Indians watching television in the first half of 2025 couldn’t miss Shah Rukh Khan. The Bollywood star appeared in ads for an average of 27 hours a day across channels, making him the most visible celebrity on TV, according to TAM AdEx’s Half-Yearly Celebrity Endorsement Report. He was followed closely by former Indian cricket captain M. S. Dhoni, who featured for 22 hours a day, while Akshay Kumar, Ranveer Singh and Amitabh Bachchan also ranked among the top five.
Despite the star power, celebrity-backed ads accounted for just 29% of total TV ad volumes between January and June 2025, a decline compared to the previous year. Film stars continued to dominate endorsements, contributing 74% of all celebrity-led advertising, while sports personalities and television stars contributed 19% and 7% respectively.
What India’s stars are selling
Food and beverages emerged as the largest sector using celebrities, with a 23% share of endorsement-led ads. Personal care and hygiene (17%) and household products (8%) followed. Toilet and floor cleaners topped the list of categories, making up 8% of all celebrity ad volumes, while aerated soft drinks and soaps each accounted for 6%.
Gender splits were also visible. Male celebrities were more prominent in food and beverage endorsements, while female celebrities dominated personal care ads.
Interestingly, e-commerce gaming attracted the highest number of celebrity faces, with 38 different stars endorsing brands in the category which is more than any other segment.
Couples and category shifts
Celebrity couples remained a favourite for advertisers. Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh, along with Anushka Sharma and Virat Kohli, accounted for nearly 30% of all couple-led endorsements. Akshay Kumar–Twinkle Khanna and Ranbir Kapoor–Alia Bhatt also featured prominently.
The report also notes that while overall celebrity ads dipped 12% compared to 2023, the concentration of endorsements in top categories remains strong with 40% of all celebrity-led ads coming from just 10 categories.
With CPMs rising and consumer attention fragmenting, the findings highlight both the enduring pull of star power and the growing challenge for brands to balance cost with impact.
