Kohli retains pole position in brand valuation list with $231 mn in 2024

Kohli leads for the fourth time as India's most valued celebrity, followed by Ranveer Singh and Shah Rukh Khan

Cricketer Virat Kohli’s dominance on the pitch and beyond the sports world has enabled him to retain the top position as India’s most valued celebrity brand at $231.1 million in 2024, according to a release by Kroll. 

Kohli was ranked as the number one celebrity in terms of brand value at $227.9 million in 2023. So far, he has topped the list for Kroll Celebrity Brand Valuation in 2020, 2021, and 2023. 

According to Kroll’s report released in 2021, Kohli had also consistently topped the charts four times in a row from 2017-2020, as India’s most valued celebrity with a brand value of $237.7 million. 

 

Overall, the top three celebrities in terms of brand value retained their positions in 2024 as well. Following Kohli is actor Ranveer Singh at $170.7 million and actor Shah Rukh Khan at $145.7 million in 2024. The cumulative brand value of the top 25 Indian celebrities in 2024 reached $2 billion, which increased by nine per cent compared to 2023, the release stated. 

Umakanta Panigrahi, managing director, valuation advisory services, Kroll, told Business Standard that Kohli is the only celebrity who has been ranked number one consistently as compared to other prominent personalities in India. 

“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,” said Panigrahi.

 

However, despite his overall brand value increasing, Panigrahi noted that Kohli’s endorsement fee has remained flat in 2024 compared to 2023. He added that Kohli’s general endorsement fee is around ₹10 to 11 crore.

 

Actor Ranveer Singh saw a drop by almost 16 per cent in his brand value compared to 2023. Panigrahi added that in 2023, Singh had endorsements for about 50 brands, which dropped by 10 per cent in 2024. Even 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. 

 

Similar to Kohli, Shah Rukh Khan’s endorsement fee remained flat in 2024. On the contrary, his total brand value rose by about 21 per cent.

 

With a brand value of $116.4 million in 2024, Alia Bhatt stood at the fourth position.

 

“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,” the release stated.

 

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

 

The release further noted that the future for celebrity brand value points toward a hybrid model blending theatrical grandeur with digital reach.

 

Panigrahi said 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 stated.