- For the third consecutive year, Virat Kohli holds the top position. The brand value grew to USD 237.5 million (mn) in 2019 by 39 percent.
- Akshay Kumar jumps to second with a brand value of USD 104.5 mn (a 55.3 percent jump).
- Ranveer and Deepika, the charismatic power couple, claim the third spot with a mark value of USD 93.5 mn each. For the second consecutive year, Deepika retains her most valuable status as a female celebrity, while Ranveer moves up a spot, to now occupy the same position as Deepika Padukone.
- The total value of the top 20 celebrity brands is 1.1 billion USD, with the top 10 contributing about 75% of the total value.
For the third year in succession, Virat Kohli has emerged as India’s biggest celebrity brand. The brand value was double that of Akshay Kumar’s next best celebrity. The brand value of Kohli rose by 39 percent in 2019 to $237.5 million.
The brand of the Indian captain was valued at $237.5 million, the most among cricketers. The Kumar brand was worth $104.5 million. The figures were compiled through the study on Duff & Phelps Celebrity Brand Valuation.
Kohli is one of the four cricketers in the top-20 list with MS Dhoni finishing in ninth. The former Indian skipper made a three-place jump from the 12th position last year.
Sachin Tendulkar, now retired, still has a strong name, and is in 15th place.
Rohit Sharma ranks at number 20 in the list of current Indian cricketers. Sharma’s brand is priced at $23 million as opposed to Kohli’s brand.

Among the celebrities on the list were Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, Alia Bhatt, Amitabh Bachchan, MS Dhoni, and Ayushman Khurrana.
Duff & Phelps today released the results from its’ Celebrity Brand Valuation Report 2019′ fifth edition. The study lists India’s most strong celebrity brands based on brand values extracted from their contracts for endorsement.
Commenting on the changing nature of the Indian endorsement market, Varun Gupta, Managing Director, and Valuation Services Asia Pacific Leader, Duff & Phelps said, “This is the dawn of a new era for the media and entertainment sector. The industry has undergone innovation, whether from conventional corporate endorsements to brand acquisitions, the rise of digital media advertising campaigns, or the advent of over-the-top (OTT) stars who break new ground in endorsements.
Brands and celebrities have taken the path of conscious advertisement and films in tandem by selecting uplifting subjects and making the story less dressed as a window, a significant aspect for today’s Gen Y and Gen Z.
“However, the study focuses on the rising trend of OTT after India’s digital demography upgrade. Regional markets have created ripples nationally and internationally with OTT showing that regional content is no longer a desirable condition but a necessity for the customer of today. The study also highlights the new tribe of celebrity endorsers who have become digital stars; they actively engage in social causes and support products that are committed to exercising wellness, and well-being.
The total value of the top 20 celebrity brands was estimated at $1.1 billion, according to the analysis, with the top ten contributing about 75 percent of the total value, “the report stated. The top 20 celebrities ‘ total number of product brand endorsements rose from 235 in 2016 to 370 in 2019, reflecting a CAGR of 16.3 percent over the past four years, he said.