Shah Rukh Khan replaces Virat Kohli at top of celebrity brand list
Tendulkar climbed from fifth to fourth while Dhoni rose from seventh to fifth
Shah Rukh Khan has overtaken Virat Kohli to become India’s most valuable celebrity brand in 2025, according to Kroll India’s Celebrity Brand Valuation 2025 report.
The Bollywood superstar climbed from third place in 2024 to the top spot with a brand value of USD 177.9 million. Ranveer Singh retained second place with USD 162.9 million, while Kohli slipped from first to third at $158.4 million.
The rankings are based on the value of celebrities’ endorsement portfolios and their social media influence.
Despite a slight decline, the combined brand value of India’s top 25 celebrities remained strong at $2 billion in 2025, down 3.7% from the previous year but still higher than the $1.9 billion recorded in 2023.
In 2023, Kohli topped the list with a brand value of $227.9 million, followed by Ranveer Singh ($203.1 million) and Shah Rukh Khan ($120.7 million). Over the past two years, Khan’s brand value has grown by $57.2 million, while Singh’s has declined by $40.2 million and Kohli’s by $69.5 million.
Among the rest of the top 10, Sachin Tendulkar climbed from fifth to fourth with a brand value of $125.9 million, while Mahendra Singh Dhoni rose from seventh to fifth at $115.3 million, driven by an increase in endorsement deals.
Alia Bhatt remained the highest-ranked woman on the list despite slipping from fourth to sixth, with a brand value of $93.9 million. Deepika Padukone held on to seventh place at $89.2 million.
Hrithik Roshan moved up to eighth with a valuation of $88.9 million, while Amitabh Bachchan climbed to ninth at $80.8 million. Akshay Kumar dropped from sixth to joint 10th with a brand value of $80 million, sharing the position with Ranbir Kapoor, who rose from 12th.
Several celebrities made significant gains in the rankings. Shraddha Kapoor jumped from 33rd to 24th, Samantha Ruth Prabhu climbed from 28th to 21st, and Ananya Panday rose from 25th to 19th. Janhvi Kapoor improved from 29th to 23rd, Rashmika Mandanna advanced from 15th to 12th, Salman Khan moved up from 16th to 13th, and Rohit Sharma climbed from 17th to 14th.
Anushka Sharma recorded the sharpest drop among celebrities who remained in the top 25, falling from 17th to 25th. Kareena Kapoor slipped from 11th to 15th, Kiara Advani dropped from 13th to 17th, and Kartik Aaryan fell from 14th to 16th.
The 2025 rankings feature 13 men and 12 women, although men occupy all five of the top positions. Alia Bhatt is the highest-ranked woman at No. 6.
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, while Rohit Sharma ranks 14th and Jasprit Bumrah is 20th.
Kroll noted that digital endorsements have become increasingly important, rising from around 40-60% of celebrity endorsement portfolios in previous years to 60-75% of total brand associations for several leading celebrities in 2025.
