Because of their unique vision and unparalleled dedication, people will listen when they speak.
Five remarkable South Asians are honoured in the 2015 edition of TIME’s 100 Most Influential People, published on April 16, 2015.
They represent South Asia in four out of five categories – Titans, Pioneers, Artists, Leaders and Icons.
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and ICICI Bank CEO Chanda Kochhar present a gender-balanced yet diverse front in the ‘Titans’ group.
Though South Asians miss out on the ‘Artists’ category this year, they manage to claim their places in other categories.
Vikram Patel, Professor of International Mental Health, is named among the ‘Pioneers’. India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai are listed in ‘Leaders’ and ‘Icons’ respectively.
As with the 2014’s edition, each of 100 people on the 2015’s list has their mini-biography penned by a well-known person who shares the same profession.
The most precious read this year belongs to Modi, written by US President Barack Obama.
The first African-American US President began by drawing a parallel between Modi’s humble beginnings and that of India.
Obama wrote: “As a boy, Narendra Modi helped his father sell tea to support their family. Today, he’s the leader of the world’s largest democracy.”
Described as ‘India’s reformer-in-chief’, Modi is praised by Obama for his ‘ambitious vision to reduce extreme poverty, improve education, empower women and girls’.
Obama, an effective user of social media, also finds resonance in how Modi ‘connects with Indian citizens on Twitter’ to promote a ‘digital India’.
He ends on a thought-provoking note: “Narendra and I visited the memorial to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. We reflected on the teachings of King and Gandhi and how the diversity of backgrounds and faiths in our countries is a strength we have to protect.”
Other familiar names on the list include social media’s power couple Kanye West and Kim Kardashian, and Harry Potter star-turned-UN ambassador Emma Watson.
But TIME’s list is not exclusive to the rich or virtuous, as influence is a double-edged sword.
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin and North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un are clearly listed for a different reason.
But their powerful use of propaganda, hypnotising power over its people and crafty diplomatic hands are no less vital than what Pope Francis has achieved for the Catholic Church.
Here is the full list of TIME magazine’s 100 Most Influential People 2015:
TITANS
- Bob Iger
- Chanda Kochhar
- Charles Koch & David Koch
- Danny Meyer
- Elizabeth Holmes
- Janet Yellen
- Jorge Paulo Lemann
- Kanye West
- Kim Kardashian
- Lee Daniels
- Lei Jun
- Lorne Michaels
- Mellody Hobson
- Reid Hoffman
- Satya Nadella
- Susan Wojcicki
- Tim Cook
- Tony Fernandes
PIONEERS
- Anita Sarkeesian
- Aura Elena Farfán
- Brian Chesky
- Bryan Stevenson
- Chai Jing
- Emma Watson
- Emmanuelle Charpentier & Jennifer Doudna
- Jimmy Lai
- Kira Orange Jones
- Laverne Cox
- Magnus MacFarlane-Barrow
- Martin Blaser
- Misty Copeland
- Mustafa Hassan
- Pardis Sabeti
- Reese Witherspoon
- Rudolph Tanzi
- Sarah Koenig
- Scott Kelly
- Tom Catena
- Vikram Patel
ARTISTS
- Alexander Wang
- Amy Schumer
- Audra McDonald
- Bradley Cooper
- Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
- Chris Ofili
- Chris Pratt
- Christopher Nolan
- Jill Soloway
- John Oliver
- Julianna Margulies
- Julianne Moore
- Kevin Hart
- Marie Kondo
- Richard Linklater
- Tim McGraw
LEADERS
- Abubakar Shekau
- Adam Silver
- Alexis Tsipras
- Angela Merkel
- Barack Obama
- Beij Caid Essebsi
- Benjamin Netanyahu
- Bob Corker
- Elizabeth Warren
- Haider Al-Abadi
- Hillary Clinton
- Jed Bush
- Joanne Liu
- Joko Widodo
- Jorge Ramos
- Kim Jong Un
- King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud
- Lu Wei
- Marine Le Pen
- Martin Dempsey
- Mitch McConnell
- Mohammad Javad Zarif
- Muhammadu Buhari
- Narendra Modi
- Obiageli Ezekwesili
- Raúl Castro
- Rula Ghani
- Samantha Power
- Tom Frieden
- Vladimir Putin
- Xi Jinping
ICONS
- Abby Wambach
- Björk
- Diane von Furstenberg
- Gabriel Medina
- Haruki Murakami
- Ina Garten
- Jerry Brown
- Malala Yousafzai
- Pope Francis
- Ruth Bader Ginsburg
- Taylor Swift
- Thomas Piketty
Because of their unique vision and unparalleled dedication, people will listen when they speak. If they didn’t listen before, TIME’s list will certainly make sure these extraordinary people now receive well-deserved attention for changing the world.
DESIblitz congratulates everyone on the list and look forward to more Desi names in 2016!
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