IT IS SAID that movies and cricket are like religion in India. Millions of moviegoers throng theatres to watch the latest blockbusters and families are glued to their televisions to watch the latest streaming release on their favourite platforms. Equally, cricket-crazy fans fill up stadia across the country to watch cricket matches or the hugely popular Indian Premier League T20 tournament. Big money, big advertising bucks, and massive endorsement fees make both movie stars and cricketers national favourites, crossing language and geographical barriers. Nothing unites India more than sport and the movies.

Against this background, we at Fortune India are delighted to bring you the first-ever edition of India’s Most Valuable Celebrities, in partnership with Interbrand, one of the leading global brand consultancy firms. The study is the result of a detailed methodology that goes well beyond mere earnings or box-office pickings of the celebrities, and delves into other factors which together determine the celebrity’s final brand value. Financial performance apart, the methodology goes deep into the various aspects which determine brand strength — distinctiveness, coherence, engagement, trust, affinity, and responsibility. By treating personal brands as managed economic assets, the methodology offers profound insights beyond simple follower counts. The final list — of India’s 25 most valuable celebrity brands — is as much evidence of the brand power these movie and sporting icons have as it is of the growing personal brand ecosystem in India.

In what is a clear evidence of cricket’s enormous popularity and its power in the world of brands and endorsements, cricket icon Virat Kohli tops the list, followed by movie superstar Shah Rukh Khan and crossover star Priyanka Chopra Jonas at No. 2 and 3, respectively. Cricket superstar Mahendra Singh Dhoni is at No. 4 and filmstar Ranveer Singh, whose two-film Dhurandhar franchise shattered all records, comes in at No. 5. Akshay Kumar (No.6), Amitabh Bachchan (No.7), cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar (No.8), actor Alia Bhatt (No.9) and Telugu megastar Allu Arjun (No.10) fill up the remaining slots to complete the Top 10. Four distinct covers mark this maiden celebrity brand ranking.

Away from the world of celebrities, there’s a lot brewing at Bombay House, the headquarters of the storied Tata Group. Nevin John gets you the latest from inside the Tata Sons boardroom, while Manu Balachandran examines what it will take for Tata Group’s mega acquisition, Air India, currently steeped in losses, to tide over the headwinds as the global economic environment too adds its own challenges.