My investments need a personal story that resonates, says Abhishek Bachchan | Mint

Actor Abhishek Bachchan, who has invested in a slew of businesses and startups, said he tries to gauge whether a brand has a personal story that resonates with him before deciding whether to come on board.

Speaking at the Mint India Investment Summit in Mumbai on Friday, the 49-year old actor said the India story excites him deeply and he is excited that there are Indian businesses which compete with and are comparable to the best in the world.

“The India story really excites me. I get bored easily, so a brand (or business) needs to have a personal story. Today, we (as Indians operating businesses) are very unapologetic and market leaders. There is a great sense of pride,” Bachchan said. He added that something as basic as cutting-edge fashion would drive consumers abroad 20 years ago but today there are brands offering products that are competitive and comparable to any of the top names across the globe.

‘More than a brand ambassador’

He said he can’t keep at arm’s length from his investments and likes to seen as a strategic partner, not a brand ambassador. “I like to reach out and say ‘here’s what I can do’. I want to see growth and I’m very proud of what we do in India,” Bachchan said. He added that he had reached out to brands such as Naagin and Vahdam to come on board as investor as their offerings impressed him.

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It is inevitable to burn your fingers a few times with investments, Bachchan said, but factors such as scalability are crucial. “It needs to start with genuine love and passion. But then you need to think – is this a business you can grow? What is the potential of the market? Also, who’s making the pitch, because some people might not have what it takes. Will I get a return for investment and is it a product I can be proud of?” Bachchan said about the criteria for his investments.

The actor, most recently seen the films Be Happy and I Want To Talk, has grown his financial portfolio by investing in a slew of businesses over the years, from sports franchises to tech startups and homegrown brands.

Investment journey

His journey as a sports entrepreneur began in 2014, when he bought Jaipur Pink Panthers, a Pro Kabaddi League team, which won the first-ever PKL Championship the same year. His involvement in the kabaddi sport was documented in a 2020 television series, Sons of the Soil: Jaipur Pink Panthers that has been streaming on Amazon Prime Video since 2020. He also co-owns Chennaiyin FC, the Indian Super League football team – along with MS Dhoni and Vita Dani – which won the ISL Championship in 2015 and 2018.

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“Sports ownership and management are things I have always wanted to be part of. If you put your mind to it and work hard, it can work. It started from wanting to make a difference and believing we could help the ecosystem,” Bachchan said, adding that sports is not for the faint-hearted. “You can’t really rest on your laurels, even as the champion, you have to work twice as hard,” he said.

Bachchan has also dabbled in real estate and is one of Bollywood’s biggest property investors along with father Amitabh Bachchan. According to media reports, the father and son bought properties worth ₹220 crore between 2020 and 2024. Their real estate holdings are spread across Mumbai, Dubai, and other prime locations.

“My father’s generation was so busy working because that was their only source of income. I think today actors are willing to make films their main, but not only, source of income. That’s what I’ve tried because that gives me the freedom and liberty to make the kind of films that I want to make that I can then afford to price more competitively. This may sound like a risk but I don’t have the pressure of running my house,” Bachchan said.

Big wins

In 2015, Abhishek and his father invested $250,000 in Ziddu.com, a cloud storage and e-distribution platform that was later acquired by LongFin Corp, giving the Bachchans a significant return on their investment. The two benefited from the bitcoin surge that year, during which their 250,000 shares skyrocketed in value, and they reportedly made around ₹112 crore on the investment. In August 2024, Amitabh Bachchan’s family office picked up a minority stake in the food-delivery and quick-commerce startup Swiggy through a purchase of shares from the company’s employees and early investors.

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The actor, known for films such as Dhoom, Yuva and Guru, is among the angel investors, including Sachin Tendulkar, who have backed homegrown tea brand Vahdam. Naagin, a popular food brand that specialises in hot sauce, raised more than $1 million as seed funding from Abhishek Bachchan and others in 2022.

“(The idea is) to make a difference and leave a legacy behind, be it in my films or any of my businesses. There are going to be good and bad days, (one has to) be prepared, make sure your money is also earning something and you’re taking care of future generations,” Bachchan said.