When boAt dropped its latest speaker ad featuring the hottest OTT stars, from Raghav Juyal’s wholesome humour to Bobby Deol’s brooding charm, it already had social media buzzing. But the real whistle-worthy moment came when the brand’s founder, Aman Gupta, strolled into the frame. No special effects, no over-the-top drama, just a founder turning into the star of his own product story. In that instant, the ad didn’t just sell a gadget; it sold the idea of the entrepreneur as celebrity. And Gupta isn’t alone. From Peyush Bansal joking around with Karan Johar in Lenskart commercials to Anupam Mittal pitching green flags in Shaadi.com campaigns, India’s startup founders are making the jump from boardrooms to billboards, from business leaders to cultural icons.
India’s media and entertainment landscape has always mirrored its prevailing ideologies. In the 1970s and 1980s, Amitabh Bachchan embodied the ‘angry young man,’ fighting against ruthless business magnates who symbolised greed and oppression. The business owner was the villain. But with the advent of liberalisation, privatisation, and globalisation in the 1990s, the tide turned. Wealth creators were suddenly aspirational, admired rather than reviled. Today, this ideological shift is evident in how business leaders are portrayed, not as faceless tycoons but as relatable, visionary figures who embody hustle, innovation, and modern Indian ambition. A generational leap is visible when comparing Javed Akhtar’s scripts, steeped in class struggle, to the affluent, cosmopolitan characters crafted by his children, Zoya and Farhan Akhtar.
The Founder and the Face
Historically, business icons like Ratan Tata and Dhirubhai Ambani were admired, but they didn’t regularly star in the nation’s advertising or entertainment narratives. The new breed of entrepreneurs, however, has embraced visibility. They appear on podcasts, in interviews, on TV shows, and now, in ads.
Shark Tank India served as a cultural tipping point. It introduced millions of viewers to startup founders like Aman Gupta, Peyush Bansal, Vineeta Singh, Namita Thapar, Ghazal Alagh, and Ashneer Grover. Suddenly, these entrepreneurs weren’t just behind their brands, they were the brand. As Aman Gupta, Co-Founder, Boat, puts it, “Today, building a brand goes beyond products and pricing — it’s about building trust through authenticity. In this new age, consumers, especially Gen Z, want to know the people behind the brand.”
The explosion of podcasts, YouTube channels, and media platforms further amplified this trend. Figures like Zerodha’s Nikhil Kamath and Zomato’s (now Eternal) Deepinder Goyal became household names, as recognisable as film stars. Take Goyal, for example. His appearance on The Kapil Sharma Show was a watershed moment, the first time a business leader took the stage on India’s most mainstream entertainment program. Similarly, Nikhil Kamath may spend nothing on traditional advertising, yet through podcasts and thought-leadership appearances, he ensures Zerodha remains top of mind. This convergence of entrepreneurship and entertainment has redefined the boundaries of brand-building.
Anup Sharma, PR & Strategic Communications Consultant, explains how this evolution took shape. “Founders have always played key roles, but social media and shows like Shark Tank have turned them into celebrities. Well-known family businesses in India, such as the Birlas, Ambanis, and Tatas, also have strong public images. However, the newer generation of founders, often digital natives, understand social media and the importance of building a personal brand. They know that having a personal brand can increase visibility, credibility, and trust for the organisation,” he says.
Aradhika Mehta, who has previously headed marketing at Lenskart and Aditya Birla Fashion, notes that while business leaders have always been critical to their companies, their impact on a brand’s evolution has become increasingly apparent. She remarks, “Previously, business leaders were reticent and refrained from being as visible. But with time, and amid a growing trust deficit among consumers, it has become increasingly important for brands to build trust through every possible means. This has blurred the lines between the brands and their leaders, making them synonymous and interchangeable with each other.”
Experts agree that social media and digital platforms enable leaders to connect directly with audiences, underscoring the power of personal branding in today’s creator-driven economy. This direct engagement helps brands in numerous ways, from fostering instant recognition to building trust. A strong public image also proves advantageous during critical processes like fundraising and IPOs.
For Shrenik Gandhi, CEO and Co-Founder, White Rivers Media, the advantages extend far beyond marketing. “Beyond the obvious benefits of enhanced business opportunities, visibility enables leaders to influence policy discussions, attract top talent, and build trust with new-age consumers who expect transparency and authenticity. Take the example of UPI and digital payments, leaders who actively participated in these conversations helped shape not just their companies but the entire sector’s narrative,” he says.
The consensus is clear: today’s leaders are brand ambassadors for themselves and their companies simultaneously, and the benefits ripple outward, from customers to investors to employees.
How They’re Doing It: The Playbook
Founders are no longer confined to industry events or press releases. They’re experimenting with multiple touchpoints:
Mainstream Ads: boAt’s Aman Gupta features directly in campaigns that blend pop culture with his persona. Peyush Bansal starred alongside Karan Johar in a Lenskart ad, breaking the mold of celebrity-led endorsements. Shaadi.com’s Anupam Mittal appeared in ads positioning himself as the trusted face behind India’s most recognisable matchmaking service. In fact, having skin in the game was so important that even Ghazal & Varun Alagh stepped into the rink and became the main characters of their own ad.
Entertainment Shows: Goyal’s appearance on The Kapil Sharma Show blurred the line between startup culture and mainstream entertainment.
Podcasts: Saloni Anand, Namita Thapar and Nikhil Kamath host their own shows; Priyanka Salot of The Sleep Company and Akshay Mehrotra of Fibe have shared candid stories on popular podcasts, connecting personally with audiences. In fact, Traya’s Saloni Anand has also been a guest on several podcasts talking about haircare myths and actively educating the audience on their products.
Social Media: Founders like Vineeta Singh and Namita Thapar use Instagram and LinkedIn to craft narratives about leadership, challenges, and personal journeys.
This diverse toolkit allows leaders to tailor their personal branding strategy to their business category and audience vibe.
Staying Real: The Authenticity Test
While visibility is powerful, authenticity remains the core of personal branding. Harish Bijoor, Brand Guru & Founder of Harish Bijoor Consults Inc., warns, “If you use personal branding, you must have integrity packed in every pore of this whole process. Don’t pretend; it’s very important to stay true to who you are. If you are a wolf, be a wolf, and never take the guise of a sheep. It’s extremely critical to stay close to the knitting of who you are in branding.”
While we have heard about net worth, Grapes Worldwide has developed a system to measure a leader’s fame called profile net worth. Delving further into it, Shradha Agarwal, Founder and CEO, Grapes Worldwide, shares, “At Grapes, our Profile Net Worth model measures a person’s online prominence through search results, Wikipedia, news, videos, and entity home. Strengthening this involves LinkedIn, PR, events, extracurriculars, and SEO. Our Sphere of Influence framework guides growth from Individual Leader (LinkedIn) to Industry Leader (panels), Economic Leader (industry bodies), and Societal Leader (mass outreach via YouTube and podcasts), helping individuals and businesses become powerful brands.”
The digital age has democratised storytelling, making leaders central to their brands’ narratives. However, in today’s time, even within Digital, there are multiple options for brand leaders to choose from, depending on the category and vibe of the brand. Experts also note new-age brands in comparison to legacy brands, bank more on this avenue. But things are changing fast in this Digital world.
Priyanka Salot, Co-founder, The Sleep Company, who has been part of famous podcasts like Humans of Bombay, shares that these platforms are not just about promoting The Sleep Company but also about sharing my journey, values, and the vision behind our innovations. “These conversations allow me to connect with aspiring entrepreneurs, share valuable lessons, and shed light on the importance of product innovation, consumer problem-solving, and leveraging technology in the direct-to-consumer space. The aim is always to inspire and motivate others, especially women, to take the plunge into entrepreneurship and build legacy brands that solve real-world problems,” she states further.
Akshay Mehrotra, Co Founder & CEO, Fibe, takes a customer first approach. “At Fibe, we believe in keeping the customers happy. Every employee at Fibe understands that a customer must be treated equivalent to how employees are treated. Our target audience is aspirational, tech-savvy and young Indians who are mostly present on social media. We use several platforms including digital and traditional channels to engage with them,” he says.
Double Edged Sword
The rise of personal branding is not without risks. Leaders who bask in the limelight also face amplified scrutiny. Overexposure, privacy concerns, and the pressure to maintain consistency can all become liabilities. Manjul Wadhwa, Founder and CEO, Anagram Media Labs and Inflyx, cautions, “While it builds credibility and visibility, failures are magnified in public. Leaders need to ensure their product and story align; otherwise, the backlash can be harsh and public. The focus should always remain on delivering value, as personal branding cannot substitute for a strong business. Personal branding amplifies success but also magnifies failures, therefore, authenticity and substance are critical.”
Beyond Startups: Legacy Brands Step In
While we expect the new-age Indian brands rising from the startup culture to be part of the game, against our beliefs, there are Volvos of the world using this avenue. Jyoti Malhotra, Managing Director, Volvo India, who has participated in podcasts like Cyrus Says, voices that he actively engages with various platforms/bodies, such as podcasts, LinkedIn, media, conferences, and universities, to connect with people and share Volvo’s initiatives, particularly in India. He adds, “Through these mediums, I aim to influence not just prospective customers but also the younger generation and society as a whole by promoting critical values like sustainability and safety.”
Experts note that many times, business leaders share their journey stories, but the focus shifts on the current state of success. Therefore, many leaders argue that as much as it is important to show the bright side of business, it is equally important to show the process that goes behind, and the multiple failures. People should also see how much it takes to reach the spot. Because from far, it looks all uphill. Again coming back to it, authenticity remains the core of the storytelling here.
There are many leaders like Eternal’s Deepinder, who are in the news everyday for their social media posts, a show or some other update. But then there is his competitor- Swiggy’s Sriharsha Majety, who chooses to embrace a low-key personality, so when he does make that occasional appearance the buzz is unparalleled.
Once, the red carpets were reserved for film stars and cricketers; today, they’re being rolled out for entrepreneurs making their advertising debuts. From Shark Tank’s breakout faces to low-key leaders who let podcasts or LinkedIn carry their message, India’s founders have become both storytellers and stars. It’s a double-edged spotlight, magnifying wins as well as missteps, but in this new era of branding, the curtain has lifted: the founder is no longer behind the scenes. They are centre stage, applause and scrutiny in equal measure, rewriting what it means to be the face of a business.
