Kaun Banega Crorepati

Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC), literally "Who Will Become a Crorepati?", is an Indian Hindi-language television quiz-show brand built on the international Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? format. It is a flagship prime-time property of Sony Entertainment Television, the Hindi general-entertainment channel of Sony Pictures Networks India (now operating as Culver Max Entertainment). The show is a television product brand rather than a company: its identity is bound up with its format, its host, its prize ladder and its sponsor integrations. The franchise launched in 2000 and became a cultural landmark in Indian television, most associated with host Amitabh Bachchan, who fronted the debut season and most subsequent editions. Contestants answer multiple-choice general-knowledge questions of escalating difficulty, with lifelines and a top prize denominated in crores of rupees. The format's tension, the host's rapport with ordinary contestants and the show's rags-to-riches narrative made it one of the most-watched programmes in Indian broadcasting. KBC is distributed and marketed by Sony Entertainment Television and airs in prime time, typically running in seasonal editions rather than year-round. Over the years it has featured celebrity special episodes, regional-language adaptations and extensive brand sponsorships, and it has served as a launch platform for advertiser campaigns. Its seasons have been among the channel's highest-rated properties, and the show has been widely credited with reshaping Indian prime-time entertainment and with boosting the profile of its host and channel. The brand's equity rests on recognition of the KBC name, the "crorepati" promise of life-changing money, and the format's global provenance. It remains an active franchise, with new seasons commissioned periodically by Sony Entertainment Television.

Kaun Banega Crorepati was created for Indian television as a licensed adaptation of the British-originated Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? format, which had become a global hit after its 1998 launch. The Indian version was developed for Sony Entertainment Television, the Hindi general-entertainment channel of Sony Pictures Networks India, and premiered in 2000 with Amitabh Bachchan as host. Bachchan, one of Indian cinema's most recognisable stars, became closely identified with the show, and his presence was central to its early success. The programme's structure follows the international format: contestants face a ladder of multiple-choice questions of increasing difficulty, with escalating cash values and a set of lifelines that allow them to seek help or eliminate options. The top prize is expressed in crores of rupees, giving the show its name and its central promise of transforming an ordinary contestant's life. The combination of general-knowledge questions, studio tension and the host's engagement with contestants proved highly effective with Indian audiences. After its debut season, the franchise continued in periodic editions rather than as a continuous year-round programme. Bachchan returned to host most subsequent seasons, and the show became one of Sony Entertainment Television's most important prime-time properties. Over time the brand expanded into celebrity special editions, themed episodes and regional-language adaptations produced for other markets, and it attracted major advertiser and sponsor interest, with brand integrations becoming a visible part of the programme. The show's cultural impact in India has been widely noted: it helped establish the quiz-show genre in Hindi prime time, made the format's tension-and-reward structure familiar to a mass audience, and reinforced Bachchan's television profile. The KBC name itself became a recognisable brand, associated with the "crorepati" promise and with the format's global lineage. New seasons have continued to be commissioned by Sony Entertainment Television, and the franchise remains active as a periodic prime-time event.

• 2000

  Kaun Banega Crorepati premieres on Sony Entertainment Television with Amitabh Bachchan as host.

• 2000

  The show establishes the Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? quiz format in Indian Hindi prime time.

• Subsequent seasons continue as periodic editions, with Bachchan returning as host for most of them.

• Celebrity special editions and regional-language adaptations extend the franchise.

Mass-market, family-oriented prime-time general-knowledge quiz franchise positioned around life-changing prize money and a high-recognition host.

• Kaun Banega Crorepati prime-time seasons

  Seasonal editions of the Hindi quiz show aired in prime time on Sony Entertainment Television.

• Celebrity special episodes

  Special editions featuring celebrity contestants.

• Regional-language adaptations

  Versions of the format produced for other Indian language markets.

• Unconfirmed

  Ai+ Smartphone partners with Kaun Banega Crorepati Season 18[1]Ai+ Smartphone 与《Kaun Banega Crorepati》第18季合作fonearena.com

  Reported: 2026-08-10

  Ai+ Smartphone announced a strategic partnership with the upcoming 18th season of the television quiz show Kaun Banega Crorepati. The collaboration is intended to expand the smartphone brand’s visibility and reach in India.

1. 1Ai+ Smartphone 与《Kaun Banega Crorepati》第18季合作fonearena.com