Innholdsfortegnelse for April 30, 2018 i India Today

The 15th year of india today’s Power List sees a distinct shift, not only because it has the highest number of departures ever. As befits a year of churn, 12 people have made their exit from the list in 2017-18 as against 11 last year. The nature of power, so far largely defined by what Chief Economic Advisor Arvind Subramanian calls crony socialism—the cosy relationships between captains of industry and government ministers and officials—is giving way to a new power structure. Power which was once solely about who you knew and what you could get fixed with the powers-that-be has changed under the Narendra Modi regime. One of the great achievements of this government is restricted access, even for those, or perhaps especially for those, who make the mistake of…

On April 16, a special court of the NIA decided there was not enough evidence to convict the men accused of planning and executing the bombing of Hyderabad’s Mecca Masjid in 2007. The verdict was welcomed by some as evidence that Hindu terror was a canard. Opposition politicians, however, countered that the probe had been deliberately shoddy. 5 MEN, INCLUDING Devendra Gupta and Swami Aseemanand, cleared of Mecca Masjid bombing; 10 originally named as accused, 2 absconding, 2 dead 9 PEOPLE WERE killed in the blast, 58 injured. Some 10,000 people were said to be in the mosque for Friday prayers. 5 more were killed in police firing after the bombing 21 MUSLIM MEN were initially charged by the Hyderabad police and acquitted in 2009. Nearly 100 Muslim men were…

Bullying Bhakts It’s tempting and probably justified to roll your eyes at hashtag activism. At stars posing for pretty pictures with pretty placards but doing little of practical value. The hideous rape and murder of an eight-year-old in Jammu has brought out the virtue signallers in their self-righteous hordes. Better an army of insincere bien pensants leaping onto a passing bandwagon, though, than the awful people who see a conspiracy against Hindus in the coverage of even so vile a crime. One Hyderabad journalist found herself on the wrong side of these raging, spittle-flecked trolls when she published a cartoon on her Facebook page. A shocked Sita, having read the headlines in the newspaper, tells Ram that she is “glad” she was “kidnapped by Ravan and not your bhakts!” Some…

At the BJP’s Foundation Day on April 6, Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis was, surprisingly, full of praise for the late Bal Thackeray. “He was not from our party but I have to mention his contribution in keeping Hindutva relevant,” he said. Four days on, Fadnavis again cited the Shiv Sena founder in a televised interview. “Whenever the so-called secular parties come together, Hindutvawadi parties should join hands. It was the thought of Balasaheb Thackeray,” he told Sanjay Raut, executive editor of the Shiv Sena mouthpiece, Saamna. The tone and tenor of the chief minister’s words have turned markedly conciliatory since January, when Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray announced that his party would go it alone in the Lok Sabha and assembly polls next year. Not only has the chief…

RENAISSANCE MAN Because he is constantly engaged with issues that matter as India’s most loved industrialist on Twitter with 6.63 million followers, be it saying he would volunteer as an executioner if need be for the offenders in the Kathua rape case, agreeing to fund any start-up that can rival Facebook following the Cambridge Analytica data breach controversy or launching an exclusive handle on Twitter to coalesce a crowd-funded initiative to acquire and restore the iconic Mumbai music store Rhythm House Because as chairman of the Rs 1.2 lakh crore Mahindra Group, he’s perennially scripting new ways to beat the competition and gain markets in the automotive business by making deeper entry into the US market with off-road utility vehicle ROXOR and opening a greenfield plant in Detroit, the city’s…

MARATHON MAN Because Chandrasekaran is steadying the $100 billion Tata Group following the tumultuous removal of his predecessor Cyrus Mistry, resolving the $1.2 billion legal issue with NTT DoCoMo to allow for its exit from Tata Teleservices and merging the mobile services business with Airtel Because he is moving swiftly on internal restructuring, with Tata Power selling its defence business to Tata Advanced Systems for Rs 2,230 crore, and its stake in Tata Communications to Tata Sons. The housing and infrastructure businesses are also being merged to create one large entity DEFENCE HAWK He will head a taskforce of the Department of Defence Production to study use of Artificial Intelligence in the military LONG HAUL In October 2017, he took a flight to Stockholm to participate in the 30 km…

FIELD MARSHAL Because he is the first and only cricketer with an average of more than 50 in all three formats of the game. Since April 2017, he has scored 1,057 runs in Tests at an average of 81 and 1,833 runs in ODIs with an astounding average of 96. His exploits with the bat helped India win five of their nine Tests, 22 of 29 ODIs, and five of the nine Twenty20s Because he is the most powerful cricket captain in the world today, leading a team of his choice and imposing a fitness regime that has made it a world-beater. His tiff with coach Anil Kumble last year not only saw the latter’s exit, but he even got a replacement of his choice—Ravi Shastri Because at an estimated…

SPECTRUM LORD Because by acquiring more spectrum and users, Bharti Airtel has managed to stay on top in terms of subscribers and revenues against the onslaught of tariff wars unleashed by Reliance Jio. The recent acquisitions of Tata Tele and Telenor India should also help Because Bharti Airtel’s average spectrum holding has jumped 25 per cent to 45.7 MHz, compared to 29 MHz for RJio and 40.4 MHz for Vodafone-Idea. Spectrum has a direct bearing on the quality of services that a telco can offer its customers Because Bharti is expanding its global presence and will also list its Africa business, a move which will help it raise funds. With operations in 18 countries, Mittal can now be considered a global telecom major GIVING BACK The family has pledged 10…

PAY IT FORWARD Because with a net worth of $1.3 billion, he is India’s youngest billionaire. He introduced the concept of mobile wallets to Indians and also made it to the Time’s 100 most influential people in the world, the only other Indian on the list being Narendra Modi. Paytm is the largest mobile wallet company with 250 million account holders; he wants to scale it to 500 million by 2020 Because Paytm was one of the biggest beneficiaries of demonetisation. Its traffic increased by 435 per cent while its app downloads grew 200 per cent Because as of May 2017, Paytm’s valuation was at $7 billion and he accomplished this within the last decade. He was quoted in an interview as saying that the valuation could go up to…

EASTERN MESSIAH Because at a time when corporate credibility has hit an all-time low, the RP-Sanjiv Goenka group has grown with an enviable debt to equity ratio of 1:1.1, having expanded using internal accruals rather than bank borrowings Because his listed companies gave investors an average return of 66 per cent in 2017. Total market capitalisation of listed companies went up to Rs 20,000 crore, an addition of Rs 7,800 crore from last year Because his company has forayed into the low calorie snacking market and Goenka is hoping to take it to 500,000 outlets in the next 15 months Because he exerts considerable influence over the business policies of the West Bengal government and has been an important link between the state and the Centre GAMECHANGER Having made inroads…

MAN OF THE TIMES Because The Times of India group dominates the newspaper business with 15 brands, a total circulation of 8 million copies, and an estimated revenue of Rs 10,000 crore Because he launched Times Now HD and Mirror Now in 2017, the latter gaining a 7 per cent market share. He also rebranded Movies Now to MNX to gain a 14 per cent market share in the English movies genre Because Radio Mirchi is the largest radio network in the country while Times Internet operates the largest network with 108 million unique visitors and 5 billion total page views BACK TO SCHOOL Bennett University in Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, stitched an academic collaboration with Cornell University Law School, and placed 100 per cent of its maiden MBA…

MESSENGER OF PEACE Because India’s self-appointed ambassador of peace, having made efforts in troubled spots such as Syria and Palestine and having played a part in ending the violent extremist movement by the FARC Group in Colombia, has turned his attention to the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid dispute. He is trying for an out-of-court settlement by holding negotiations with both Hindu and Muslim stakeholders in the case Because Sri Sri’s Art of Living (AOL) movement has spread across 155 countries, reaching out to 370 million people, with 200,000 rural and 30,000 urban teachers spreading the message of yoga and spirituality ART OF SURRENDER In 2017, 68 Manipuri militants laid down arms and embraced peace following an intervention by the spiritual guru’s peaceniks, all to the great relief of the Manipur government,…

HIGH-FLYER Because even though IndiGo hit several air pockets in 2017, Bhatia’s low-cost airline continues to be India’s biggest, commanding a 40 per cent market share, with InterGlobe clocking a profit of Rs 762 crore in the October-December 2017 quarter Because he is among the 50 richest Indians and has steadily expanded his footprint across all areas of travel—airlines, hotels and restaurants. He plans to expand IndiGo internationally on the same low-cost flying business model TURBULENCE IndiGo had to cancel 480 flights from March 16 to 31 after the grounding of 11 Airbus A320neo aircraft; its aircraft have experienced 69 engine problems mid-flight in the past 18 months MONEY MANTRA “Do I need to spend it? Can I get away without it?”…

THE BOSS Because the superstar, among the highest earning actors in Asia, declared on New Year’s eve that he is ready to offer more to Tamil society through ‘spiritual politics’ Because the Thalaivar (leader) asked, and his legions of fans are now organising themselves under the banner of the Rajini Makkal Mandram (RMM). They will be the bulwark in his political foray—the yet-to-be launched political party plans to contest all 234 constituencies in the next assembly elections in 2021 SOCIAL ANIMAL His Twitter handle has 4.63 million followers, and Rajini is banking on it to comment on local and national issues. After assuming a political avatar, he is now on Facebook and Instagram too DID YOU KNOW? He has campaigned for blood and eye donations since the 1980s. Rajini fan…

SURGICAL STRIKE Because he is one of the most influential doctors of our time: a leading cardiovascular surgeon and serial hospital entrepreneur who counts the country’s who’s who as his patients Because he is working with the government to roll out one of its most transformative projects: affordable healthcare for nearly 500 million people, the Ayushman Bharat Yojana Because he created Medanta-The Medicity, a multi-superspeciality hospital chain that has attracted global investors and created institutions of excellence in under-served cities: Patna, Indore, Lucknow, Guwahati and Ranchi Because Medanta spearheads large-scale community health projects like ‘TB-free Haryana’, ‘Stop Dengue Gurugram’ and also has an extensive telemedicine programme COOL QUOTIENT Trehan has an honorary professorship at the National Scientific Research Medical Centre, JSC, Kazakhstan…

BROAD SHEET Because they own the largest selling daily in India, Dainik Jagran, with a circulation of around 4 million, and readership of over 70 million, according to the latest IRS survey Because the Jagran group publishes eight newspapers with 37 editions and covers 11 states in five different languages, maintaining its dominance over the vernacular press Because their company, Jagran Prakashan, registered consolidated operating revenues of Rs 2,282.95 crore in 2017 despite a stagnant market. Their music broadcast arm, under the Radio City brand, has expanded its presence and operations to 39 cities LET’S RIDE Though MMG, as Mahendra Mohan Gupta is popularly known, loves long drives on highways, he lets his son Shailesh choose the car model for him. MMG can be seen in hatchbacks as well as…

STAGE CRAFT Because the actor revered as ulaganayagan (global star) is foraying into politics, having launched his Makkal Needhi Maiam (Centre for People’s Justice) party in February as an alternative to the Dravidian identity-based party politics that has held sway in Tamil Nadu for the past 50 years Because his goal is “to challenge the status quo and mediocrity in the polity that is plaguing Tamil Nadu” Because he believes ardent film fans are the loyalists he can count on to build and develop his party. He was the first Tamil actor to convert fan clubs into welfare organisations under the Kamal Narpani Iyakkam 37 years ago Because he is the only Indian actor to have featured in films in six languages—Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu, Kannada, Hindi and Bengali THE BILL…

BARD OF BOLLYWOOD Because whether it is signing a deal with Netflix for producing the series Bard of Blood, being an ambassador for Dubai tourism or making a splash in Davos where he collected the World Economic Forum’s Crystal Award for “leadership in championing children’s and women’s rights in India”, he continues to make headlines Because losing box office sheen hasn’t dented his financial power. With Rs 170.5 crore earnings in 2017, he was the second highest earning actor, behind only Salman Khan. Shah Rukh is also the eighth highest-paid actor in the world Because his 13-year-old company, Red Chillies VFX, is one of the leading providers of special effects in India. After creating a young SRK lookalike in Fan, the company will now make the actor shrink in height…

DOCTOR SMART Because the doctor who steers the Manipal Education and Medical Group (MEMG) is poised to merge it with Fortis Healthcare to emerge as India’s largest healthcare network. MEMG is also acquiring a majority stake in diagnostic labs SRL Because Pai is also an investor through his proprietary fund, Aarin Capital, set up along with former Infosys veteran T.V. Mohandas Pai. It has so far infused $80 million into over 30 start-ups and other venture funds in India and abroad Because his Manipal University has more than 100,000 students with overseas campuses in Malaysia, Antigua, UAE and Nepal FLASHBACK Ranjan did not get admission into the family-owned Kasturba Medical College the first year as he did not have the qualifying cut-off marks…

SAGE ADVISOR Because he’s getting six of the 16 states through which his Rally for Rivers passed in September 2017 to sign MoUs with his Isha Foundation to plant trees along river banks. He’s also getting NITI Aayog and the water resources ministry to study the draft long-term policy which includes afforestation of river banks as a prerequisite Because no other than Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled a 112 foot statue of Adiyogi Shiva at the Isha Yoga Foundation in Coimbatore on Maha Shivratri, in the presence of 200,000 people DID YOU KNOW? He has 1.7 million followers on Twitter…

“Once you have built the big machinery of political power, remember you won’t always be the one to run it.” So said P.J. O’Rourke, the celebrated American political satirist. As Indian politics heads towards the summer of 2018, the nation edges closer to testing the fragility of political power once again. The dominant political party of the moment, the BJP, is in government directly or indirectly in as many as 18 of India’s 29 states. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah plan to extend that footprint further—they have found a hungry general driven by revenge in the Northeast in Himanta Biswa Sarma. But the assembly elections in Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh will determine whether the empire continues its expansionist streak or begins to wane. Meanwhile,…

MR NETWORKER Because he carries the weight of the government’s big-bang decisions, be it dealing with demonetisation or GST aftermath, or announcing the fiscally imprudent but populist Modicare this budget Because his amendments to the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code have fundamentally changed the rules of engagement between banks and corporates DID YOU KNOW? He considers Pranab Mukherjee a conservative and retrograde FM; Manmohan Singh a better FM than PM…

BINDING FORCE Because she is emerging as the focal point for a united opposition Because she’s managed to put Nandigram and Singur behind her and gather for the Bengal Global Business Summit industry bigwigs, who called her “super ke upar” and West Bengal “Best Bengal”, while committing investments for the next five years Because her social welfare scheme Kanyashree won the UN Public Service Award DID YOU KNOW? Has Tagore’s GeetabitanandSanchayitafor constant company; has written books in Alchiki script and Urdu…

BREAKAWAY HERO Because he took a political gamble in pulling out of the National Democratic Alliance over Andhra Pradesh not being given special category status Because he is not letting anything—including finances—come in the way of his vision for capital Amaravati Because his forward-looking and tech-friendly mindset have resulted in an information technology-driven system for real-time governance DID YOU KNOW? He avoids national carrier Air India despite being the most frequent-flying chief minister…

THE POINT MAN Because he leads the PMO like the elder brother in a family to translate the PM’s governance vision into reality. Mishra also act as the bridge between the PMO and the ministries Because he is the PM’s troubleshooter when it comes to contentious issues like the Cauvery dispute, and when controversy erupts, as in the recent Kathua­Unnao rapes, Dalit violence and the RBI-finance ministry face-off, or even face-offs with media houses Because he is in step with the stringent requirements of a hands-on prime minister who monitors each and every decision GLOBAL IDOLS Counts Winston Churchill (for his resilience against Nazi Germany) and Abraham Lincoln (for integrating the USA) as his role models *Figures in brackets are 2017 rankings…

MR CLEAN UP Because he is the point man for the GST rollout. From the reorganisation of the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs to preparing the agenda for the 26 GST council meetings to decisions on rate structures, Adhia has been the driving force behind the tax overhaul Because the 1981 batch Gujarat cadre officer is known for taking speedy decisions Because he also drives the government’s anti-black money agenda. The 80 per cent jump in IT returns this year (over 2014) is being attributed to this SPIRITUAL CONNECT Has a doctorate in yoga, likes to read up on spirituality and spend time with his guru…

RIGHT ON TRACK Because he is the government’s goto officer to revive ailing government organisations. As Air India CMD, he pump-primed the bleeding state-owned carrier for its impending sale. Was picked by the PMO to reform India’s oldest bureaucracy, the Railway Board, and improve its safety record Because the technocrat is the man tasked with realising PM Modi’s dream Ahmedabad-Mumbai bullet train project by 2023 Because his employee-first approach towards addressing safety issues could be one of the reasons why the Railways posted its lowest fatality rate in decades this year ONE FOR THE BOOKS Revived the Fairy Queen steam locomotive built in 1855, certified as the world’s oldest running locomotive by the Guinness Book of World Records in 1998…

If disruption was perhaps the most overused word of the past year, there was good reason for it. A year that witnessed immense churn—social, technological and political—has been an unsettling one for the global order and, by extension, for the personalities that stride the corridors of power, whether in Silicon Valley, Washington DC or Whitehall. Great strides have been made in the tech world this past year, especially in new fields such as Artificial Intelligence. Yet, it has been a public debate on privacy and the manipulation of technology, for instance, to disseminate fake news, that has dominated our attention. And two tech giants, with two global Indians at the helm, have been at the centre of the debate. The political churn has seen its own contradictions. Growing anti-immigrant and…

TRUMP TOWER Because she has not only survived a turbulent first year for the Donald Trump administration but emerged stronger and as a trusted confidante of the embattled President Because she enjoys the ear of Trump and is among the most influential voices on American foreign policy today, including as a trusted channel for foreign diplomats amid the chaos of the Trump White House Because the only second Indian-American governor has navigated with ease the ‘swamp’ of Washington DC, and emerged victorious from a long-running feud with her now former boss Rex Tillerson, who was fired as Secretary of State in March TWITTER AMBASSADOR Haley’s a prolific and candid tweeter, just like the tweeter-in-chief at the White House, and to her 1.45 million followers holds forth on everything from matters…

VOICE OF AMERICA Because she emerged last year as one of America’s most fearless business leaders, speaking out on issues from women’s rights to immigration Because she quit Donald Trump’s high-level strategy forum to express her opposition to his meek reaction to a far-right rally in Charlottesville Because of her successful decade-long tenure at the helm of one of the world’s largest companies DRINKS BREAK Nooyi will this year become the first-ever independent director of the International Cricket Council. She revealed on her appointment that she played the sport in high school and college…

Coming up to 11 years after a bomb killed nine people and injured 58 others in Hyderabad’s Mecca Masjid during Friday prayers, a special court of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) set all five accused free, citing a lack of evidence. K. Ravinder Reddy, fourth additional metropolitan sessions judge, Hyderabad, handed in his resignation just hours after delivering the verdict. He said he had been contemplating his resignation for some time and his decision had nothing to do with the Mecca Masjid case, though his timing caught many people by surprise and encouraged conspiracy theorists. Asaduddin Owaisi, member of parliament for Hyderabad, said he found the judge’s decision “intriguing”. He also described the NIA as a deaf and blind parrot. For its part, the NIA says it will examine the…

The meetings were the precursor to what will be the next big step in the thaw of 2018 The rapprochement is gathering pace. India and China last week found some common ground on matters both security-related and economic, as two senior officials travelled to China. While the world lurches from one crisis in trade-war-fomenting Washington to another in Syria, Delhi and Beijing appear to have little appetite to deal with one of their own making. That was the message that National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and the newly promoted Politburo member and former state councillor Yang Jiechi stressed when they met in Shanghai on April 13. While such meetings are usually set for the Chinese capital, Doval had to make a detour on account of Yang’s tight schedule, where he…

A video of Sachin Tendulkar stopping his car to interrupt an impromptu game of late-night gully cricket has gone viral. He steps down from a large, shiny car, in smart clothes, from a different planet to the guys playing by a construction site for the Mumbai mero, but on the street with a well-used bat in his hands he is clearly at home. Unlike say Mara-dona, to cite a genius from another sport, Sachin is not obviously of the people. The delight in his face, though, and the awe in theirs, is proof that sometimes sport can still transcend cynicism.…

C.S. Rangarajan, head priest at the Chilkur Balaji temple, carried Aditya Parasri, a Dalit devotee of Ranganatha, the recumbent Vishnu, into the innermost sanctum of the 400-year-old Sri Ranganathaswamy temple in Hyderabad. It was, Rangarajan said, a tribute to a ritual known as ‘Munivahana Seva’, first performed 2,700 years ago when a Vaishnava priest carried a lower caste youth on his shoulders into a Ranganatha temple on the banks of the Cauvery river. “Our Sanathana dharma treats everybody equally before the lord,” Rangarajan said. He intends the gesture to emphasise this equality in the wake of violent protests against a Supreme Court order that Dalits and other so-called backward caste groups argue weakens the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.…

RAJINIKANTH IS EVIDENTLY KEEN TO DOWNPLAY THE PERCEPTION THAT HE IS ‘BJP-DRIVEN’ Since Rajinikanth declared his decision to engage with the people through “spiritual politics” on New Year’s Eve, the Tamil superstar has been quietly revamping the Rajini Makkal Mandram (RMM)—his fawning fan club—to launch a huge campaign on social media ahead of a promised outreach featuring every street and habitation in Tamil Nadu. In a strategy distinct from those of earlier film actors who strayed into politics in the state, legions of Rajinikanth fans are already organising enthusiastic supporters under the RMM banner. It is widely expected that he will field candidates in all the 234 assembly constituencies in the Tamil Nadu elections due in 2021. The actor is encouraging local groups to elect their own executive councils in…

Who are the Bakarwals? Bakarwals, traditionally shepherds and goatherds, are Sunni Muslim nomads who, along with the Gujjars, form 11 per cent of J&K’s population. Included among the Scheduled Tribes in 1991, they biannually migrate with their herds—to Kashmir and Ladakh in summer and return to the plains of Jammu in winter. While this has gone on for years, tensions have been rising in recent years with right-wing Hindu groups getting aggressive with the nomads. In Rasana village, for instance, Sanji Ram, the main accused, allegedly incited fellow Hindus against the Bakarwals, accusing them of drug peddling and transporting cows to Kashmir for slaughter. Was there a cover-up? Yes. When the girl’s adoptive father first reported his daughter as missing on January 11, the Hiranagar police told him to search…

CAPTAIN OF INDUSTRY Because he has raced ahead of his peers to consolidate his position as India’s most successful businessman, with the relatively new Reliance Jio becoming the third largest telecom company in just 15 months after its launch with 14 per cent market share and 160 million subscribers in December 2017, while Reliance Industries netted Rs 9,423 crore in profits on revenues of Rs 1.09 lakh crore for the nine months ended December 2017 Because he is the world’s 19th richest man with a net worth of Rs 2.6 lakh crore and has deftly manoeuvred through the telecom landscape exactly as he had done in petrochemicals and oil, triggering consolidation and eliminating a few weak rivals, with those companies either merging with the strong for survival or closing down…

FINANCE WHIZ Because he is the government’s first port of call on issues related to the corporate world, and chaired a committee on corporate governance which recommended sweeping changes in how companies should conduct themselves on issues of good governance Because he doesn’t shy away from speaking his mind when it comes to policy, whether it is saying the Indian banking system is in “stasis” and we need fewer public sector banks, or that old industries are destroying jobs instead of creating them, or recently calling the substantial rise in stock prices a ‘bubble’ Because he is leveraging technology at Kotak Mahindra Bank, India’s third largest private sector bank, to double customer base and looking to acquire businesses across the financial sector. His financial services company has a current market…

THE TROUBLESHOOTER Because he emerged as the consensus candidate to put Infosys—the company he co-founded—back on track in the wake of charges of corporate governance mis-steps. With a new CEO in place, Nilekani’s next mission is to reconstitute the Infosys board Because governments may change but not his status as India’s digital doyen. Nilekani was a Congress candidate in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, but that didn’t stop the Narendra Modi government from seeking his services as digital advisor for cashless transactions, simplifying GST returns and developing IT infrastructure for the National Health Protection Mission Because he is the Modi government’s biggest endorser of the Aadhaar architecture amid questions being raised over data security ANGEL INVESTOR Nilekani’s investment firm Fundamentum will be investing $8-15 million in start-ups this year. The…

BIG DADDY Because he is still the most sought after co-star, be it this year’s Thugs of Hindostan in which he and Aamir Khan come together for the first time, or Brahmastra, in which Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt share screen space with the legend Because he is an influencer. Bachchan has a Tumblr account on which he writes daily; numbers his tweets and shares throwback pictures with anecdotes on Instagram. Because he champions public causes such as Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, Beti Bachao and Beti Padhao and is also an ambassador for UNICEF and WHO BIG DONOR Donated an excavator and tractor to activist Afroz Shah to assist in the clean-up of Versova beach in Mumbai BRANDMEISTER Bachchan currently is the face of at least 11 brands, from jewellery to…

DIGGING DEEP Because the conglomerate has a formidable footprint in India, from copper plants in Tuticorin and Silvassa, to zinc operations and oil blocks in Rajasthan, and bauxite operations in Chhattisgarh, and is planning a $9 billion investment in energy and mineral resources Because the mining giant returned to profit last year and continues to expand its global footprint from Australia to Zambia Because he’s never far from the news—the group’s latest controversy is a copper smelter plant in Tamil Nadu that has prompted thousands to take to the streets in protest Because he regularly brings changes needed in critical policies to the attention of the government through newspaper advertisements, the latest asking the government to “resolve retrospective tax issues to give comfort to foreign investors” in the oil and…

ONE MAN ARMY Because he single-handedly revived the Ram Janmabhoomi case in 2017 by challenging the 2011 verdict of the Allahabad High Court Because he questioned the holding pattern of GSTN, the company that provides the IT backbone of the government’s indirect tax network, forcing the finance ministry to consider taking over the firm Because he is the scourge of many powerful people. He fought a 45-year-old case against IIT Delhi over his salary dues. AIADMK leader V.K. Sasikala was jailed after the Supreme Court verdict in a 20-year-old disproportionate assets case filed by him. Sonia and Rahul Gandhi are on bail in the 2013 National Herald case DID YOU KNOW? As president of the Janata Yuva Morcha (1977—1980), his Nagpur district secretary was Nitin Gadkari, Gorakhpur district president Rajnath…

POWER PACK Because this college dropout-turned-business tycoon, seen to be the closest to Narendra Modi, distanced himself from the power centre after increased public scrutiny of his group’s operations. He has further grown his Rs 71,500 crore business empire through a four-fold expansion of Dhamra port in Odisha to 100 million tonnes capacity Because his group is betting big on defence by setting up a plant in Hyderabad to make a composite aero structure for Hermes 900 drones in a tie-up with Israel’s Elbit Systems Because India’s largest power producer Adani Power’s transmission arm entered the power distribution business by acquiring Reliance Infrastructure’s Mumbai distribution business Because the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence in 2017 nullified all proceedings against the Adani Group firms that were accused of allegedly inflating the total…

UNBREAKABLE BOND Because, in less than three years since its launch in August 2015, Bandhan Bank, serving customers in rural areas, made a splashy debut in the stock markets in March this year. It had a network of 887 branches and 430 ATMs as on December 2017 Because Bandhan Bank, which was started as a microfinance firm with Rs 1.75 lakh borrowed from a local moneylender and some help from family, had a market capitalisation of Rs 56,921 crore as on March 27, 2018, and is the eighth largest bank in India by market capitalisation Because with an asset base of Rs 30,236 crore and total advances of Rs 16,839 crore in 2016-17, Bandhan Bank occupies the 17th position among private sector banks and 38th among all banks in the…

LEADING MAN Because he is the socially conscious star. With Toilet: Ek Prem Katha (2017), which emphasised sanitation, and Pad-Man (2018), which advocated menstrual hygiene, Kumar is doing cinema that preaches even as it entertains Because he is the go-to guy for awareness campaigns—the home ministry’s Bharat Ke Veer initiative to raise money for the families of deceased officers of the Central Armed Police Forces and being the face of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand Because he is prolific. This year, after PadMan, Kumar has an Independence Day release in Gold and makes his southern debut with 2.0. Next year, the actor has Kesari and Housefull 4 GREATER COMMON GOOD Kumar donated Rs 10 lakh to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation for the construction of a bio-toilet…

KHAN AND ABLE Because, despite the setback in the blackbuck poaching case, he remains a bankable star. Producers have already announced three projects featuring the actor— Bharat, Kick 2 and Dabangg3 Because the audience is easily forgiving of Khan’s tainted past. Especially if Bhai, as he is fondly known, can be a rogue secret agent who comes to the rescue of his motherland in Tiger Zinda Hai (2017), which collected Rs 339 crore to become the third biggest release of all time, behind only Baahubali2 and Dangal respectively Because he out-earns his peers. He made over Rs 230 crore last year from endorsements, Bigg Boss, Da-Bangg Tours and films. His income constitutes 8.6 per cent of the total earnings of the top 100 Indian celebrities for the year, according to…

PHARMA KING Because, as managing director of Sun Pharmaceuticals, the world’s fourth largest pharma company, he is driving a restructuring process post the acquisition of troubled Ranbaxy in March 2015 that will see pruning plants and staff, re-examining trade and incentive policies, and streamlining quality control processes Because, despite a Rs 46,800 crore erosion in his net worth after his company’s stocks plunged on FDA warnings at his biggest factories and price slippage in the US market, he is the sixth richest in India and the country’s richest in healthcare Because he has the prime minister’s ear and on February 1 this year, was nominated director to the Central Board of the Reserve Bank of India until March 10, 2021 VALUE CREATOR Started pharma trading firm with Rs 10,000 borrowed…

SWEET SUCCESS Because she is challenging Hollywood’s racial stereotypes with her work on TV (Quantico is in its third season), Hollywood (A Kid Like Jake and Isn’t it Romantic? are out in 2018) and red carpet appearances Because she is the global desi girl. Whether it is hanging out with music legend Quincy Jones at the pre-Grammy gala, meeting PM Narendra Modi in Berlin or bonding with Malala Yousafzai in New York, Chopra is at the right places meeting the most influential people Because she is an activist actor. In her role as UN goodwill ambassador, the actress has travelled to Jordan to highlight the plight of Syria’s child refugees, and to Zimbabwe to garner support for young victims of sexual violence HOMECOMING She joins Salman Khan for Bharat, an…

MONEY MAKER Because the mechanical engineer has successfully steered the finance business of the Bajaj Group with the two firms—Bajaj Finance and Bajaj Finserv—having a consolidated market capitalisation of over Rs 1.9 lakh crore as on April 17, 2018, more than twice that of the traditional business, Bajaj Auto Because profits for the two businesses have risen at a combined annualised growth rate of 54 and 64.7 per cent, respectively. Bajaj has also got into general and life insurance ventures with Allianz of Germany SPORTS STAR He is a sports enthusiast, whose interests range from basketball to tennis ALL EARS Loves listening to audio books…

GLOBAL SUPERSTAR Because he rules the box office not just in India but also in China. Fondly known as Uncle Aamir there, both Dangal and Secret Superstar have surpassed collections at home. No wonder the Narendra Modi government is considering roping him in to improve Indo-China relations Because he is the consistently good Khan. While Shah Rukh (Jab Harry Met Sejal) and Salman’s (Tubelight) fortunes at the box office fluctuate, Aamir is the bankable star. His next is the highly anticipated period action adventure, Thugs of Hindostan, also starring Amitabh Bachchan, Katrina Kaif and Fatima Sana Shaikh Because Khan’s non-profit Paani Foundation has been active since 2016 in educating villagers in Maharashtra about how to save water, to ultimately make the state drought-free. In 2018, over 5,945 villages will compete…

SUCCESS SQUARED Because their home-bred firm Flipkart has successfully withstood the onslaught of rival Amazon India to post a 20 per cent rise in revenue to Rs 19,854 crore in 2016-17 Because Sachin has invested in seven and Binny in 17 startups with a total funding of Rs 169 crore and Rs 208 crore respectively as on December 2017, in domains as wide as edtech platform Unacademy and two-wheeler start-up Ather Energy SOUR POINT When losses jumped 68 per cent to Rs 8,771 crore for the year ended March 2017 HOT TARGET Walmart and Amazon are reportedly in the race to buy Flipkart, with Walmart eyeing 51 per cent stake for about Rs 65,000 crore…

UPHILL RACER Because he has finally found takers for his stressed businesses to pare his debt, with elder brother Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Jio acquiring the group’s wireless infrastructure business of Reliance Communications, and Adani Transmission buying Reliance Infrastructure’s power business in Mumbai Because RCom is laying a 68,000-km undersea cable to carry data across Europe and Asia at a cost of $600 million EMBARRASSING MOMENT Being charged by Congress of having benefited from the Rafale fighter jet deal BEYOND BUSINESS Sent his private jet to bring late actor Sridevi’s mortal remains from Dubai this February…

ARGUMENTATIVE INDIAN Because he is representing Shanti Bhushan in the PIL questioning the Chief Justice of India as “master of the roster”. Last year, Dave represented the wife of former Arunachal Pradesh chief minister Kalikho Pul, arguing that the latter’s suicide note was an allegation against the then Chief Justice, J.S. Khehar Because it was a case he was fighting involving the Medical Council of India that brought the entire procedure for allocation of cases, constitution of benches and the power of the Chief Justice under close scrutiny Because he fights for justice, often pro bono, and is currently representing one of the petitioners demanding an independent probe into the mysterious death of Judge B.H. Loya COOL BUDDY Senior advocate Prashant Bhushan. The two are presently representing the same side,…

MASTER OF INFINITY Because his continuing popularity and election-winning abilities remain an existential threat not just for the Congress but for regional parties too. Hence the aligning of rivals SP-BSP in Uttar Pradesh. Yet, despite bypoll setbacks and opposition unity, he’s still the BJP’s best bet for 2019 Because after a year-and-a-half of uncertainty, his government has put the Indian economy back on track, a faith investors and credit rating agencies have reinforced Because he retains his international appeal, from the US to Russia, Middle East to Southeast Asia DID YOU KNOW? He has enlisted a whole army of people to bring out facets of B.R. Ambedkar. A compilation of his thoughts on Ambedkar, penned by Kishore Makwana, was released in Rashtrapati Bhavan recently *Figures in brackets are 2017 rankings…

MORAL COMPASS Because, despite challenges, he continues to be in complete command of India’s largest cultural organisation, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, after nine years Because, under his helmsman-ship, the RSS now has a firm grip on India’s social and intellectual landscape, with former pracharaks holding the all-important posts of president, vice-president, prime minister as well as governors and heads of various institutions DID YOU KNOW? He regularly meets foreign ambassadors and CEOs of big Indian companies and MNCs as part of an outreach programme…

HIGH-SPEED DOER Because, even after four years, he remains the most efficient minister of the Narendra Modi cabinet. Under his watch, per year road construction under NHAI has gone up from 4,400 km to 9,829 km while the profits of the 12 major ports have quadrupled from Rs 900 crore to Rs 3,700 crore Because he gets along with everyone both inside and outside his party DID YOU KNOW? He plans to start a restaurant offering his favourite Maharashtrian food in the parking plaza opposite his office in Mumbai…

EASTERN PROMISE Because he has almost singlehandedly ensured BJP rule in six of seven Northeastern states Because for any Northeast-related issue, his word is final for the prime minister and BJP president Because the Assam finance minister played able deputy to Union finance minister Arun Jaitley in convincing state FMs to come on board for GST DID YOU KNOW? He practises astrology and was a regular at RSS shakhas in Guwahati during his teens…

AGGRESSIVE DEFENDER Because as a single-point counsel who straddles defence, diplomacy, nuclear matters and the spy agencies, he is the most powerful NSA since Brajesh Mishra in NDA-I Because as key interlocutor with China and Pakistan, he frequently works the hotlines with counterparts in Islamabad and Beijing to defuse tensions DISCREET FLIER Is a globetrotter but is rarely spotted at airports as he uses the jets from R&AW’s air wing…

UBIQUITOUS AMBASSADOR Because he is the Modi government’s unofficial ambassador and troubleshooter for all major development schemes. The Centre not only relies on him for delivery of its schemes but also for making its high-visibility pitch on infrastructure and development Because he coordinates the PM’s flagship scheme of improving education, health, infrastructure and skill development standards of 150 backward districts HIGH PRAISE At a meeting, Modi said he should be renamed “Amitabh Can”…

WINDOWS OF OPPORTUNITY Because in the past year he has done more to revive the sleeping tech giant than anyone thought possible, including achieving the ultimate mission impossible—making Microsoft cool again Because he has achieved the balancing act of making Windows 10 a success—last year it crossed a remarkable 700 million users—while also ensuring the company is no longer reliant on its best known product Because he is making Microsoft a leader in some of the world’s newest emerging industries, from cloud-based services to Artificial Intelligence Because he has in three years made Microsoft one of the most valuable companies, adding by some accounts more than $250 billion in value WORD-SMITH Nadella’s September 2017 book Hit Refresh provides an honest introspection of his journey of self-discovery and how he has…

Pakistan must consider itself a ‘trading rather than a warring nation’, argues Haqqani A former Pakistan ambassador to the United States from 2008 to 2011, high commissioner to Sri Lanka in the early 1990s and also counted by some as amongst the advisors to former prime ministers Nawaz Sharif and Benazir Bhutto, Hussain Haqqani writes, therefore, with an insider’s feel. Elegantly structured and written, serious yet accessible and commonsensical in approach, the book is less a reimagining of Pakistan’s future than a searing indictment of its past and present. Reimagining Pakistan delves further into areas that would be familiar to those who have read Haqqani’s earlier writings or indeed other critiques from the country’s embattled liberals. Peppering the narrative are descriptions and insights into Pakistan’s chronic insecurity syndrome, a mindset…

An analysis this month of political party finances for 2016-17 showed, perhaps obviously, that the BJP is the country’s dominant party, a financial as well as electoral behemoth. While the Congress’s funds dropped in the financial year in question, the BJP’s rose by hundreds of crores. This was reflected in campaign spending in which the BJP dwarfed the Congress total for the year and won a handful of state polls to broaden and tighten its grip over the country. The overwhelming majority of the BJP’s earnings come from voluntary donations. And an overwhelming majority of those donations are from unknown sources. Is it possible, then, as some critics suggest, that a substantial portion of the black money supposedly targeted by demonetisation could have gone into donations to the BJP? 7…

This southern backlash raises the possibility that, come 2019, it may be harder for the BJP to make inroads in the last stretches of south India Since the Terms of Reference (ToR) for the Fifteenth Finance Commission (FFC) were published, a revolt has been brewing in southern states. Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu have been protesting separately, and to some extent together, against potential changes to the basis on which central taxes are allocated across states which could disadvantage richer southern states vis-à-vis poorer and more populous northern states. The clause in the (ToR) that has received the most attention is one which directs the Finance Commission to use population data from the 2011, not 1971, census when making recommendations on the allocation of tax revenues among states.…

The Congress, struggling hard in Karnataka in the face of a determined comeback bid by the BJP, appears to have blundered in the allocation of tickets. A dozen sitting legislators have been denied renomination, ostensibly to make space for 10 new entrants from other parties—a move that has also reduced minority representation, and led to a minor rebellion in the ruling party. Some Congressmen with decades in the party are distraught. V.R. Sudarshan, the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee vice-president and longtime claimant to the Kolar ticket, for instance, announced his resignation 24 hours before the party declared its ‘first list’ of 218 candidates on April 15. “My experience has been overlooked in favour of a political novice; I cannot be witness to this,” says Sudarshan. In fact, the Congress has…

Jan 7 According to the chargesheet, Sanji Ram, a retired revenue official, asks his teenage nephew to abduct the Bakarwal girl who routinely accompanies her family’s horses to the forest near Rasana village. Deepak Khajuria, SPO in Hiranagar, and friend Vikram buy sedatives Jan 10 The juvenile lures the girl into the forest. With friend Parvesh Kumar’s help, he administers sedatives and rapes the unconscious girl. They bring hertothe devasthan,a local shrine where Sanji Ram is priest. Khajuria administers more sedatives to keep the girl comatose Jan 11 The juvenile calls Sanji Ram’s son Vishal in Meerut about the abduction and asks him to come to Rasana. The girl’s adoptive father approaches the Hiranagar police. Two policemen accompany him to Rasana but fail to locate the girl Jan 12 Vishal…

EXPANSION MODE Because he has aggressively pursued the expansion of his Rs 2.8 lakh crore business empire, from viscose filament yarn, branded apparel, carbon black, financial services to telecom Because as non-executive chairman of the combined Vodafone-Idea Cellular entity, he will lead India’s biggest telecom company against competition from Reliance Jio Because he is ever on the prowl for assets that are strategic fits, with UltraTech Cement revising its bid for Binani Cement after losing out to Dalmia Bharat the first time, and concluding the acquisition of Jaiprakash Associates by UltraTech for an enterprise value of Rs 16,189 crore in June 2017 Because the Aditya Birla Group’s total market capitalisation crossed Rs 3.2 lakh crore ($50 billion) for the first time on September 2, 2017, after the mega merger between…

THE GURU OF ALL THINGS Because Patanjali Ayurved is the country’s most omnipresent brand, with a turnover of over Rs 10,000 crore, up from Rs 5,000 crore last fiscal Because Patanjali is expanding its footprint everywhere—yoga training, a wide range of products, educational institutes, mid-day meals in schools and even solar power Because he can silence criticism against Patanjali and himself. The yoga guru got a court injunction against a book critical of him. A video blog allegedly disparaging Patanjali Atta was also taken down DIGITAL DRIVE Patanjali has started investing in online ads. Searches for its products on Google have gone up 11 times in the past four years. YouTube views for Patanjali jumped to 340 million in April 2018 from just 3 million in 2014. Ramdev has 1.7…

HEART OF GOLD Because the second richest Indian with a net worth of $18.8 billion is also its most conscientious capitalist, increasing his philanthropic initiatives by 33 per cent in 2017, taking the corpus of funds under the family’s endowment trusts to Rs 78,000 crore—more than 63 per cent of his wealth Because having steered Wipro since the late 1960s, turning a $2 million hydrogenated cooking fat company into an Indian IT powerhouse with nearly $8 billion in revenues, he was reappointed chairman and managing director for two years in July 2017 Because in October 2017, he received the Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy at a ceremony held at The New York Public Library, after becoming the first Indian to sign the Giving Pledge, a philanthropy movement started by Bill and…

TRAIL BLAZER Because with a net worth of $14.5 billion, he is ranked among the top 100 global billionaires. He saw his fortune rise by $1.8 billion in FY 2018. HCL Technologies is investing in the future, having pumped in $780 million into five intellectual property partnerships with IBM Because he has been a trail blazer in corporate philanthropy, donating Rs 630 crore in 2016 to the Shiv Nadar Foundation, supporting causes as varied as art, education and healthcare Because the Shiv Nadar Foundation is building an ecosystem of high quality education in India, with the Shiv Nadar University and the Shiv Nadar and Vidya­Gyan schools, the last aiming to identify and nurture gifted underprivileged students COUPLE GOALS Wife and Shiv Nadar Foundation trustee Kiran Nadar’s team won the fifth…

SPEEDY DELIVERY Because, in over four years, he has built Amazon India into a formidable e-tail giant to take on rival Flipkart, garnering a 44 per cent customer share and a growth rate 50 per cent faster than the competition as of December 2017. Amazon offers more than 160 million products on its platform Because after getting the go-ahead from the Reserve Bank of India to expand the scope of its digital payments business, Amazon India is preparing to make a big push into digital payments and compete aggressively with Paytm, Freecharge and arch-rival Flipkart’s payment business, PhonePe JOBS ZONE More than 285,000 small and medium entrepreneurs make their livelihood on Amazon…

MR BANKABLE Because he stands tall among bankers. At a time when the sector is passing through its toughest phase with rising bad loans and allegations of fraud and nepotism, the country’s largest and most valuable private lender HDFC Bank with market capitalisation of over Rs 5 lakh crore reported a net profit of Rs 4,642.6 crore for the quarter ended December 2017—an increase of more than 20 per cent over the corresponding period last year Because steering HDFC Bank since 1994, he is the only Indian on Fortune’s ‘Businessperson of the Year’ ranking of world’s top 20 heads of companies, at 18th position in November 2017 Because HDFC bank has launched a fund to help start-ups access capital as it seeks to expand itself in this space FAVOURITE MOVIES…

RISING STAR Because Star India’s video streaming platform Hotstar has 75 million active subscribers. On April 10, it set a global record with 5.5 million viewers tuning in for the Chennai Super Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders IPL match Because Star Sports outbid Sony and Reliance Jio to bag the BCCI media rights for Rs 6,138.1 crore which entitles them to cover the men in blue’s home bilateral series for five years Because rebranding of Life OK as Star Bharat has placed it among the top three in the general entertainment category DID YOU KNOW? Though a professional rival, Punit Goenka, the MD and CEO of Zee Entertainment, is a friend…

DREAM QUEEN Because she has moved out of her husband Mukesh Ambani’s shadow to carve a niche for herself in the education, philanthropic and sports arena, touching the lives of more than 15 million people across 13,500 villages and 80 urban locations Because Reliance Foundation, one of the largest private foundations in the country, plans to set up a university for cutting-edge research and innovation as well as nurturing future leaders, musicians, scientists and Olympians Because, through her foundation’s grassroots programme, Reliance Foundation Youth Sports has reached out to 13 million budding sportspeople and athletes, with the aim of transforming India into a multi-sports nation Because she is Mumbai’s most loved hostess, throwing lavish parties at her home, Antilia, the latest being to celebrate her son Akash’s engagement with Shloka…

DETERMINED DRONACHARYA Because he has mentored a crop of globally top ranking badminton players, like none has in the annals of an individual sport in India Because he has transformed his training academy in Hyderabad into a medal factory, harvesting at least one from all major world competitions through his protégés—Saina Nehwal, P.V. Sindhu, Kidambi Srikanth and Parupalli Kashyap Because Indian shuttlers put up their best ever show at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, bagging the team gold, a gold and silver in women’s singles, a silver each in men’s singles and men’s doubles and a bronze in women’s doubles ALL IN THE FAMILY Daughter Gayatri, 15, has won her first all-India badminton tourney; son Sai, 13, is a budding star…

MEDIA MOGUL Because he wears two hats—as a member of Parliament and a pioneer in the media industry. As a parliamentarian, he is part of the standing committee on information technology which also looks into issues relating to the media Because, till recently, he was the key driving force behind Zee Entertainment Enterprises, now run by sons Punit and Amit—which has 75 channels and reaches one billion viewers in 171 countries. Chandra stepped down as chairman of Zee Media a month before his election to the Rajya Sabha Because the Zee Group is looking at expanding its footprint into the government-supported skilling and vocational segment and has acquired a 44.5 per cent stake in MT Educare. Chandra’s Rs 5,000 crore fund for encouraging startups was lauded by the Prime Minister,…

WORD SMITH Because in an increasingly hypernationalistic narrative dominated by Hindutva and Hindi, Tharoor has emerged as the voice of dissent, defined by the strength of argument, scholarship and language Because the best-selling author—his latest book, Why I am a Hindu, offers a pluralist perspective of Hinduism—also knows how to stay relevant in public discourse with his keen insights Because he is India’s original social media superstar, now belting out regular vocabulary lessons. In the last one year, he has sent Twitter (he has 6.7 million followers) into a frenzy by introducing words such as ‘lalochezia’, ‘farrago’, ‘webaqoof’ and ‘glibido’ Because despite courting controversy, he remains a favourite of Congress president Rahul Gandhi. He now heads the party’s professional wing OOPS! He was trolled recently when he mistakenly posted a…

SOUTHERN SAVANT Because the Rajya Sabha MP and enterpreneur-media baron’s Suvarna TV and Asianet News straddle his adopted state, Karnataka, and native state Kerala. In his third term in the Upper House, this time as a BJP member, he is crucial to the party’s southern strategy Because as a dogged litigant in cases like the polluted Bellandur lake to opposing a monstrous steel flyover, he has placed himself as a civic crusader in Bengaluru. The MP could swing urban votes in the city Because he has a knack for spotting issues well before they become talking points. He was one of the petitioners in the 2017 Right to Privacy case which led to a landmark Supreme Court judgment declaring privacy to be a fundamental right TOUCH THE SKIES Bought and…

TOP GEAR Because the Maruti Suzuki veteran who has spent close to four decades with the firm has seen the company gain over 50 per cent market share in one of the world’s fastest growing markets populated by the biggest names in the business Because Maruti Suzuki has constantly defied the global law of the automobile industry that large multinationals always dominate markets, with a 2017 product portfolio of 16 models priced between Rs 2.5 lakh and Rs 14 lakh and over 2,000 outlets Because this cool-headed 1956 batch IAS topper, who was plucked from engineering firm BHEL in 1981 to head marketing at Maruti, is also the latter’s ultimate crisis manager, and is an advisor and mentor to both industrialists and bureaucrats on business matters NOT EV READY “Before…

ON THE RIGHT TRACK Because HeroMotocorp continues to be India’s largest two-wheeler manufacturer, surpassing seven million units in cumulative sales in calendar year 2017, and becoming the first two-wheeler in the world to register two million sales in a quarter (July to September 2017) Because he has emerged as a flag-bearer of the Make in India campaign. The company has announced it will invest Rs 1,600 crore in developing a greenfield manufacturing facility in Andhra Pradesh, the eighth such besides the five in India and one each in Columbia and Bangladesh Because he is looking to expand his footprint into healthcare, offering to invest Rs 1,250 crore along with the Burmans of Dabur into Fortis GREAT PASSION He hosts The Hero World Challenge with Tiger Woods, bringing the best names…

THE WARRIOR PRINCESS Because her first release in over two years, Padmaavat, breached the Rs 300 crore club, despite not releasing in Gujarat and Rajasthan Because she got an estimated Rs 13 crore for Padmaavat, more than her male co-stars Ranveer Singh and Shahid Kapoor Because she didn’t let death threats prevent her from airing her concerns publicly on how the lunatic fringe attacked her film Because she is the face brands seek, endorsing 18 brands currently POWERFUL MOMENT When she said, “Where have we reached as a nation? We have regressed,” to a newswire, and tweeted, “Absolutely heartbreaking to see the recent attack on artist Karan and his artwork!”, after Karan K’s rangoli inspired by the film’s poster was vandalised…

HITS AND THE MRS Because she’s one of the few superstars who mix big budget, star-led projects with smaller, content-driven ones. As founder of Clean Slate Films, she has produced and starred in movies such as NH10, Phillauri and Pari and brought fresh writers and directors to Bollywood Because she’s the only leading lady to have two Rs 300 crore-plus hits, PK and Sultan, to her name Because she is the advertiser’s favourite and currently endorses 14 brands and has one of her own, clothing line Nush. Her popularity has only increased post her marriage to India’s top sportsman, Virat Kohli. The power couple’s brand worth is estimated to grow from Rs 600 crore to Rs 1,000 crore UP NEXT A cameo in Rajkumar Hirani’s biopic on Sanjay Dutt; in…

THE CHRONICLER Because at a time when history is being distorted, his command and knowledge of the subject brings clarity, and his sequel to India After Gandhi is keenly awaited by fans and baiters alike Because he is widely read and respected and was given the rare honour of a Festschrift on the occasion of his sixtieth birthday to commemorate his work, featuring writings and papers presented by eminent scholars at a two day-workshop organised by the Ashoka University, Oxford University Press and Penguin Because he cares for the good cause whether it is in the field of cricket or in the realm of ideas. One of the four members of the Committee of Administrators appointed by the Supreme Court to run the BCCI last year, he stepped down citing…

FORCE MULTIPLIER Because he remains an ace electoral strategist, notching win after win, taking the BJP tally to 18 states in which it is in government directly or indirectly, including in the Northeast. The recent bypoll defeats, though, could be the first warning signs of fallibility Because the prime minister continues to have unerring faith in his deputy, relying on him in all matters of policy and governance DID YOU KNOW? He is deeply attached to wife Sonal and son Jay, whom he calls at least once a day, wherever in India or the world he might be in…

ALL IN THE NAME Because mother and son have been working behind the scenes to unite all Opposition parties, and speak in one voice against the Narendra Modi government Because they are striving to emphasise that while the arithmetic of a united Opposition may work without the Congress, there will be no chemistry to bind them Because Rahul, as party president, has been steadily shaping the Grand Old Party in his vision. He has preempted rebellion from veterans while managing to prop up young leaders of his choice DID YOU KNOW? Sonia’s favourite dessert is mille-feuille, a French pastry; Rahul can never have enough of steamed momos…

THE FIREFIGHTER Because the artful negotiator is seen as the BJP’s chief troubleshooter in sensitive areas such as the Northeast and Kashmir, managing fragile alliances with politicians such as Mehbooba Mufti and Neiphu Rio Because he is involved in non-governmental diplomatic affairs with neighbouring countries such as Nepal, Sri Lanka and with major powers such as the US, Russia and China. He played a key role in smoothening the ruffled feathers of Nepal PM K.P. Oli Sharma Because he is the BJP’s key link to the RSS top leadership. He also runs the think-tank India Foundation, a forum for right-wing intellectuals DID YOU KNOW? He writes columns during flights and is a voracious reader of non-fiction books…

An incredible story wafting around the power corridors late last year had National Security Advisor Ajit Doval as a contender for the Union defence minister’s post. The security czar’s promotion to one of the four key cabinet posts did not finally come to pass, but even if it had, it would have been no surprise. The Narendra Modi government playbook is heavily reliant on the bureaucracy to deliver results. This could be a result of Modi being the first sitting chief minister to be directly vaulted into the PM’s chair and replicating the state model of a close-knit bureaucracy at the Centre. But as last September’s cabinet reshuffle showed, the government has now gone a step further by putting bureaucrats in the driver’s seat. Four of Doval’s colleagues in the…

THE SELECTOR Because he is among the few bureaucrats the PM has implicit trust in. Mishra was his principal secretary when he first became Gujarat CM Because he vets postings and transfers of key central servants not just in government but also PSUs, the banking sector, security services and even the MEA. Has limited the corrupt ‘transfer posting raj’ system through policy tweaks Because his clean-up of the Padma awards selection process has made them merit-based and inspirational CAPITAL ACCOUNT Mishra did a doctorate in economics under renowned British economist Michael Lipton…

PERSONAL TOUCH Because he has brought quality to the entire process of postings of officials in central government under the leadership of additional principal secretary, P.K. Mishra Because as the most senior IAS officer in the PMO, he is one of its main links with the bureaucracy across ministries. Complaints first come to him before travelling up the chain to P.K. Mishra SECRET SINGER Known to break into song at family gatherings. Is a huge Lata Mangeshkar fan. Favourite number: ‘O sajana, barkha bahaar aayi’…

MAIN MANDARIN Because in just three months after taking over as the top diplomat, he has pushed a new foreign policy line, from steering a reset in relations with Beijing to prioritising a more robust focus on the immediate neighbourhood Because the former ambassador to China has the PM’s ear. His hard-nosed realist view of the world and his coolheaded demeanour helped in the parleys with China to defuse the border stand-off in Doklam last year THE BIG TAIL Gokhale rarely misses morning walks with his pet Rottweiler…

FUTURE CLICK Because he has become the most coveted tech CEO in the world, with his humility and foresight leaving him fortified against the global anger being aimed at the hubris of Silicon Valley’s giants (we’re looking at you, Mark Zuckerberg) Because last year he bet big on Artificial Intelligence—which he declared would be a more disruptive invention “than fire or electricity”—and positioned Google to become the world’s leader in AI, from self-driving cars to machine learning Because he has shown Silicon Valley and Corporate America that you don’t need to be arrogant to be successful FIGHTING FAKE NEWS Google and YouTube haven’t been entirely shielded from the public anger on internet sites spreading fake news. Google this year said it would no longer show search results from sites that…

FORGING AHEAD Because the steel tycoon has ceaselessly pushed to expand his already considerable empire, with his latest gambit a bid for Essar Steel to expand his footprint in India, and wields considerable influence in Britain’s relations with India Because he last year increased his net worth, despite the global troubles plaguing the steel industry, and is now valued at £14.6 billion, according to the ‘Sunday Times Rich List’, making him the second richest person in Britain after the Hinduja brothers FORGING IDEAS The Mittal family last year donated $25 million to Harvard University’s South Asia Institute, which will now be known as the Lakshmi Mittal South Asia Institute…

THE NEXT BIG THING Because she is fast becoming one of the most prominent leaders of the Democratic Party as it struggles to fill the post-Hillary Clinton vacuum and combat Donald Trump ahead of the forthcoming mid-term elections Because the first Indian-American to be elected to the Senate is rumoured to be considering a bid for President in 2020 Because of her support for immigrants amid Trump’s anti-immigrant rhetoric NO LOVE LOST Harris made her feelings towards Trump clear when asked by TV host Ellen, “If you had to be stuck in an elevator with either President Trump, (Vice President) Mike Pence or (Attorney General) Jeff Sessions, who would it be?” She replied, “Does one of us have to come out alive?” The Right, needless to say, was incensed…