Dharma’s talent arm sets sights on global brand deals, sports push and live entertainment

Mumbai: Dharma Collab Artists Agency (DCAA) is preparing an aggressive international push as it seeks to scale global brand partnerships and build structured pathways for Indian talent to expand overseas, a top executive said.

The company is also evaluating selective acquisitions while exploring expansion into sports representation, live entertainment and influencer marketing as it positions itself as a diversified talent powerhouse.

The renewed strategy follows rising global demand for Indian celebrities, who are increasingly being signed as international brand ambassadors.


Priyanka Chopra represents Bvlgari, Deepika Padukone works with Louis Vuitton and Cartier, Alia Bhatt is associated with Gucci and L’Oréal, while Esha Gupta represents Hublot. DCAA plans to build on this momentum through deeper overseas collaborations and longer-term partnerships.

"Earlier the focus was mostly India. That has changed. India is now firmly part of the global conversation. Many endorsements today are signed as single global deals and Indian talent is no longer on the sidelines. It is now part of the global narrative,” said Uday Singh Gauri, CEO of DCAA.

The strategic reset comes after the agency, owned by Karan Johar and Adar Poonawalla-backed Dharma Productions, bought out Cornerstone’s stake in its joint venture Dharma Cornerstone Agency and rebranded it as Dharma Collab Artists Agency.

The firm manages a roster spanning film, music and digital culture including Janhvi Kapoor, Ananya Panday, Sara Ali Khan, Disha Patani, Rasha Thadani, Aditya Roy Kapur, Harshvardhan Rane, Lakshya, Rohit Saraf, Neeti Mohan, Jonita Gandhi, Orry, Sumukhi Suresh, Anahita Shroff, Kareema Barry and Erika Packard.

Gauri said the buyout was driven by the need for strategic alignment with Dharma and to build a full-scale, unified talent agency. He also addressed the agency’s working relationship within the Dharma ecosystem, stressing independence of creative decisions.

"We also continue to work extensively beyond Dharma," he said.

On equity-plus-endorsement deals, Gauri said scalability and genuine involvement from actors are critical, stressing that talent participation has to go beyond lending faces to brands.

Beyond endorsements, DCAA is looking to strengthen business areas where talent can build sustained value. The company is evaluating co-created brands, IP creation, boutique sports representation and expansion into the fast-growing concert and live entertainment space.

“India’s middle class is investing more in live experiences. Concerts are booming and sports is a strong interest area,” Gauri said.

Influencer marketing remains one of the biggest scalability levers as brands increasingly diversify spending beyond mainstream film stars. The agency is also exploring artificial intelligence as a support tool.

“AI will be an enabler. Creativity and artistic authenticity cannot be automated,” Gauri said.