Top Bollywood Ventures In The Wellness Industry

The NABH (National Accreditation Board for Hospitals & Healthcare Providers) defines Wellness as “a state of a healthy balance of the mind and body that results in overall well-being.” As per a recent study by the Stanford Research Institute International, the global wellness industry represents a market of nearly US$ 2 trillion as opposed to the Indian Wellness Industry, which is a US$ 9.8 billion market; accounting, therefore, for less than 2% of the global wellness industry. It is interesting to note the manner in which this industry has used the business potential of traditional Indian practices and home remedies and has moved from being a notion about luxury services to becoming a necessity. This is attributed to the fact that people want to live longer and healthier lives and so wellness, at some level or the other, is no longer the comfort of the rich. Celebrities realise this fact, and many of them have invested into a life beyond the showbiz. Their stardom, popularity and the ready inventory of cash makes business that much easier to get into, and the new wave of entrepreneurship is not lost on them. Here are some of the prominent celebrities from the world of Bollywood, modelling, and cricket who have ventured into starting or investing in wellness/holistic businesses.

1. Randeep Hooda- Gym 99

Bollywood actor Randeep Hooda is not just an actor par excellence, he is also a fitness freak. He is co-owner of a fitness and supplements company, Body Building India and has launched “Gym 99” in 2017. Gym 99 is India’s first pay-per-workout gym, offering fitness lovers an option to pay per workout session, helping individuals in staying fit and providing customers with an option to use gym facilities without having to subscribe to an expensive gym membership. BBI plans to expand its supplement stores to 100 from existing 30 stores and to open 50 gyms across India by 2018. 

2. Madhuri Dixit - Dance with Madhuri & GOQii

The Dhak Dhak girl took her capability of dancing to a new level by making a training application named ‘Dance with Madhuri’. It is an excellent learning platform for the enthusiasts to get an idea of various types of dances online. She also started out as an investor with Vishal Gondal's wearable technology start-up GOQii. The California-based start-up, GOQii specialises in wearable fitness bands and also provides personalized fitness training.

3. Sushmita Sen - Inhale

Bollywood actress and former Miss Universe, Sushmita Sen have started her own unique fitness studio, ‘Inhale’. The motive behind this studio is to promote a new fitness concept ‘Aerial silk’. In this unique concept, one only needs to train his mind and the body would just follow and also there is no dependence on machines or equipments.  Aerial Silk programme is a combination of yoga, dancing, ballet, karaipattu etc. It also trains students about unique breathing techniques. 

4. MS Dhoni- SportsFit

Former Indian cricket skipper, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, made his debut in the world of commercial fitness by starting the first-of-its-kind venture for any sportsperson in the country; SportsFit World Pvt Ltd. The brand started franchising in 2013 and currently, the company owns gyms in Gurgaon and Vasant Kunj. SportsFit franchisee-run gyms are located in Faridabad, Lucknow, Jaipur, and Dehradun. SportsFit aims to open 200 gyms across the country.

5. Virat Kohli- Chisel

Virat Kohli, The Indian Cricket team captain and one of the best batsmen in the world, has also started his own gym franchise, Chisel. Chisel is a new age fitness brand which is jointly owned by Kohli, Chisel Fitness and CSE, the sister concern of Cornerstone Sport & Entertainment, which is the agency that manages Kohli. With an investment of Rs 190 crore, chisel aims to launch 75 centres in three years. Their vision is to create the most cutting-edge, dynamic and engaging fitness chain across India.