CNN-News18 Indian of the Year recognised the exceptional contributions of remarkable individuals across a diverse range of categories. This year’s honours included Jay Shah, Harmanpreet Kaur, Ahaan Panday, Aneet Padda, Baba Kalyani, Suruchi Phogat, Lt Cdr Roopa A, Lt Cdr Dilna K, Rauf Wani, Sajjad Ahmad Bhat, Deepika TC and the Blind Women’s Cricket Team, Chef Vijay Kumar, Revant Himatsingka, Aditya Mukarji and Chhonzin Angmo.
CNN-News18, India’s No.1 English News channel, celebrated the 15th edition of star-studded ‘Indian of the Year’ on 28th November. The edition opened on a high note, bringing together prominent leaders from across sectors under one roof. The event celebrated and honoured individuals whose grit, vision and accomplishments have helped shape India’s evolving story.
The 2025 edition, themed ‘India’s Invincible Icons’, paid tribute to changemakers who embody courage, perseverance and an unwavering spirit, figures who stand as powerful symbols of progress in a rapidly transforming India.
This year’s edition of the Indian of the Year Awards celebrated an extraordinary lineup of achievers who left an unforgettable mark on the nation. Among the distinguished winners were Baba Kalyani, Chairman of Bharat Forge Limited and Kalyani Strategic Systems Limited, honoured with the Business Award, and Suruchi Phogat, who received the Rising Sports Star Award. Phogat, a rising force in Indian shooting, recently clinched her third consecutive ISSF World Cup gold in Munich.
Lt Cdr Roopa A and Lt Cdr Dilna K have received the Youth Icon Award for completing a historic circumnavigation as the first Indian duo to sail around the globe in double-handed mode aboard INSV Tarini under the Navika Sagar Parikarma II mission.
Rauf Wani and Sajjad Ahmad Bhat were awarded the Braveheart Indians Award for exemplifying courage and humanity during the Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir, where they played a crucial role in rescuing victims.
Deepika TC–led Blind Women’s Cricket Team won the Special Inspiring Champions Award after recently making history by winning the inaugural T20 World Cup for the Blind in November 2025. The Global Indian of the Year was awarded to Chef Vijay Kumar. Vijay Kumar was also honoured as Best Chef: New York State by the James Beard Foundation.
Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda, the lead actors of the recent blockbuster film Saiyaara, were named the Gen Z Icons of the Year. This win marked their first-ever major award-show recognition, making it an incredibly special moment for them.
‘Food Pharmer’ Revant Himatsingka won the Influencer of the Year Award. Revant is a nutrition educator and social media influencer who raises awareness about the nutritional values of the foods people consume.
Aditya Mukarji, a dedicated plastic warrior whose nature-focused campaigns have helped eliminate millions of single-use plastic items from the hospitality sector, was honoured with the Climate Warrior Award.
Chhonzin Angmo, the first blind Indian woman to scale Mount Everest, was honoured with the Iconic Woman Achiever Award, having trained relentlessly to achieve this remarkable feat despite her disability.
ICC Chairman Jay Shah was honoured with the Outstanding Achievement Award for his contributions to Indian cricket, including introducing pay parity for women players and launching the Women’s Premier League (WPL). Harmanpreet Kaur, captain of the victorious Indian Women’s World Cup team, was honoured with the Champion of the World Award. She led India to triumph in the 2025 Women’s Cricket World Cup, secured the Women’s Asia Cup titles in 2012, 2016, and 2022, and won a gold medal at the 2022 Asian Games.
Speaking at the event, Shah dedicated his award to India’s women’s cricket and the current team that won the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025. Shah reflected on his tenure as BCCI secretary and discussed the significant steps taken to improve Indian cricket, including strengthening Indian domestic cricket, cracking a grand media rights deal, and more. “We strengthened the domestic cricket structure, implemented pay parity, launched the WPL, and successfully completed a ₹50,000 crore media rights deal, all without any controversy,” he said.
Winning the award, Harmanpreet Kaur said, “Lifting the World Cup was a dream we cherished since childhood. I would like to thank Jay Shah for his contributions to the Women’s cricket team, the pay parity and the Women’s Premier League (WPL) initiatives have been immensely helpful.”
CNN-News18’s ‘Indian of the Year’ award, regarded as India’s premier news television honour, has a rich legacy of recognising exceptional individuals across various fields who have elevated the nation’s global standing through their inspiring contributions. Selected by an elite jury, this year’s winners were individuals whose dedication has touched lives and inspired millions.
Over the years, the honour has been bestowed upon some of the country’s most prominent achievers, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Shah Rukh Khan, Neeraj Chopra, Virat Kohli, NGO Stop Acid Attacks, Viswanathan Anand, A.R. Rahman, Manmohan Singh, ISRO, Kailash Satyarthi, Mary Kom, Deepika Padukone, N. Chandrasekaran and Arvind Kejriwal, among many others.