Kaun Banega Crorepati
Amitabh BachchanKaun Banega CrorepatiKBC 17

KBC Hits 25 Years With 26 Sponsors; Season 17 Swaps Nostalgia for Industry Talk

Pooja Mishra | 3 min read | 1 month ago | Oct 12, 2025 01:55 pm IST
KBC Hits 25 Years With 26 Sponsors; Season 17 Swaps Nostalgia for Industry Talk

So, you think you know Kaun Banega Crorepati? For 25 years, it’s been a staple. The hot seat, the lifelines, Amitabh Bachchan’s iconic voice. It’s pure nostalgia, right? Well, not exactly. Not anymore.

KBC is celebrating its massive 25th anniversary, a milestone they’re calling “Gyan Ka Rajat Mahotsav” or the Silver Jubilee of Knowledge. And yeah, the celebrations are big. But the real story isn’t just about looking back. It’s about the massive business this show has become.

Look, the current season, KBC 17, has pulled in an incredible 26 sponsors. This isn’t just a TV show anymore; it’s a commercial powerhouse. We’re talking huge names lining up to be part of the action.

  • Maruti Suzuki
  • Aditya Birla Group
  • State Bank of India (SBI)
  • Reserve Bank of India (RBI)

And it gets even more specific. Punjab National Bank (PNB) is the “Official Banking Partner.” Kotak Life has sponsored the “Audience Poll” lifeline, but only on the Sony LIV streaming platform. It’s a complex, well-oiled machine.

So What’s The Big Shift?

Here’s the thing. With Amitabh Bachchan celebrating his 83rd birthday around October 11, 2025, you’d expect the show to be an emotional trip down memory lane. Guests like Javed Akhtar and Farhan Akhtar even appeared for the special episodes.

But that’s not what happened. Instead of leaning into sentimentality, the show took a hard turn. Recent episodes have reportedly emphasized procedural discourse and what’s described as “contemporary television industry dynamics.”

What does that even mean? It means they’re talking about the business of television. The nuts and bolts. The strategy. It’s a surprising shift away from the purely emotional, human-interest stories we’ve come to expect, especially during a birthday special for a host who has been the face of the show for 25 years.

Still The Undisputed King

Of course, some things never change. Amitabh Bachchan, even at 83, continues to host with the same grace and courtesy he’s shown every single contestant since the beginning. Fans were still seen celebrating outside his home on October 10. The magic is still there.

But honestly, this new direction is fascinating. KBC isn’t just surviving; it’s evolving. By focusing on the industry itself, the show is peeling back the curtain a little bit.

So as you watch the 25th-anniversary season, you’re not just watching a quiz show. You’re getting a masterclass in how a television giant stays on top for a quarter of a century. What do you think of this new, business-first approach? Is it genius, or do you miss the old-school nostalgia?