Indian celeb brand growth slows, but Kohli, Ranveer, SRK still dominate

Top 25 Indian celebrity brand value.

The shine on India’s celebrity endorsements is dimming slightly, with brand value growth among the top 25 stars easing in 2024. Yet, the marquee names remain unshaken -- Virat Kohli, Ranveer Singh and Shah Rukh Khan continue to dominate as the country’s most valued celebrities.

What is the brand value of top Indian celebrities?

The overall brand value of the top 25 Indian celebrities is estimated to have reached $2 billion in 2024, according to Kroll, a provider of global financial and risk advisory solutions.

How much has top Indian celebrities' brand value grown?

In 2023, the overall brand value of the top 25 celebrities grew by 15.5 percent versus 2022, at around $1.9 billion. However, the growth slipped to around 5 percent in 2024.

Who is the most valued Indian celebrity?

Virat Kohli continues to secure the top spot in 2024 with a brand value of $231.1 million. His brand grew by close to 2 percent from $227.9 million in 2023.

Who comes after Kohli as the most valued celebrity?

Ranveer Singh continues to hold the second position in the list of stars, although his brand value declined to $170.7 million last year, versus $203.1 million previously.

Shah Rukh Khan retained the third spot with a total brand value increasing by 21 percent to $145.7 million, while Alia Bhatt grabbed the fourth rank this year, with a total brand value of $116.4 million.

Which celebrities saw the highest brand value growth?

A bunch of celebrities saw significant growth in their brand value and moved up ranks, including Sachin Tendulkar, who is now the fifth-most-valued celebrity with his brand value at $112.2 million, up from $91.3 million in 2023. The growth is driven by a significant increase in his number of brand endorsements.

Others who saw a meteoric rise in brand value include Kriti Sanon moving to rank 19 from 27; Tamannaah Bhatia moving to rank 21 from 28; Jasprit Bumrah moving to rank 22; and Ananya Panday moving to rank 25 from 46. Sanon's brand value stands at $44.8 million, Bhatia's at $40.4 million, and Panday's at $35.2 million.

Who are the top sports stars who are the most valued?

Amid sports stars, Tendulkar ranks the highest, followed by Mahendra Singh Dhoni with a brand value of $102.9 million at rank 7. Cricketer Rohit Sharma comes in next with a brand value of $48.4 million at rank 17. Hardik Pandya comes at rank 20 with a brand value of $43.1 million, followed by Jasprit Bumrah with a brand value of $38.1 million.

Who are the top south stars who have made it to the top 25 most valued celebrity list?

Rashmika Mandanna, ranked at 15, has a brand value of $58.9 million, followed by Tamannaah Bhatia with a brand value of $40.4 million and Allu Arjun with a brand value of $35.5 million.

In 2024, Hindi cinema’s box office share fell to 39.5 percent, while South Indian cinema surged to 47.7 percent, underscoring a clear shift in audience preferences.

What are the other trends in the entertainment world?

Over-the-top (OTT) platforms contribute more than half of total revenues for major releases, even as big-budget spectacles continue to draw crowds to theatres, Kroll noted.

The future points toward a hybrid model blending theatrical grandeur with digital reach, it added.

“In 2024, we witnessed that the future of Indian cinema lies in synergy, OTT (over the top) content, and theatres complement each other. Audiences can now have the best of both worlds: grand theatrical experiences and intimate storytelling at home. As the industry continues to adapt this hybrid model, it could very well become its strongest era yet," said Umakanta Panigrahi, Managing Director, Valuation Advisory Services, Kroll.

Following a stagnant phase in the cinema business, re-releases have put film theatres back on the map, he added. As a result, cinemas have also re-established their position in the industry as a strong competitor, proving that nothing can replace the feeling of watching a film in a theatre.

He also pointed out that a striking trend was the success of nostalgia-driven re-releases. Bollywood titles like Jab We Met and Tumbbad outperformed their original runs with re-released collections contributing 50 percent and 70 percent, respectively, to overall business. Tollywood movie Ghilli's re-release contributed 35 percent to overall earnings and drew the same electrifying response as its debut.