Virat Kohli Comes Out as India’s Top Brand King; Who are the Other Bollywood & Cricket Stars Shining Bright

One of India’s most celebrated cricketers, Virat Kohli has made his mark not only on the cricket pitch but also beyond sports. Kohli has managed to retain the top position as the country’s most valued celebrity brand at $231.1 million in 2024.

According to a release by Kroll, the cricketer was ranked as the number one celebrity in terms of brand value at $227.9. The 2021 release also reveals that Kohli had consistently topped the charts, four times in a row from 2017-2020, by being India’s most valued celebrity with a brand value of $237.7 million. 

Kohli's Brand Value

Speaking to Business Standard, Umakanta Panigrahi, managing director, valuation advisory services at Kroll said that Kohli is the only celebrity who has been ranked number one consistently as compared to other prominent personalities in India. Panigrahi further said, “He is not just a sporting legend. He is also a smart entrepreneur and has become a brand powerhouse. He owns popular fashion labels and invests in fast-growing start-ups. Kohli has some 387 million social media fan followers (across several platforms), followed by Salman Khan at 166 million social media fan followers.”

However, despite an increase in his overall brand value, Kohli’s endorsement fee has remained flat in 2024 as compared to 2023. Panigrahi further mentioned that Kohli’s general endorsement fee is around ₹10 to 11 crore. 

Apart from Kohli, the other two celebrities who has retained the top position in 2024 in terms of brand value are actor Ranveer Singh at $170.7 million and actor Shah Rukh Khan at $145.7 million in 2024. The release further points out that the cumulative brand value of the top 25 Indian celebrities in 2024 reached $2 billion, displaying a nine per cent increase as compared to 2023.

Who Else Are Competing?

Actor Ranveer Singh saw a 16 per cent drop in his brand value as compared to 2023. In 2023, Singh had endorsements for about 50 brands, which dropped by 10 per cent in 2024. Additionally, his endorsement fee was reduced by about six per cent in 2024 to ₹7.5 crore. The main reason behind this drop was that only one film starring Singh was released in 2024. 

In case of Shah Rukh Khan, the endorsement fee remained flat in 2024. On the other hand, his total brand value rose by about 21 per cent.

With a brand value of $116.4 million in 2024, actor Alia Bhatt stood at the fourth position. Further, the release mentioned, “Sachin Tendulkar soared to the fifth spot in 2024 with a total brand value of $112.2 million, driven by a significant increase in his number of brand endorsements.”

Additionally, the Kroll official said that Tendulkar’s social media fan followers increased by five per cent in 2024, thereby showcasing his popularity even after almost 11 years of his retirement.

As per the release, the future for celebrity brand value points toward a hybrid model blending theatrical grandeur with digital reach. Panigrahi pointed out that in the coming years, there is a possibility of prominent OTT actors to be included in the top 25 list of celebrities. 

“Other notable movements included the meteoric rise in the brand value of Kriti Sanon, moving to rank 19, Tamannaah Bhatia moving to rank 21, Jasprit Bumrah moving to rank 22, and  Ananya Panday moving to rank 25,” the release added.