Cricket has always held an edge over Bollywood in India’s cultural imagination. But until now, no one had put a number on it. The inaugural Fortune India-Interbrand Most Valuable Celebrities list has done exactly that, and the results confirm what brand managers and marketing heads have quietly known for years: Virat Kohli is, by a considerable margin, India’s most valuable celebrity, with a brand value of Rs 3,542 crore. That puts him ahead of Shah Rukh Khan (valued at Rs 3,017 crore) and Priyanka Chopra Jonas (valued at Rs 2,507 crore).
Kohli, seemingly is in a category of his own. His strong fan engagement, extensive social media reach and consistent positioning as a high-performance athlete contributed to his leadership position, with his association with health and fitness-focused brands cited as a factor strengthening consumer confidence in his personal brand.
The rest of the top ten reveals a few things worth noting. Former India captain MS Dhoni placed fourth with a brand value of Rs 2,141 crore, with the report noting that he continues to enjoy high levels of trust and affinity despite having retired from international cricket. The love for Brand Dhoni clearly runs deep, and he remains a key fixture in the Indian commercial imagination, as the numbers show.
Ranveer Singh ranked fifth at Rs 2,077 crore, followed by Akshay Kumar at Rs 2,064 crore, with the study noting that Kumar retains strong brand credibility even as his recent films have delivered mixed box-office results. Veteran actor Amitabh Bachchan took seventh spot with a brand value of Rs 1,933 crore, cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar ranked eighth at Rs 1,676 crore, actor Alia Bhatt was ninth with Rs 1,606 crore, and Allu Arjun completed the top ten at Rs 1,522 crore.
That last inclusion is the most telling sign of how the Indian entertainment market has shifted. The presence of a Telugu film star in the national top ten, ahead of a long list of Bollywood names, signals that regional cinema is increasingly becoming the centerpiece of India’s celebrity economy.
But the real headline belongs to Kohli. He has been at or near the top of celebrity brand rankings for the better part of a decade, across multiple formats, multiple agencies, and multiple methodologies.
So what sustains a number like Brand Kohli’s Rs 3,542 crore valuation? The answer the report seems to offer is consistency: of identity, of values, and of the kind of engagement that holds the audience attention through its authenticity and charisma. India’s budding brand-builders and celebs would do well to heed that lesson.
