Virat Kohli reclaims top spot on India’s most valued celebrity list

NEW DELHI: Team India star Virat Kohli has reclaimed his spot as India’s most valued celebrity with a brand value of USD 227.9 million in 2023, according to a report by consultancy firm Kroll.
This marks a nearly 29 percent increase from 2022 when his brand value was USD 176.9 million.
However, Kohli’s current valuation is still below his peak of USD 237.7 million in 2020.
The rise ensured Kohli surpassed actor Ranveer Singh, who slipped to the second position with a brand value of USD 203.1 million, as per the report.
Kroll’s Celebrity Brand Valuation Report 2023 highlighted that while Kohli’s brand has grown but has not yet reached the pinnacle seen in 2020.
Actor Shah Rukh Khan, buoyed by the success of his films ‘Jawaan’ and ‘Pathaan’, rose to the third spot in 2023 with a brand value of USD 120.7 million. The 58-year-old actor was valued at USD 55.7 million in 2022, ranking tenth on the list then.
Aviral Jain, managing director for valuation advisory services at Kroll, said that Shah Rukh made an ‘incredible return’ into the league of India’s top five celebrity endorsers for the first time since 2020.
Shah Rukh’s significant gain has led to adjustments in the rankings of other celebrities.
Akshay Kumar now holds the fourth position with a brand value of USD 111.7 million in 2023, down from third in 2022.
Alia Bhatt slipped to fifth place with a valuation of USD 101.1 million, and Deepika Padukone now occupies the sixth spot with a valuation of USD 96 million, a drop from her fifth position in 2022.
Former India captain MS Dhoni moved up one spot with a brand value of USD 95.8 million while legendary Sachin Tendulkar maintained his eighth place with a brand value of USD 91.3 million.
Salman Khan climbed one spot to become the tenth most valuable celebrity brand in 2023, with a value of USD 81.7 million.
The combined valuation of the top 25 celebrity brands reached USD 1.9 billion in 2023, marking a 15.5 percent increase from the previous year.
Among the rising stars, actor Kiara Advani experienced a meteoric rise to rank 12, while Katrina Kaif debuted on the list at rank 25.
The firm’s assessment is based on the brand value of celebrities derived purely from their earning potential through product brand endorsements.
This includes full-fledged endorsements, digital campaigns, one-time campaigns, and website appearances. Merchandising earnings were not considered in the analysis due to the dominant contribution of brand endorsements to a celebrity’s brand value.