3 Indians named among 100 most influential people by TIME magazine

Google CEO Sundar Pichai, Michelin-star chef Vikas Khanna, actor Ranbir Kapoor, YouTube Chief Neal Mohan and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani have been named among the 100 most influential people in the world by TIME this year.

TIME released its list of the ‘100 Most Influential People of 2026’ on Wednesday, a compilation that includes global pioneers, leaders, and titans to artists, innovators, and icons. The list includes global leaders such as US President Donald Trump, Pope Leo XIV, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Prime Minister of Canada Mark Carney, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and commander of the 2026 Artemis II Reid Wiseman. Emphasising that honorees on the list are “changing culture in unprecedented ways,” TIME said “that evolution is inspired by the knowledge that influence comes in many forms, as captured in the 2026 TIME100: a character imagined by novelist Tayari Jones; a meal prepared by chef Vikas Khanna; a moment captured by photographer Lynsey Addario, whose work has been featured in TIME since the Afghanistan war.”

“We are inspired by the heroics of Olympians on this year’s list, including Alysa Liu, Hilary Knight, and Chloe Kim-as we are by the genius of doctors like Kiran Musunuru and Rebecca Ahrens-Nicklas. Influence, as we often say, has no age requirement. The list includes both 96-year-old Huerta and 35-year-old Balendra Shah, elected Nepal’s Prime Minister following the country’s Gen Z protests,” it added.

On Pichai, the TIME magazine profile said “Few leaders have brought artificial intelligence to more people” than him. “Since becoming CEO of Google in 2015, he has overseen the translation and implementation of Google’s research breakthroughs into products used by billions.”

It added that even though Google is 27 years old, Pichai’s leadership has “emphasized startup-like nimbleness, launching innovative AI products” such as Google AI Studio, Notebook LM, Gemini CLI and Antigravity.

The TIME profile for Khanna describes him as a “man of extraordinary heart.  “His generosity extends far beyond the kitchen, reaching communities across the world with compassion, dignity, and a deep sense of responsibility. What makes Vikas so unique is his ability to connect with people from every walk of life, using food as a universal language to build bridges and foster understanding,” James Beard Award–winning chef and co-owner of Le? Bernardin Eric Ripert wrote in the TIME profile for Khanna.

Khanna carries his culture with “immense pride”, sharing the richness of Indian traditions while making them accessible and meaningful to a global audience.

“With Bungalow, he has created more than a restaurant-it is a living expression of storytelling,” the profile said.