India's movers & shakers

Ratan Tata, chairman of Rs 79,000 crore Tata group is considered as the doyen of the new era of business enterprises in the Indian mainland. He grabbed the headlines more than any other business tycoon in India in 2008, which was a year of cars for him. Nano, the dream project of Ratan Tata and the vehicle meant to herald a revolution by making it possible for the world's poor to purchase their first car, became a reality after meeting more than its fair share of potholes. Meanwhile, Tata's acquisition of British icons Jaguar and Land Rover was watched with envy and admiration everywhere.

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan also known as Ash is often named amongst the most glamorous women in the world. She was crowned Miss World in the year 1994. After winning the Miss World title, she became one of the most popular stars in the Indian film industry. Ash is also referred to as the Queen of Bollywood. Through the years, Aishwarya Rai has been nominated for and received several national and international awards. She began her international career making an appearance in Bride & Prejudice and then grabbed a role in Pink Panther in 2008 to share screen space with Steve Martin. The gorgeous actress and brand ambassador of L'Oreal attended the opening night of the 62nd Cannes Film Festival.

The tide turned against the terrorists who attacked Mumbai on 26th November 2008 as soon as the NSG commandoes stepped in. They fought one of the harshest battles inside the Taj Hotel, Nariman House and other places in Mumbai. The scenes of commandoes dropping in from the heliocopter on one of the buildings near Nariman House. The NSG lost two men - Sandeep Unnikrishnan and Gajendra Singh. 14 Mumbai police personnel were also killed including the head of its Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) Hemant Karkare.

A well-known activist for social and economic justice, Suzanna Arundhati Roy won the Booker Prize in 1997 for her novel, 'The God of Small Things'. She is a well known activist for social and economic justice and has championed the cause of many. She has been vocal in campaigning against the Narmada dam project. Arundhati Roy has also been awarded the Sydney Peace Prize in May 2004 for her work in social campaigns and her advocacy of non-violence.

Known as 'Mozart of Madras', Allah Rakha Rahman has sold more than 100 million records of his film scores and soundtracks worldwide, making one of the world's all-time top selling recording artists. In 2009, for his score of Slumdog Millionaire, Rahman won two Academy Awards for the best original music score and best original song at the 2009 Oscars. His first soundtrack for 'Roja' was listed in Time's '10 Best Soundtracks' of all time in 2005.

Known as the 'King' of Bollywood, Shahrukh Khan is one of the few who has made a successful transition from television serials to films. He gave us memorable flicks like 'Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge' and 'Om Shanti Om' to name a few. In 2008, 'Newsweek' named him one of the 50 most powerful people in the world. The marketing rights of his latest flick 'My Name Is Khan' has been bagged by Fox Studios for Rs 1 bn. SRK has been felicitated with many awards including 'Padma Shri'. He also owns the 'Kolkata Knight Riders' in the Indian Premier League. He is the new face of India across the world and has made a mark with his hard work and sheer charm.

He gave us the soul stirring blockbuster 'Rang De Basanti' for which he won the National Film Award for his flawless direction, Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra started his career as an adman and directed television commercials for clients such as Coke, Pepsi, Toyota, American Express and BPL. Not just the film, Mehra was successful in showing the power on public anger. After that many struggles against injustice have taken the same shape as shown in the film. Though 'Delhi 6' could not rake much moolah at the box office, but Mehra's aim of films based on a message is clear. Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra is already working on a film titled 'Bhairavi' and is all set to woo the audiences with the magnum opus 'Paanch Kaurav'.

Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi has been playing an active role in revitalising the fate of the party with his new brand of politics. His grassroots activisms have helped the party in building deep connections with rural India. Though some of his comments in recent times have landed him in a soup but he is credited with reviving his party fortune in Uttar Pradesh in the 2009 Lok Sabha elections. Referred to as RG, in his party circle, Rahul Gandhi has always condemned divisive politics in the country and has tried to reduce caste and religious tensions.

From playing an instrumental role in the passing of the Indo-US civilian nuclear agreement to pulling up the sagging fortune of the Congress party, Dr Manmohan Singh has been pivotal in India's rise to a global power. During his tenure as the Finance Minister, Manmohan Singh initiated many economic reforms in India which resulted in the end of the infamous Licence Raj system in 1991. Even thou his adversaries have called him the weakest prime minister the country has ever had, Manmohan Singh has been widely credited in propelling the United Progressive Alliance to power for its second term making him the first Indian Prime Minister since Jawaharlal Nehru to return to power after completing a full five-year term.

He broke India's jinx at the Olympics by becoming the first Indian to win an individual gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics by winning the gold in the 10 m Air Rifle event.

'If cricket is religion, then Sachin is God', is enough to describe what Sachin Tendulkar is to his fans all over the world. The Master Blaster has been the pioneer of cricket and arguably one of the best batsmen in the world of cricket. He is the highest run-maker in both the One-Day Internationals and Test version of the game with highest number of centuries and he is raring for more. The little master has been the nemesis for bowlers all over the world and continues to haunt them on any surface. His ability to play according to the situation makes him almost perfect.

The only man in the history of chess to win the world title in all formats, Viswanathan Anand, always attributes his success to his family who stood by him on the way to realise his dream.

Mr G. Madhavan Nair, Chairman of Indian Space Research Organisation is over the moon these days. The India spacecraft called Chandrayaan-1, designed to land on the moon had a perfect launch and landed on the moon. Following the mission, India has emerged as an 'offshore' space services provider, showing that its talented race and culture can compete in this high value export market. Nair, during his tenure as ISRO Chairman, oversaw 25 successful satellite and launch vehicle missions.

Known for his efficiency and integrity, the Metro Man could not sit quietly as a span of the under-construction elevated route came crashing down in south Delhi killing five people and wounding 15. He submitted resignation, taking moral responsibility of the disaster. Such have been his credentials that that the government was hesitant to accept his resignation. No wonder he was even called to Pakistan for the development of the Lahore Metro. In the 1990s, Sreedharan built the 470-mile Konkan Railway on India's western coast, the first major railway project since the British left India. Moreover, Sreedharan is credited with introducing organisational values and a work ethic that have inspired his men and set a benchmark for others.

Few people could handle either the presidential or the chief financial officer job at a company worth $100 billion. But not only has Nooyi held both offices since 2001, but also named as 2009 CEO of the Year by Global Supply Chain Leaders Group (GSCLG) for promoting socially responsible business practices. Simple ideals, sharpness and conviction - that's the success mantra of the triumphant CEO of beverages major Pepsico, who was ranked No.4 on Forbes magazine's annual survey of the 100 most powerful women in the world.