admin
The number of celebrity brands finding real success in India has been low, and among the few that have broken through, the biggest and most successful has been Katrina Kaif’s co-founded makeup brand Kay Beauty. The brand was launched in 2019, during the Covid-19 pandemic, and while most businesses suffered across India, Kay Beauty’s online-only selling model helped it build a strong e-commerce presence that solidified its position in the market.
Kay Beauty is achieving one milestone after another as the company became the fastest-growing major makeup brand in the country, recording a 46 percent increase in gross sales from last year. Here’s a look at how Katrina’s brand is dominating the makeup market in India:
Katrina’s brand gross sales increase by 46 percent
According to the latest report, Kay Beauty recorded a GMV (Gross Merchandise Value) of Rs 240 crore in Financial Year 2025. By FY 2026, the brand’s gross sales have touched Rs 350 crore. GMV simply means the total value of all products the brand sold before deducting things like discounts or returns. In the past year alone, Kay Beauty’s GMV has grown by an impressive 46 percent.
To put it simply, GMV shows how much people are buying, while revenue shows how much the company actually earns after removing costs. So GMV tells you the scale of sales, and revenue reflects actual earnings.
In the last one year, Kay Beauty has launched 60 new products and has become one of the top five brands on beauty giant Nykaa. The brand is also expanding globally — it recently announced its UK launch in September and already has a strong presence in the Middle East.
Also Read: Mira Kapoor’s business empire: Backing Rs 960 cr brand, fellow investor with Jennifer Lopez and building an ‘ecosystem of wellness’
Katrina, the Guinea pig of Kay Beauty
In a recent interaction with Outlook, Katrina admitted that she is the “guinea pig” for all Kay Beauty products. She said, “I test everything myself. I’ll wear samples for 12-hour shoot days, in the heat and under lights, to see how it sits on the skin, how it feels after hours, and whether it still looks fresh. Having sensitive skin, I’m very conscious about what ingredients we use and how gentle but effective they are.”
Story continues below this ad
Kay Beauty vs other celebrity brands
And while Kay Beauty continues to outshine most celebrity-led brands in India, not all star-backed ventures have seen similar success. Deepika Padukone, despite being the global brand ambassador of Nykaasaw her skincare label 82°E declare net losses of Rs 12.3 crore in FY 2025.
Meanwhile, designer Masaba Gupta’s LoveChild Masaba has performed strongly, reporting revenues of Rs 115 crore in 2025, and Kriti Sanon’s skincare brand Hyphen is valued at Rs 207.5 crore. Kay Beauty, however, remains the strongest performer in the celebrity beauty space, leading the market both in scale and growth.
