory by backing Purple Style Labs this year.

His endorsements include Pintola, Boult Audio, Dream11, Reebok, Skyscanner, and more.

Virat Kohli: A Veteran of the Startup Landscape

Superstar cricketer Virat Kohli, who recently retired from Test and T20 formats, remains one of India’s most influential startup investors.

Kohli owns popular brands such as One8, One8 Commune, Nueva, and WROGN.

In 2025, he invested in sportswear brand Agilitas, joining as a co-creator for its product portfolio while Agilitas works on opening retail stores for One8.

His portfolio spans Digital Insurance, Hyperice, Rage Coffee, Blue Tribe Foods, and Slurrp Farm.

Prozo: The Startup That Drew Both Sharma and Kapoor

In June, both Rohit Sharma and Ranbir Kapoor invested undisclosed amounts in Prozo, founded by ex-Naval doctor Ashvini Jakhar. The company has raised $20 million so far, backed by Sixth Sense Ventures, Jafco Asia, and others.

Prozo operates 42 warehouses across 2.5 million sq ft, serving customers like The Minimalist, Neeman’s, Snitch, PhonePe, and more.

ABD Maestro: Ranveer Singh Joins the Luxury Spirits Arena

Allied Blenders and Distillers (ABD) set up ABD Maestro to house its premium spirits portfolio, onboarding Ranveer Singh as creative partner. ABD invested INR 70 crore for an 80% stake, while Singh owns 20% via Oh Five Oh Talent.

The brand includes Arthaus Malt Whisky, Zoya Gin, Woodburns Whisky, Pumori Gin, and more. This year, it introduced Rangeela Vodka and YELLO Designer Whisky.

Acko: Dhoni Expands His Investment Front

MS Dhoni joined Acko as an investor and brand ambassador in July 2025. Acko, founded in 2016, offers paperless auto, health, travel, and life insurance, and partners with Zomato, Swiggy, Oyo, Razorpay, and CRED.

It already insures 78 million+ customers.

Uppercase: Bumrah Helps Build the Next Wave of Sustainable Luggage

Jasprit Bumrah’s investment gives him an expanded role, co-creating a product line for Uppercase, which has recycled 54.79 lakh plastic bottles and saved 436,193 kg of CO₂.

The brand plans 100 new exclusive stores and targets INR 250 crore in revenue.

EXELmoto: Suniel Shetty, Ahan Shetty & KL Rahul Bet on E-Mobility

Actors Suniel and Ahan Shetty, along with cricketer KL Rahul, invested in EXELmoto in June. The startup launched the Scoot e-cycle—license-free personal mobility for women and seniors.

Founded by Akshai Varde, EXELmoto plans to scale up to 50,000 bikes annually by Q3 2026 and expand into Southeast Asia and the Middle East.

Bombay Shaving Company: Rahul Dravid Joins the Grooming Wave

Rahul Dravid invested in Bombay Shaving Company during its INR 136 crore fundraise in November, led by Sixth Sense Ventures.

The company, with a revenue run-rate of INR 550+ crore, aims to consolidate operations ahead of a potential IPO.

Rutland Square Spirits: Vivek Oberoi Acquires a Major Stake

Actor Vivek Oberoi purchased 21% of premium spirits company Rutland Square Spirits for INR 52.5 crore, becoming co-founder and Chairman.

The company is known for its oolong white-tea gin and plans to raise INR 1,500 crore to build a carbon-neutral luxury hotel in Edinburgh.

Scuzi: Naga Chaitanya Expands His F&B Footprint

Actor Naga Chaitanya launched Scuzi, a cloud kitchen brand in Hyderabad, offering global comfort cuisine inspired by his travels. His earlier venture, Shoyu, expanded to Bengaluru in 2025.

Dear Diary: Rashmika Mandanna's Fragrance Debut

Actor Rashmika Mandanna launched her fragrance brand Dear Diary with The PCA Companies. The products feature Indian ingredients like pink lotus, jasmine, sugarcane, and lychee.

Priced at INR 599 for 10 ml and INR 1,599 for 100 ml, the brand is available online and through ecommerce platforms.

Malgudi: Shankar Mahadevan Reimagines Iconic South Indian Cuisine

Music maestro Shankar Mahadevan joined Malgudi, an F&B brand under Eatopia Holdings, as co-founder in August. The brand offers a vegetarian South Indian menu, including thatte idli and Mulbagal dosa.

In November, the team introduced Malgudi On The Go, a QSR format. Two outlets are active in Mumbai, with more in the pipeline.

The Year Celebrities Became Cultural Catalysts for Startup Growth

The year 2025 has marked a transformational shift in India’s startup ecosystem—not only because funding revived, but because celebrity investors became an integral part of entrepreneurial growth.

Whether through capital, brand legitimacy, creative input, or community outreach, India’s celebrities are now shaping the next wave of innovation. Their bets—across fitness, AI, logistics, insurance, D2C, mobility, sports tech, fragrances, food, wellness, and luxury—reflect not just personal interest but a national transition toward a more mature, diverse, and globally competitive startup economy.

As India races toward becoming a trillion-dollar digital economy, the fusion of stardom and startups will likely strengthen, powering the founders and ideas that define the country’s next decade of growth.

With inputs from agencies

Image Source: Multiple agencies

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