GroupM and The Goat Agency Reveal Top 100 Digital Stars 2024

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. This list celebrates some of the most influential digital personalities in India across various industries, including comedy, fitness, food, technology, travel, social work, beauty, fashion, and business.

This year, the selection criteria have been expanded to include all creators, regardless of verified status. While verification badges signify authenticity, the vibrant community of creators without such badges also plays a vital role in shaping the digital landscape. Notably, comedy creators dominate the list, with seven out of the top ten recognised for their talent and creativity. Additionally, creators in the tech, travel, and photography categories make up 50% of the overall list, emphasising the importance of diverse voices in the creator economy.

Kunal Sawant, Business Head, Goat, GroupM India, stated: “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.” He added, “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.”

Ashwin Padmanabhan, Chief Operating Officer, GroupM South Asia, commented: “The third edition of The Top 100 Digital Stars presents a carefully curated, data-driven selection of India’s most influential digital personalities. With a broader understanding of influence, this edition highlights the value of diverse voices in the creator economy, ensuring that every creator has the opportunity to contribute to the evolving digital narrative and be recognised.”

The compilation of this list involved a multi-step approach, starting with identifying leading creators across nine specific genres by evaluating their engagement rates and follower counts. The selection was refined to the top 100 influencers through a comprehensive analysis of key metrics such as reach, engagement, impressions, and follower numbers. The Goat Agency’s proprietary scoring algorithm played a crucial role in this process, ranking creators within related categories based on engagement rates.

Brian Carvalho, Editor, Forbes India, remarked: “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.”

For the complete Top 100 list, visit: Forbes India.