If you want a business to be successful, see how widespread the idea is: Alia Bhatt

Like any ambitious actor, Alia Bhatt has a passion for telling stories. But it isn't just restricted to the celluloid. The 29-year old actor who has a string of Box-Office successes to her credit applies the same philosophy when it comes to investments.

"When I invest, I am investing in the story, in the people and the vision. I am not really big on numbers. I do get it but that's not the first thing I think of. Sometimes, the numbers could really make sense but the idea may not make sense to me on paper...so, I may not go ahead with it. It may not be the most profound way of making investments. I like to keep it familiar to what I know, which is telling stories," says Bhatt.

Bhatt is a novice investor and entrepreneur but nonetheless an active one. She donned the hat of an investor by way of her preliminary investments in startups like StyleCracker, Nykaa; Bhatt widened her investment slate and of late has backed Kanpur-based biomaterial startup Phool. "The story that a brand is trying to tell or the gaps that a brand is filling in a market for a consumer, for its audience, that I am very interested in," says Bhatt. Adding to her entrepreneurial inclination, the actor also launched her own sustainable kidswear brand Ed-a-Mamma in October 2020 and the plan now is to build on the venture's growth by expanding the basket of products and offerings.

Although Bhatt is quite gung-ho about India's startup ecosystem, she is also cautious. "It is a very exciting time but you have to streamline and understand what is really here to stay. Businesses should stand the test of time….if you want the business to be successful, if you want it to grow, you need to see how widespread the idea and the thought of the business is," says Bhatt.