I DON’T LOOK AT LAUNCHING BRANDS, BUT IF I AM PASSIONATE ABOUT SOMETHING… AND I FEEL THAT I CAN ADD SOMETHING, THAT IS WHEN I TAKE THAT STEP
KATRINA KAIF ACTOR & ENTREPRENEUR
IF YOU ARE SURPRISED by the multi-star-cast of this story, don’t be. Movie stars these days are much more than, ahem, movie stars. They are fashion trailblazers, brand ambassadors, philanthropists and do-gooders, and influencers, among other things. But why would they be included by Business Today in its premium listing of The Most Powerful Women in Business? In fact, four leading ladies make it to the prestigious list this year. Making their debut are Katrina Kaif and Alia Bhatt. Deepika Padukone is here for the second time after last year, and Priyanka Chopra Jonas is in the list of global MPW, also for the second time. They are not here for their role in the business of movie making, where they are all megastars and some have their own production houses as well. They are in the list because of their entrepreneurial ventures, and their investments in other start-ups, where they display sharp business acumen, knowledge, commitment, and unsurprising confidence borne out of investing in something they love anyway, such as beauty products, fitness, or veganism, among other things.
Let us begin this story with Kaif. A 20-year veteran of the Hindi film industry, Kaif is a stunning beauty ranked regularly among the toppers of any list of the world’s most beautiful or sexiest women, and is also one of the most Googled personalities in India. But there’s more to her than her looks. On a sultry February evening, on her way back from a 12-hour shoot, Kaif excitedly talks about her make-up brand, Kay Beauty, which she launched three years ago as a joint venture (JV) with e-commerce major Nykaa. Called Nykaa-KK Beauty, the JV set up in 2018—where Kaif holds a 41.5 per cent stake—is a direct subsidiary of Nykaa. “One of my biggest passions and interests in life from a very
