10 Biggest Celebrity Brand Endorsements in India

Discover 10 of India’s biggest celebrity brand endorsements, from Virat Kohli and PUMA to Shah Rukh Khan and Hyundai. Explore how celebrities like Sachin Tendulkar, Amitabh Bachchan, Alia Bhatt, Ranveer Singh and others helped brands grow in India.

Celebrity endorsements have always been a big part of advertising in India. From cricket legends to Bollywood superstars, brands have used famous faces to get attention, build trust and become easier to remember.

And it makes sense. A celebrity already has a strong connection with millions of people. When that celebrity appears in an advertisement, the brand gets access to some of that attention and popularity.

Over the years, India has seen some truly memorable celebrity brand endorsements. Some became popular because of a catchy tagline. Others worked because the celebrity and brand felt like a natural match. 

Here are 10 of the biggest celebrity brand endorsements in India and what made them stand out.

1. Virat Kohli – PUMA

Virat Kohli and PUMA became one of the biggest celebrity-brand partnerships in Indian sports marketing.

In 2017, PUMA signed Kohli to an eight-year deal reportedly worth around ₹110 crore. The deal made him the first Indian sportsperson to sign an individual endorsement contract worth more than ₹100 crore with a single brand at the time. 

The partnership made sense because Kohli was already more than a cricket star. He had become a major youth and fitness icon.

PUMA used his personality to promote sportswear as part of everyday fashion and an active lifestyle.

The association also helped PUMA strengthen its position in India's highly competitive sportswear market.

The bigger lesson here is simple: when a celebrity's personality naturally fits the brand, the endorsement can become much more than a traditional advertisement.

2. Shah Rukh Khan – Hyundai

Shah Rukh Khan and Hyundai have one of the longest-running celebrity-brand relationships in India.

SRK became associated with Hyundai when the company was establishing itself in the Indian market. Over the years, he appeared in campaigns for several Hyundai models, including the Santro, i10 and Xcent. Business Today described the association as an example of successful brand ambassadorship.

The relationship has continued for decades.

In fact, Hyundai's 2026 campaign celebrating 30 years in India again featured Shah Rukh Khan and described the relationship as a journey built on trust.

What makes this endorsement interesting is consistency.

Instead of changing celebrities every few years, Hyundai built a long-term association with one of India's most recognisable stars.

That gave the brand a familiar face across generations.

3. Priyanka Chopra Jonas – Hero Honda Pleasure

Priyanka Chopra became one of the most recognisable female celebrity endorsers in India during the 2000s.

Her association with Hero Honda Pleasure was particularly memorable because of the campaign's famous line: “Why Should Boys Have All the Fun?”

The campaign presented the scooter as something that women could enjoy independently rather than treating two-wheelers as a male-focused category.

Economic Times reported that Hero Honda's association with Priyanka was already in its third year in 2009. The company said it chose her because of her confident, straightforward personality.

The campaign is still remembered because the message went beyond simply selling a scooter.

It connected the product with freedom, confidence and independence.

That is one of the strongest ways celebrity endorsements can work: the celebrity becomes part of the idea behind the product.

4. MS Dhoni – Gulf Engine Oil

5. Ranveer Singh – Ching's Secret

Ranveer Singh and Ching's Secret created one of the most unusual celebrity advertising partnerships in India.

The brand did not try to make Ranveer look serious or sophisticated. Instead, it leaned into his loud, energetic and unpredictable personality.

The result was the memorable “My Name Is Ranveer Ching” campaign.

Yash Raj Films reported that Ranveer appeared in a music video for the brand, with music by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy, lyrics by Gulzar and choreography by Ganesh Acharya. Ranveer also contributed his own rap to the campaign.

The partnership lasted for years.

In 2025, Ching's Secret founder Ajay Gupta said the relationship had continued for around a decade and revealed that Ranveer himself contributed ideas to campaigns, including the famous “bum mein se aag” concept.

This is a great example of a brand understanding its celebrity.

Instead of controlling Ranveer's personality, Ching's made that personality part of the advertising.

6. Akshay Kumar – Dabur

Akshay Kumar's image has long been connected with fitness, discipline and an active lifestyle.

That made him a natural fit for Dabur Chyawanprash.

Dabur officially announced Akshay Kumar as the face of its flagship health supplement brand in 2020. The campaign focused on inner strength, fitness and the importance of staying healthy.

The association continued into newer campaigns.

In 2025, Dabur launched “Beemaar Ya Taiyyar”, again featuring Akshay Kumar. The campaign presented preparedness and everyday health as important parts of staying ready for life's challenges.

This is a straightforward example of celebrity-brand fit.

Akshay is widely known for his fitness-focused image, so the connection between the actor and a health-oriented product is easy for consumers to understand. 

7. Amitabh Bachchan – Cadbury Dairy Milk

Few celebrity endorsements in India have been as memorable as Amitabh Bachchan and Cadbury Dairy Milk.

Bachchan became associated with Dairy Milk through campaigns such as “Kuch Meetha Ho Jaaye” and the “Pappu Pass Ho Gaya” campaign.

The partnership became especially important after Cadbury faced the worm controversy in the early 2000s. The brand brought in Amitabh Bachchan as a trusted and respected public figure.

His presence helped the brand communicate reassurance and trust. 

But the partnership went beyond crisis communication.  

The “Kuch Meetha Ho Jaaye” idea helped position Dairy Milk as something people could enjoy during celebrations and special moments.

That was a smart shift.

Instead of presenting chocolate simply as a snack, Cadbury connected it with Indian celebrations and emotions.

And Amitabh Bachchan's image made that message feel familiar and trustworthy.

8. Sachin Tendulkar – Boost

Sachin Tendulkar and Boost are almost inseparable in the history of Indian sports advertising.

Tendulkar endorsed Boost after his match-winning performance against England at Old Trafford in 1990. Business Standard later described this as one of the early endorsements that helped establish Tendulkar as a major sports brand.

The famous association between Sachin and Boost connected the drink with cricket, energy and performance.

For generations of young cricket fans, the brand became closely linked with the idea of becoming a better athlete.

This is what made the endorsement powerful.

Sachin was not simply appearing in an advertisement. He represented the exact aspiration the brand wanted to sell.

9. Alia Bhatt – Frooti

Alia Bhatt brought a young, playful energy to Frooti.

Her association with the brand became particularly memorable through the colourful #TheFrootiLife campaigns.

Parle Agro signed Alia for Frooti in 2017, and later campaigns continued to use her distinctive personality.

The brand's advertising often used colourful animation, humour and fantasy.

One campaign showed a tiny character trying to win Alia's heart, while another featured Alia alongside Varun Dhawan in Frooti's surreal world.

Parle Agro later described Alia, Varun Dhawan and Allu Arjun as Frooti brand ambassadors for its 2021 #LiveTheFrootiLife campaign.

The strategy worked because the advertising was not overly complicated.

It was colourful, funny and easy to remember.

And Alia's youthful image fitted perfectly into that world.

10. Ajay Devgn – Vimal Elaichi

Ajay Devgn's association with Vimal Elaichi became one of the most recognisable celebrity campaigns in India's pan-masala advertising space.

The Vimal campaigns have featured Ajay Devgn alongside other major Bollywood stars, including Shah Rukh Khan and Tiger Shroff.

However, this endorsement has also attracted regulatory scrutiny.

In August 2026, the Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration issued show-cause notices to Ajay Devgn, Shah Rukh Khan and Tiger Shroff over a Vimal Elaichi advertisement, alleging that it could amount to surrogate promotion of Vimal pan masala.

The matter is important because it shows another side of celebrity endorsements.

Being associated with a major brand can bring enormous visibility, but celebrities and brands also need to think carefully about the product category, advertising rules and how consumers may interpret the campaign.

What Makes These Celebrity Endorsements So Successful?

Looking at these 10 examples, there is a common pattern.

The best celebrity endorsements are not just about putting a famous face next to a product.

They connect the celebrity's personality with the brand's identity.

Virat Kohli fits a sportswear brand because of his connection with fitness and performance.

Akshay Kumar fits a health brand because of his fitness image.

Sachin Tendulkar and Boost worked because cricket and energy were naturally connected.

Ranveer Singh and Ching's Secret worked because both were colourful, energetic and unconventional.

And Amitabh Bachchan and Cadbury worked because trust and celebration were central to the brand's communication.

Why Do Brands Still Need Celebrities and Influencers?

Advertising has changed, but celebrity marketing is still powerful.

A celebrity can give a brand instant attention and help it stand out in a crowded market. Influencers add another layer by showing the product in everyday situations and speaking to niche audiences in a more personal way.

The combination can be especially effective: celebrities create awareness, while influencers help build conversation and engagement.

Conclusion

India's celebrity endorsement history is filled with campaigns that people still remember years later.

From Sachin Tendulkar and Boost to Amitabh Bachchan and Cadbury, Shah Rukh Khan and Hyundai, Virat Kohli and PUMA, and Ranveer Singh and Ching's Secret, these partnerships show how the right celebrity can become part of a brand's identity.

But choosing a celebrity is only the first step. 

Brands need the right person, the right campaign idea and the right audience strategy.

For businesses and brands looking to work with celebrities or influencers, Tring is the go-to platform for booking celebrities and influencers for brand promotion, advertising campaigns, events and marketing collaborations.