GroupM, WPP’s media investment group, has announced the third edition of the Top 100 Digital Stars List for 2024, curated by GroupM’s influencer and content marketing solution, The Goat Agency, in partnership with Forbes India. The list highlights influential digital personalities across various industries in India, including comedy, fitness, food, technology, travel, social work, beauty, fashion, business, and finance.
This year’s list introduces a new selection criteria that includes all creators, regardless of whether their profiles are verified or non-verified. This shift expands the focus beyond verification badges, recognizing the contributions of creators who play a key role in shaping the digital landscape.
Comedy creators dominate the list, with seven of the top ten spots. Creators from the tech, travel, and photography categories make up 50% of the overall list. This broader understanding of influence highlights the importance of including diverse voices within the creator economy.
“Almost everyone wants to be an influencer lately. But what does it take to consistently produce content that’s high quality, trustworthy and engaging in categories from fashion and comedy to technology and travel? The answer lies with those who produce it. And what better destination to find them than the list of India’s Top 100 Digital Stars. Now in its third edition, the Forbes India-Goat study recognises and ranks digital creators who dish out their appealing wares across Instagram, YouTube and Facebook,” Brian Carvalho, editor, Forbes India said.
The selection process involved a multi-step approach. Leading creators across nine genres were identified based on engagement rates and follower counts. From this, the top 100 influencers were determined through a detailed analysis of key metrics such as reach, engagement, impressions, and follower numbers. The Goat Agency’s proprietary scoring algorithm was used to rank creators by engagement rates, within their categories, types, and audience sizes.
“The Top 100 Digital Stars List for 2024 celebrates the diverse and dynamic voices shaping India’s digital landscape Together, we are pushing boundaries to spotlight the country’s most influential creators across platforms. By expanding our criteria this year, we are ensuring a more inclusive and data-driven approach. Our comprehensive, data-driven approach ensures that the true impact of these digital stars is highlighted, reflecting a broader understanding of influence in today’s creator economy. Additionally, we are proud to see the GOAT Changemakers—a group of socially responsible creators—continue to be an essential part of the list, aligning with our Responsible Investment Framework,” Kunal Sawant, business head, Goat, GroupM India said.