The Kapoors and the Bachchans are considered two of the most prestigious film families of India. While the Kapoors have given more stars over a longer period of time, the Bachchans have also had a solid impact over the last half a century. And there is one man, who brought these two families together – a business tycoon who is related to both Raj Kapoor and Amitabh Bachchan. (Also read: Navya Nanda is proud of her dad Nikhil Nanda as he wins award: ‘Can’t wait to carry forward this incredible legacy’)
Nikhil Nanda’s Bollywood connection
Nikhil Nanda was born to businessman Rajan Nanda in Delhi in 1974. His mother, Ritu Nanda, was the daughter of the great Raj Kapoor, and the sister of actors Rishi Kapoor, Randhir Kapoor, and Rajiv Kapoor. This makes Ranbir Kapoor, Kareena Kapoor, Karisma Kapoor, Aadar Jain, and Armaan Jain Nikhil’s first cousins.
In 1997, Nikhil married Shweta Bachchan, the daughter of Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya Bachchan, bringing the Bachchan family also into the fold. Abhishek Bachchan is his brother-in-law. His son, Agastya, made his acting debut with The Archies in 2023. His daughter, Navya Naveli, is an entrepreneur.
Nikhil Nanda’s business career
In 1997, after completing his education in the US, Nikhil joined the family business. At this time, his grandfather’s company – Escorts Group – was facing competition and seeing diminishing returns in the market. Nikhil joined his father in reviving the family business. Initially serving as Director, Nikhil was promoted to Joint Managing Director in 2007, and took over the reigns of the company after his father’s death in 2013. Since then, the businessman has expanded Escorts into a multinational corporation.
In 2021, Escorts Limited entered into a collaboration with Kubota Corporation. The following year, the company was renamed Escorts Kubota Limited with Nihkil as the Chairman and Managing Director (CMD). According to multiple sources, as of April 2025, the market cap of Escorts is over $4.1 billion (around ₹36,000 crore). The company reported an annual revenue of $1.1 billion ( ₹9200 crore) in FY 2024.
