Asians on King’s Birthday Honours List 2026

King Charles III’s Birthday Honours List 2026 has been published and over 1,100 people across the UK have been recognised for their contributions to UK society.

The Honours List was released to coincide with Trooping the Colour, marking the King’s official birthday.

The focus of this List is individuals who have made achievements in public life and who have committed themselves to serving and helping the UK.

Many are active community champions, innovative social entrepreneurs, pioneering scientists, passionate health workers and dedicated volunteers.

The honours range from a dame or knighthood, CBE, MBE, OBE to the Companion of Honour.

As for the Asian contributions, the King’s Birthday Honours List honours the hard work and efforts of men and women with South Asian roots who have made a major impact on communities around the UK.

Among the 2026 Birthday Honours, 5.29% are of Asian ethnicity.

One of the highest-ranked Asian recipients is Professor Dame Parveen Kumar, who received the Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire for services to global medical education and health.

Dame Parveen is known for her work in advancing medical education and healthcare.

She is a co-founder of Kumar and Clark’s Clinical Medicine, a leading medical textbook used by generations of doctors, and previously served as president of the British Medical Association and the Royal Society of Medicine.

Yasmin Khan, CEO of the Halo Project, received a CBE for her work to end domestic abuse and violence against women.

Vishal Marria also received a CBE for his contribution to technology, economic crime prevention and the data and AI sector.

Sir Keir Starmer congratulated those receiving honours, writing on X:

“Across Britain, people are changing lives every day. This list recognises their compassion, resilience and service to others.

“It reflects the kind, hopeful country we’re proud to be. On behalf of the nation: thank you.”

British Asians who have been recognised in the King’s Birthday Honours List 2026 include:

Knights Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire

• Professor Dame Parveen June Kumar DBE – Professor Emerita of Medicine and Education, Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London. For services to Global Medical Education and Health.

Dames Commander of the Order of the British Empire

• Dr Hayaatun Sillem CBE – Lately Chief Executive Officer, Royal Academy of Engineering. For services to Engineering.
• Sumeshni Tranka – Chief Nursing Officer, Welsh Government. For services to Nursing.

Commanders of the Order of the British Empire (CBE)

• Dr Damitha Adikaari – Director, Science and Innovation for Climate and Energy, Department of Energy Security and Net Zero. For services to Research and Innovation to Tackle Climate Change.
• Yasmin Akhtar Khan – Chief Executive Officer, Halo Project. For services to Ending Domestic Abuse and Violence Against Women.
• Vishal Kumar Marria – For services to Technology, Economic Crime Prevention and to the Data and AI Sector.
• Kunal Patel – Lately Deputy Principal Private Secretary to the Prime Minister. For Public Service.
• Professor Monder Ram OBE – Founder and Director, Centre for Research in Ethnic Minority Entrepreneurship. For services to Ethnic Minority Business and Entrepreneurship.
• Sukriti Prova Sen – Director of Children and Education Services, Coventry City Council. For services to Children Social Care.

Officers of the Order of the British Empire (OBE)

• Asif Jahangir Bhatti – Headteacher, Town Farm Primary School and Nursery, Staines, Surrey. For services to Education.
• Javid Soli Canteenwala – Trustee and Honorary Treasurer, The Zoroastrian Trust Funds of Europe and Trustee and Chair of the Audit, Finance and Investment Committee, The Coutts Foundation. For services to Philanthropy and Charity.
• Dr Urshla Devalia – President, British Society of Paediatric Dentistry. For services to Children’s Oral Health.
• Professor Mohamed Wasim Hanif – Clinical Advisor, Diabetes UK and Professor of Diabetes and Endocrinology, University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust. For services to Diabetes and to Health Inequalities.
• Dr Geeta Kumar – Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist, Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board North Wales. For services to Women’s Health.
• Rohan Malik – United Kingdom and Ireland Government and Public Sector Managing Partner, EY. For services to Business and Professional Services.
• Dr Rashmi Mantri – Founder and Chief Executive Officer, British Youth International College. For services to Mathematics Education.
• Ifty Nasir – Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Vestd. For services to Share Schemes and the Energy Sector.
• Ashfaq Ahmed Rahman – Chief Executive Officer, Nova Education Trust, Nottingham. For services to Education.
• Mukesh Sharma MBE – Deputy Chair and Trustee, The National Lottery Heritage Fund and Chair, Northern Ireland Committee, National Lottery Heritage Fund. For services to Heritage.
• Nikita Sharma – Head of Targeted Outreach and Research, Judicial Appointments Commission. For services to Improving Judicial Diversity.
• Dr Inderpal Singh – National Clinical Lead, Falls and Frailty. For services to Osteoporosis Care in Wales.
• Muhammed Fazan Tahir – Managing Director, Tahir Group. For services to Young People and to Social Mobility.

Members of the Order of the British Empire (MBE)

• Faria Ali – Senior Associate Solicitor, Herbert Smith Freehills. For Charitable and Voluntary Service.
• Tahira Ali – Foster Carer, Birmingham Children’s Trust’s Fostering Agency. For services to Foster Care.
• Nafiza Aktar Anwar – Co-Founder and Director, Association of South Asian Midwives. For services to Charity and to Healthcare.
• Satbinder Bains – Foster Carer, City of Wolverhampton Council. For services to Foster Care.
• Hiren Bhimjiyani – Programme Director, Global Supply Chain Intelligence Programme, Department for Business and Trade. For services to Trade, to Data-Driven Supply Chain Intelligence and to Machine Learning Innovation.
• Aditya Chakrabortty – Senior Economics Commentator, The Guardian. For services to Public Understanding of the Economy and Wider Social Issues.
• Dr Azhar Mahmood Chaudhry – General Practitioner, Thistlemoor Medical Centre, Peterborough. For services to the community in Peterborough.
• Leah Rani Chowdhry – Philanthropist. For services to Charitable Fundraising.
• Dr Arun Kumar Gupta – Consultant in Anaesthesia and NeuroCritical Care, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Director, Cambridge Digital Health and Surgical Training Centre and Affiliated Associate Professor, University of Cambridge. For services to Medical Education.
• Professor Sunil Gupta – Photographer, Activist and Writer. For services to Art and to the LGBTQ+ Communities.
• Imran Hafeez – Head, National Literacy Trust Bradford Hub. For services to Literacy Development and Social Inclusion in Bradford, West Yorkshire.
• Sarah Hassan – For services to Public Libraries and Reading.
• Sundas Khalid – Co-Founder and Director, Association of South Asian Midwives. For services to Charity and Healthcare.
• Nadia Zunobia Khan – Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Women in CTRL. For services to Women in the Music Industry.
• Sakilbabu Vali Kola – Founder and Director, Bri-Tek Technologies LTD. For services to Export Growth.
• Sanjiv Mahajan – Supporting Editor, 2025 United Nations System of National Accounts. For services to Economic Statistics.
• Anjum Nahid Malik – Writer and Lecturer. For services to British South Asian Arts.
• Parvinder Kaur Matharu – Co-Founder, clothsurgeon. For services to Men’s Fashion and Tailoring.
• Ravinder Singh Matharu – Co-Founder and Creative Director, clothsurgeon. For services to Men’s Fashion and Tailoring.
• Benash Nazmeen – Co-Founder and Director, Association of South Asian Midwives. For services to Charity and to Healthcare.
• Dakshesh Harivadan Parikh – Lately Consultant Paediatric Surgeon, Birmingham Women’s and Children’s NHS Foundation Trust. For services to Paediatric Surgery.
• Dr Kavitha Pasunuru – Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist and Divisional Director, Aneurin Bevan University Health Board. For services to Neurodiversity Services in Gwent.
• Beena Puri-Dayalji – Digital Equity Senior Principal, Greater Manchester Combined Authority. For services to Digital Inclusion.
• Professor Lakshminarayan Rao Ranganath – Trustee and Co-Founder, Alkaptonuria Society. For services to People with Alkaptonuria.
• Dr Nadeem Hasan Rizvi – Managing Director, Laser Micromachining. For services to Industrial Laser Applications in Manufacturing.
• Kamal Jit Sharma – Managing Director, Hindu Cultural Society of Bradford. For services to the community in Bradford, West Yorkshire.
• Neerasha Singh – Headteacher, Northfleet Nursery School, Kent. For services to Early Years Education.

Medallists of the Order of the British Empire (BEM)

• Sharifa Begum – Employment Adviser, Department for Work and Pensions. For services to Women.
• Sudha Bhatt – For services to Community Cohesion in Wales.
• Kabir Kaul – Conservationist, Urban Nature Campaigner and Writer and lately Youth Council Member, RSPB. For services to Nature.
• Farida Laeeq – Care Coordinator, Brownlow Health. For services to Supporting Refugees and Asylum Seekers.
• Hitesh Mehta – Special Constable, West Midlands Police and Charity Trustee, Shree Krishna Temple. For services to Policing, to Charity and to Volunteering in Coventry, West Midlands.
• Dharmesh Mistry – Police Constable, West Yorkshire Police. For services to Policing and to the community in Bradford and Leeds.
• Alpa Raja – Member, Veterans Advisory and Pensions Committee. For services to Veterans’ Welfare.
• Pundrique Radheyshyam Sharma – Consultant Plastic Surgeon, Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust. For services to Children and Young People.
• Nirmal Singh – Community Cook, Eastside Community Trust, Bristol. For services to the community in Bristol.
• Irfan Aslam Syed – Councillor and Chair, Salford Forum for Refugees. For services to Refugee Resettlement.

These honorary titles are awarded to these individuals in recognition of their commitment to serve and help Britain in their areas of work and services.

The Asian recipients of these awards have proved their specific dedication without a doubt through their contributions.

DESIblitz congratulates all of the honorees on the Birthday Honours List 2026!