The projected brand worth of India’s top 25 celebrities in 2023—a group that included athletes and personalities from the Hindi cinema industry—was $1.9 billion, up 15.5% from the previous year.
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India’s Most Valued Celebrity
Indian cricket player Virat Kohli, who has a brand worth of $227.9 million, a phenomenal $51 million gain from 2022, has cemented his place as the country’s most prized personality. Kohli owns a diversified portfolio with over 40 brands across many sectors, as per Kroll’s Celebrity Brand Valuation Report 2023.
The Indian division of Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC) also recruited him as a brand influencer. With a $203.1 million brand value, Kohli leapfrogged Ranveer Singh to take the second position.
Image Source: TelanganaToday
With remarkable comebacks and steady gains among important personalities like Virat Kohli, Ranveer Singh, and Shah Rukh Khan, the top 25 celebrities in India, a mix of Bollywood stars and athletes, accumulated an estimated $1.9 billion in brand value in 2023, indicating a 15.5% year-over-year growth.
This increase, in spite of certain oscillations and portfolio adjustments, highlights the robust market demand for endorsements from celebrities, which has led to notable gains in brand worth and endorsement payments.
The ‘Brands, Business, Bollywood Celebrity Brand Valuation study 2023’ examined the steady increase in Ranveer Singh’s brand value over the last four years in the film industry. Between 2020 and 2023, Singh’s worth increased by about 100%, from $102.9 million to $203.1 million. Singh’s brand worth crossed the $200 million threshold for the first time this year, despite his ranking falling one spot.
Ranveer Singh, who is well-known for his storytelling abilities, has a strong portfolio of 50 businesses, which includes Tiffany & Co. and Zomato. With notable changes like switching from Coca-Cola’s Thums Up to PepsiCo’s Pepsi, his brand churn rate stayed low at 2.9%. Singh has dabbled in investing, and he just joined boAt as a significant stakeholder.
With a brand worth of $120.7 million, Shah Rukh Khan, who is now enjoying great success thanks to movies like “Jawaan” and “Pathaan,” comes in third. When compared to his colleagues, Shah Rukh Khan’s brand worth increased at the fastest pace, rising from $51.1 million in 2020 to $120.7 million in 2023—a remarkable 116.6% gain.
With a valuation of $111.7 million, Akshay Kumar is ranked fourth, down from third in 2022. Actor Akshay Kumar’s brand worth decreased to $111.7 million in 2023, a decrease of more than 23%. In spite of this, since 2020, 60% of Kumar’s portfolio of endorsements has stayed consistent. While Alia Bhatt, with a valuation of $101.1 million, is ranked fifth, down from fourth. At $96 million, Deepika Padukone’s brand worth places her sixth. Notably, Katrina Kaif became the first celebrity brand in India to be valued at over Rs. 5 crore in the previous five years.
Bollywood actors make up two thirds of the top 25 in terms of brand value revenues, followed by sports figures 28–29% and southern Indian celebrities make the remaining percentage points.
Image Source: IndiaToday
The full list of celebrity brands ranked by Kroll is as follows:
- Virat Kohli
- Ranveer Singh
- Shah Rukh Khan
- Akshay Kumar
- Alia Bhatt
- Deepika Padukone
- MS Dhoni
- Sachin Tendulkar
- Amitabh Bachchan
- Salman Khan
- Hrithik Roshan
- Kiara Advani
- Ranbir Kapoor
- Anushka Sharma
- Kareena Kapoor Khan
- Ayushmann Khurrana
- Kartik Aaryan
- Rohit Sharma
- Hardik Pandya
- Rashmika Mandanna
- Neeraj Chopra
- Allu Arjun
- Sara Ali Khan
- Varun Dhawan
- Katrina Kaif
Endorsements expanding the market:
Two primary elements are taken into account in the process of rating celebrity-endorsed products: the average amount paid for endorsements and the total number of endorsement deals that are adjusted for individual businesses. Based on the success of their endorsements and recent popularity, this gives a grade that represents each brand’s capacity to profit from these factors.
The study also looked at the top 25 celebrity brands’ television presence and found that, as of November 2023, they were endorsing 311 items in 22 different sector categories. Prominent products shown on TV included Sara Ali Khan’s Veet, Anushka Sharma and Virat Kohli’s Lux soap, and Akshay Kumar’s Harpic toilet cleaner.
The year 2023 witnessed a surge in the number of Indian “celebpreneurs,” as Akshay Kumar introduced his athleisure brand Force IX, Kareena Kapoor Khan introduced her Korean skincare brand ‘Quench Botanics,’ and Deepika Padukone unveiled her premium skincare company 82°E.
Image Source: PeepingMoon
Moreover, Indian superstars broadened their worldwide reach through partnerships like those of Katrina Kaif with Etihad Airways and Alia Bhatt, who became the first Indian global ambassador for Gucci. However, a big change occurred when international celebrities sided with Indian firms. For example, Infosys hired Rafael Nadal and Iga Świątek, two-time tennis winners, while Zomato teamed up with cricket legend Chris Gayle.
2023 witnessed a 11.4% increase in India’s media and entertainment business, with $28 billion being generated by online media, games played online, and animation. By 2025, the industry is expected to have grown to $34 billion, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.5% from 2022 to 2025.
