Our Bureau
New York, NY
TIME released its list of the 100 Most Influential People for 2024 on Wednesday. The annual list, which asks cultural and political icons to highlight the changemakers of the past year, features dozens of athletes, entertainers, artists and politicians. The list includes politicians, business leaders, artists, icons, movie stars, athletes, and scientists who have made significant impact in their fields.
There are 8 Indians or Indian-origin personalities who have shone in their area of expertise, featuring on the list. Equally emminent personalities write about these shining stars.
Dev Patel
Dev radiates goodness. His humanity shines through every time he graces the screen, leaving you no choice but to root for him even when his character is doing something foul; his presence makes you understand where he’s coming from. Giving us a fierce, soulful empathy, a channeled rage, shades of him we have yet to see—knowing he was so into martial arts during Skins, he’s brought it all together. Monkey Man is his moment, and an incredible directorial debut.
Alia Bhatt
Alia Bhatt is a formidable talent. She is not only one of the world’s leading actors, admired for her work in the Indian film industry for over a decade—she is also a businesswoman and a philanthropist who leads with integrity. Alia’s superpower is her ability to mix movie-star magnetism with authenticity and sensitivity. As an actor she is luminous, and as a person she brings the grounded assurance and creativity that make a truly international star.
Sakshi Malik
In early 2023, a handful of India’s most celebrated wrestlers gathered at Jantar Mantar—a popular protest site in Delhi. Notable among them was 31-year-old Sakshi Malik, India’s first and only female wrestler to win an Olympic medal.
“This fight is no longer only for India’s female wrestlers,” said Malik of the movement she helped spark, “it is for the daughters of India whose voices have been silenced time and again.” Sakshi Malik—in an emotional, public, and very brave act of defiance—quit the sport. She did not, however, quit the battle. Her light, and the light of all those standing against harassment, continues to shine.
Satya Nadella
Satya Nadella is profoundly influential in shaping our future. And that’s a good thing for humanity. Microsoft’s significant investment in OpenAI and partnership with Mistral AI puts him at the forefront of the artificial-intelligence revolution. A technologist with heart, Satya sees AI as a tool that will empower humans. Still, there’s rightful concern about unintended consequences and misuse. That’s why it’s so reassuring that Satya is one of AI’s stewards. His thoughtfulness and humility should make us safer.
Ajay Banga
It’s not easy to find a leader with the skill and drive to take on the monumental task of transforming an essential institution, but since becoming World Bank president last June, Ajay Banga has done just that. Ajay comes to the World Bank after leading a global organization through which he brought millions of unbanked people into the digital economy. At the World Bank, Ajay set forth a new vision to create a world free of poverty on a livable planet and moved boldly to make good on it—from pioneering innovative financial tools to reimagining partnerships across the multilateral development banks and with the private sector.
Jigar Shah
Relentlessly optimistic, pioneering, and passionate, Jigar Shah has dedicated his life to unlocking the entrepreneurial opportunity that lies in a clean-energy transition. And as director of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Loan Programs Office, he is demonstrating how this truly is one of the greatest opportunities of our time. Overseeing more than $200 billion in government loans to bring energy innovation to the market, Jigar leads one of the largest economic-development programs the world has ever seen. His work may well usher in an unprecedented era of green and clean prosperity, and of course new jobs.
Asma Khan
Her acclaimed London restaurant, Darjeeling Express, has an all-female kitchen. Most chefs are older South Asian immigrants who lack formal training. Asma is not only interested in doing the right thing, she’s a shrewd businesswoman too. South Asian aunties know the cuisine best. Many Indian restaurants in the West have menus where everything kind of tastes the same. But Asma’s food is surprising. It doesn’t taste like restaurant food—and that is the highest compliment.
Priyamvada Natarajan
For astronomers, seeing evidence in the sky of something predicted from pure theory brings with it a special joy. A burst of excitement as a puzzle piece falls into place. In November, a novel approach developed years ago by Priyamvada Natarajan brought us closer to understanding a basic mystery in astronomy: How do the supermassive black holes that lurk at the centers of most galaxies form? She had speculated that they might have gotten a jump start in the very early universe if clouds of gas collapsed to form massive black-hole “seeds” that then grew within their host galaxies over billions of years. It took the piercing gaze of the James Webb Space Telescope to finally observe a galaxy so far back in cosmic time, and with a central black hole so massive, that what scientists saw could be explained naturally by Priya’s theory.
