Bollywood icon Shah Rukh Khan has claimed the top position in India's celebrity brand valuation for 2025, dethroning cricketer Virat Kohli. Khan, who was previously ranked third, now boasts a brand value of $177.9 million (approximately ₹1,691 crore), as per the Kroll India Celebrity Brand Valuation 2025 report.
The New Top Tier in Celebrity Brand Value
The latest rankings reveal a significant shift in the landscape of celebrity endorsements. Ranveer Singh maintained his strong presence, securing the second spot with a brand value of $162.9 million (around ₹1,548 crore). Virat Kohli, who led the rankings last year, now stands at third with a valuation of $158.4 million (around ₹1,506 crore).
Despite these individual shifts, the combined brand value of India's top 25 celebrities remains robust at $2 billion (around ₹19,012 crore) in 2025. While this marks a 3.7% decrease from 2024, it still represents an increase from the $1.9 billion recorded in 2023.
Evolution of Top Celebrity Brands Since 2023
The report highlights dynamic changes among the top-ranked celebrities over the past two years:
- In 2023, Virat Kohli was at the pinnacle with a brand value of $227.9 million.
- Ranveer Singh held second place at $203.1 million.
- Shah Rukh Khan was third with $120.7 million.
Since then, Khan's brand value has seen a substantial increase of $57.2 million, while both Singh and Kohli experienced declines of $40.2 million and $69.5 million, respectively.
Notable Climbers and High-Ranked Women
Beyond the top three, several other prominent figures made significant moves:
- Sachin Tendulkar climbed from fifth to fourth, now valued at $125.9 million.
- Mahendra Singh Dhoni rose from seventh to fifth, reaching $115.3 million, boosted by new endorsement deals.
- Alia Bhatt remains the highest-ranked woman, despite slipping from fourth to sixth, with a brand value of $93.9 million.
- Deepika Padukone held steady at seventh place with $89.2 million.
- Hrithik Roshan advanced to eighth ($88.9 million), and Amitabh Bachchan moved to ninth ($80.8 million).
- Akshay Kumar dropped to joint tenth with Ranbir Kapoor, both valued at $80 million.
Digital Endorsements Drive Brand Value
A key trend noted in the 2025 report is the escalating importance of digital endorsements. For many leading celebrities, digital platforms and social media collaborations now account for 60-75% of their total brand associations, a significant jump from the 40-60% observed in previous years. This shift underscores brands' increasing focus on engaging audiences through digital channels.
Cricketers continue to enjoy a strong presence in the rankings, with five players making the top 25. Kohli, Tendulkar and Dhoni occupy three of the top five spots.
The 2025 rankings feature 13 men and 12 women within the top 25, though men continue to dominate the top five positions. Cricketers maintain a significant presence, with Virat Kohli, Sachin Tendulkar, MS Dhoni, Rohit Sharma, and Jasprit Bumrah all featuring in the top 25.