From No. 3 to No. 1: Shah Rukh Khan dethrones Virat Kohli in celebrity brand rankings; check full list

India's celebrity endorsement landscape has a new leader in 2025, with Shah Rukh Khan surpassing Virat Kohli to become the country's most valuable celebrity brand after rising from third place last year, according to a Gulf News report citing Kroll India's Celebrity Brand Valuation 2025.

The Bollywood superstar now has a brand value of USD 177.9 million (around ₹1,691 crore). Ranveer Singh retained the second spot with a valuation of USD 162.9 million (around ₹1,548 crore), while Kohli, who topped the rankings last year, slipped to third with a brand value of USD 158.4 million (around ₹1,506 crore).

The rankings are based on the value of celebrities' endorsement portfolios and their social media influence.

Despite a slight dip from last year, the combined brand value of India's top 25 celebrities remained strong at USD 2 billion (around ₹19,012 crore) in 2025. The figure is 3.7% lower than in 2024 but still higher than the USD 1.9 billion (around ₹18,061 crore) recorded in 2023.

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How the top three have changed since 2023

The report also highlights how the country's biggest celebrity brands have evolved over the past two years.

In 2023, Kohli led the rankings with a brand value of USD 227.9 million (around ₹2,166 crore), followed by Ranveer Singh at USD 203.1 million (around ₹1,930 crore) and Shah Rukh Khan at USD 120.7 million (around ₹1,147 crore).

Since then, Khan's brand value has increased by USD 57.2 million, while Singh's has declined by USD 40.2 million and Kohli's by USD 69.5 million.

Sachin, Dhoni climb; Alia remains top-ranked woman

Among the rest of the top 10, Sachin Tendulkar climbed from fifth to fourth with a brand value of USD 125.9 million (around ₹1,197 crore).

Mahendra Singh Dhoni also gained ground, rising from seventh to fifth with a valuation of USD 115.3 million (around ₹1,096 crore), helped by an increase in endorsement deals.

Alia Bhatt remained the highest-ranked woman despite slipping from fourth to sixth, with a brand value of USD 93.9 million (around ₹893 crore). Deepika Padukone retained seventh place with a valuation of USD 89.2 million (around ₹848 crore).

Hrithik Roshan moved up to eighth with a brand value of USD 88.9 million (around ₹845 crore), while Amitabh Bachchan climbed to ninth at USD 80.8 million (around ₹768 crore).

Akshay Kumar dropped from sixth to joint 10th with a valuation of USD 80 million (around ₹760 crore), sharing the position with Ranbir Kapoor, who rose from 12th.

Biggest movers in the rankings

Several celebrities made notable gains this year. 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 steepest fall among celebrities who remained in the top 25, dropping from 17th to 25th. Kareena Kapoor slipped from 11th to 15th, Kiara Advani fell from 13th to 17th, and Kartik Aaryan dropped from 14th to 16th.

Men dominate top five, cricketers remain a strong force

The 2025 rankings feature 13 men and 12 women, although men occupy all five of the top positions. Alia Bhatt remains 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 placed 20th.

Digital endorsements take centre stage

The report also noted the growing importance of digital endorsements. Their share has increased from around 40-60% of celebrity endorsement portfolios in previous years to 60-75% of total brand associations for several leading celebrities in 2025, reflecting brands' increasing focus on digital platforms and social media collaborations.