Alia Bhatt becomes Gucci's first Indian global ambassador

The news comes soon after the acclaimed Bollywood star made her Met Gala debut

Alia Bhatt at the Met Gala earlier this month. AFP

Bollywood star Alia Bhatt's rise to international stardom continues. Fresh off her Met Gala debut earlier this month, Bhatt, 30, has been named the first Indian global ambassador for Italian fashion house Gucci.

One of the top actresses in India today, Bhatt is also loved for her advocacy of mental health issues. She is set to make her Hollywood debut soon with Heart of Stone, an espionage thriller that also stars Gal Gadot and Jamie Dornan.

As Gucci ambassador, Bhatt joins other global stars including Harry Styles, Dakota Johnson and Hanni from the K-pop group New Jeans. Her first event will be the brand's coming Cruise 2024 showcase in Seoul, to be held at the Gyeongbokgung Palace on Tuesday.

"Alia Bhatt is the House’s newest Global Brand Ambassador. To mark the occasion, the actress, producer, and entrepreneur was captured with the Gucci Bamboo 1947 bag," Gucci posted on Instagram on Thursday.

"Her advocation in favour of self-expression and inclusivity in contemporary society speak to the House’s core values and encompass the brand's motif of fostering cultural empowerment within the next generation of creative talent," Gucci said.

Bhatt, who made her Bollywood debut with 2012's Student of the Year, has won rave reviews for her roles, and is often praised for portraying strong female characters. She was last seen in the 2022 film Darlings, in which she played a domestic abuse survivor who decides to turn the tables on her husband.

In October, she was the recipient of Time magazine's inaugural Time100 Impact Awards, which “recognise leaders who have done extraordinary work to shape their fields and the world at large”.

Bhatt is married to Bollywood star Ranbir Kapoor, 40, and gave birth to their first child, a girl, in November.

While proof of Bhatt's growing global influence, the Gucci announcement is also a sign that global luxury brands are increasingly eyeing India as the next big market.

In May last year, storied French brand Louis Vuitton named Deepika Padukone as its first Indian global ambassador, while French label Dior showcased its autumn 2023 womenswear show in Mumbai in March, the first time it's ever done so in the country.

Scroll through the gallery below for more pictures from the Met Gala 2023