The acquisition is noteworthy as Anomaly is a major player. Developed with the New York-based beauty incubator Maesa and launched exclusively at Target in the U.S. in 2021, the brand surpassed an estimated $600 million in revenue and, by 2023, had become the second-largest celebrity haircare brand globally, outpacing those linked to Rihanna, Kylie Jenner, and Selena Gomez.
This acquisition isn’t novel, as it marks the third time in two years that a significant Indian platform has opted to acquire a brand founded by a celebrity.
In September 2023, Reliance Retail acquired a 51% stake in Alia Bhatt’s eco-friendly kidswear label Ed-a-Mamma, in a reported deal valued between ₹300 and ₹350 crore. Following this acquisition, revenue reportedly quadrupled.
Recently, beauty platform Nykaa announced via a BSE filing that it is in discussions to acquire a majority share in Deepika Padukone’s skincare brand 82°E, which experienced a 36% revenue decline in FY25, dropping to ₹15.2 crore, with losses amounting to ₹12.3 crore.
Three Indian actresses. Three brands. Three sales to India’s leading retail and beauty conglomerates.
A closer look at the situation suggests it isn’t coincidental. Celebrities excel in the aspects of brand-building that money can’t buy: cultural trust, visibility, and an eager consumer base.
However, what they often struggle with is navigating subsequent challenges: distribution infrastructure, supply chain management, working capital, and expansive retail operations.
82°E serves as a prime example. Despite Deepika Padukone’s status as one of India’s most recognized global figures, the brand has had difficulty reaching consumers at its premium price point.
Marketing expenditures had to be reduced from ₹19.65 crore to ₹4.42 crore in FY25 as losses accumulated.
If the Nykaa deal materializes, 82°E would gain access to a platform serving over 42 million customers across more than 276 stores, offering the distribution capability the brand lacked on its own.
Nykaa’s financial metrics highlight why this acquisition is strategically sound from its perspective as well. The company reported a 156% increase in net profit to ₹68 crore in Q3 FY26, with revenue standing at ₹2,873 crore. It aims to acquire a struggling brand at a distressed valuation while adding a globally recognized figure to its House of Brands portfolio, banking on the idea that its distribution can achieve what Deepika’s name alone couldn’t.
India’s beauty and personal care sector, valued at about $26.58 billion in 2025, is set to expand to $74 billion by 2035, growing at a CAGR of 10.8%. Beauty e-commerce and quick commerce sales alone surged 39% in value in the latter half of 2024.
Both Reliance and Nykaa are actively pursuing celebrity brands now because the market opportunity is ripe, and partnering with a well-known figure is the swiftest route in.
India appears to be following a narrative shaped by Hollywood and global consumer markets years ago, where exits have reached billions.
Hailey Bieber introduced Rhode in June 2022 with three skincare products and a minimalist approach aligned with her personal style. The brand generated $212 million in revenue for the 12 months ending March 2025. In May 2025, she sold it to e.l.f. Beauty for up to one billion dollars, which included $800 million upfront and a $200 million earnout linked to performance.
George Clooney and Rande Gerber established Casamigos tequila in 2013, initially for personal enjoyment. In 2017, it was acquired by Diageo for one billion dollars. Clooney’s earnings from the deal and its subsequent earnouts exceeded $500 million, surpassing three decades of acting fees.
Ryan Reynolds invested in Aviation Gin in 2018, boosting its sales to $40 million within a year, leading to its sale to Diageo for $610 million in 2020. He also sold Mint Mobile to T-Mobile for $1.35 billion in 2023. Two exits combined have a value nearing two billion dollars.
Kylie Jenner sold 51% of Kylie Cosmetics to Coty in 2019 for $600 million when the brand was generating $420 million in revenue. Kim Kardashian’s Skims secured $225 million from Goldman Sachs in late 2025 at a $5 billion valuation, nearing $1 billion in annual net sales, with an IPO on the horizon. Selena Gomez’s Rare Beauty, currently valued at $2.7 billion, sells one blush product every three seconds globally.
Bain and Company analysis indicates that celebrity-affiliated consumer brands command acquisition multiples two to three times higher than comparable non-celebrity brands. This premium is structural, clarifying why such deals continue to occur.
