Shah Rukh Khan tops Kroll’s 2025 India celebrity brand rankings

MUMBAI: Lights, camera… valuation! In India’s star-powered endorsement universe, the biggest blockbuster this year wasn’t on the silver screen, it was on the balance sheet, with Shah Rukh Khan reclaiming the crown as the country’s most valuable celebrity brand.

Shah Rukh Khan has emerged as India’s most powerful celebrity brand in 2025, according to Kroll’s latest Celebrity Brand Valuation report, overtaking Virat Kohli to secure the top spot with a brand value of USD 177.9 million (around Rs 1,560 crore).

The report estimates the combined brand value of India’s top 25 celebrities at $2 billion (around Rs 17,500 crore) in 2025, marking a 3.7 per cent decline from the previous year. The rankings are based on celebrities’ endorsement portfolios and their relative social media presence.

Ranveer Singh retained the second position with a brand value of $162.9 million (around Rs 1,425 crore), while Virat Kohli, last year’s leader, slipped to third with $158.4 million (around Rs 1,385 crore).

Cricket legends continued to score strongly in the endorsement arena. Sachin Tendulkar climbed to fourth with a brand value of $125.9 million (around Rs 1,100 crore), while Mahendra Singh Dhoni rose to fifth, backed by a sharp increase in endorsement deals, with a brand value of USD 115.3 million (around Rs 1,010 crore).

Among Bollywood stars, Alia Bhatt ranked sixth at $93.9 million (around Rs 820 crore), followed by Deepika Padukone at $89.2 million (around Rs 780 crore) and Hrithik Roshan at $88.9 million (around Rs 778 crore). Amitabh Bachchan secured the ninth position with $80.8 million (around Rs 707 crore), while Akshay Kumar and Ranbir Kapoor shared the 10th spot, each valued at $80 million (around Rs 700 crore).

The rankings also reflected the growing commercial appeal of younger stars. Rashmika Mandanna climbed to 12th, Ananya Panday jumped to 19th, Samantha Ruth Prabhu moved to 21st, Janhvi Kapoor entered 23rd, and Shraddha Kapoor rose to 24th.

Cricketer Rohit Sharma ranked 14th with $62 million (around Rs 543 crore), while Jasprit Bumrah secured 20th with $44.6 million (around Rs 390 crore). Kareena Kapoor, Kartik Aaryan, Kiara Advani, Kriti Sanon, Tamannaah Bhatia and Anushka Sharma also featured among the top 25.

One of the report’s strongest themes was the growing dominance of digital platforms. While digital endorsements earlier accounted for roughly 40-60 per cent of celebrity portfolios, they now contribute 60-75 per cent of brand associations for several leading celebrities. Brands are increasingly blending traditional advertising with social media collaborations to improve reach, personalisation and campaign effectiveness.

Kroll noted that celebrity brand value is now being shaped not only by endorsement strength but also by digital relevance, audience engagement, entrepreneurial ventures and emerging AI-led monetisation opportunities. The report also observed that while established stars continue to command premium brand equity, newer personalities with strong online influence are rapidly closing the gap, signalling a broader shift in how brands evaluate celebrity partnerships.