Top 10 Most Famous Indian Persons

India is a melting pot of different ethnicities. Many of its people find their identity in religion. India is proud of many great men and women that have been recognized and esteemed the world over.

We have included the well-known Indian personalities on this page along with their nicknames. These well-known individuals include saints, statesmen, singers, social reformers, and freedom fighters. 

Here’s a list of the top 10 famous Indian people.

1. Mahatma Gandhi

Mahatma Gandhi is considered the father of India as he led the nationalist movement against British rule in India. He championed non-violent protest in pursuit of political and social progress and had achievements to this end. Gandhi was born in 1869 and was assassinated in 1948- his crime, he was too accommodating to Muslims during the Partition of India. Gandhi was accommodating of all religions and had just conducted multi-faith prayer meetings on the evening of his death.

Gandhi was a lawyer, anti-colonial nationalist, and political ethicist. He identified with the peasants and tried to live modestly. Gandhi’s start was not glorious at all! He read his first newspaper at age 18 and had little interest in politics. He wasn’t a good orator. He however kept at it and blossomed into a great political campaigner. Gandhi also unsuccessfully tried to start a law practice in India for two years. He however kick-started his law career in South Africa, where he also raised his family.

Mahatma Gandhi was famous during his lifetime and even more after his death. He achieved worldwide recognition. Many Indians esteem him as a saintly and almost godlike figure.

2. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam

Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam was India’s president from 2002 to 2007. He is also one of India’s most celebrated scientists and statesmen, as well as an author. Dr. Kalam was a trained aeronautical engineer who significantly advanced rocketry in India’s Defense Research and Development Organization and Indian Space Research Organization. He is credited with raising India to join the community of spacefaring nations.

Dr. Kalam was highly esteemed by the Indian people and named one of India’s two most trusted men- this happened when India’s politicians ranked lowly. He was the recipient of India’s highest civilian award, Bharat Ratna.

3. Narendra Modi

Narendra Modi is the leader with the most Twitter followers! He was also ranked the 15th most powerful person in the world in 2014. Modi is India’s Prime Minister with several highest awards by many nations and organizations. Under his leadership, India has seen a rise in its global standing and recognition. His leadership is seen as transformational, and this has earned him many significant awards from organizations and countries.

4. Kalpana Chawla

Kalpana Chawla put her country on the map as the first woman of Indian origin to go to space! She was also the first woman to study aeronautical engineering at Punjab Engineering College. For her feats, she is honoured as a national hero in India and was awarded the Congressional Space Medal of Honor.

Chawla was aboard the Space Shuttle Colombia in 1997 which cost her life together with those of the other six crew members that were aboard it. The spacecraft disintegrated during its re-entry into the Earth’s atmosphere.

Kalpana Chawla was a certified pilot with a commercial license for seaplanes, multi-engine aeroplanes, and gliders. Additionally, she was a certified flight instructor for gliders and aeroplanes. Today you will find buildings, streets, and institutions named in her honour.

5. Indira Gandhi

Indira Gandhi was the first female Prime Minister of India and the second longest-serving at that. Since her time, India has not had another female Prime Minister. Indira was inducted into the political scene early in life. She was a member of the working committee of the Congress Party when her father took office in 1947. Indira became a member of the upper chamber of the Indian parliament and minister of information and broadcasting.

It is evident that Indira was no stranger to politics and the controversy that came with the territory- she once was expelled from the party and was imprisoned on corruption charges. Indira was the first government leader to recognize the sovereignty and creation of Bangladesh. When she was assassinated in her garden by two of her own bodyguards, Indira Gandhi was succeeded by her son Rajiv.

6. Shanmukhavadivu Subbulakshmi

Singer Madurai Shanmukhavadivu Subbulakshmi makes the list of the top 10 Indian people– the first Indian to perform in the United Nations General Assembly in 1966. Subbulakshmi was the first Indian musician to receive the Ramon Magsaysay award, considered Asia’s Nobel Prize as well as the Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian honour. Subbulakshmi was an Indian Carnatic singer from Madurai, Tamil Nadu. Her genre or style was classical and semi-classical songs in the Carnatic tradition of South India. Her first music recording was at 10 years old- she had an early start in music and gave concerts on her own by age 17!

Subbulakshmi’s various debut performances moulded her into one of the leading Carnatic vocalists. Her performance at the prestigious Madras Music Academy, when she was only 13 years old, earned her an even bigger name and admiration in the music fraternity. Her music also had her travel the world as India’s cultural ambassador. As you might expect, a musician of her calibre had many awards under her belt.

7. Rasipuram Krishnaswami Iyer Narayanaswami

Rasipuram Krishnaswami Iyer Narayanaswami is easily the best fictional writer from India and one of the best in the world. His school days were mostly spent reading and writing, and what he couldn’t achieve in the grades he made up for in his writing. His college years and English teaching days affirmed his gift of writing and desire to become an actual writer.

Rasipuram’s publications are world-renowned with a significant impact. His books such as ‘The Financial Expert’, ‘Mr. Sampath’ and ‘Waiting for the Mahatma’ are very popular. He has also written amazing essays, and truly is one of the best novelists worldwide. Among his many awards are the Nobel Prize in Literature, AC Benson medal award, Sahitya Akademi Award, Padma Bhushan, and the American Academy of Arts and Letters.

Such great a writer was Narayan that his Mysore home was converted into a museum in his honour. His writing gave his audience a look into the other side of society, and the different experiences of diverse people.

8. Lakshmi Bai

Growing up a Brahman girl, in the company of boys, Lakshmi Bai was trained in martial arts and could sword fight as well as ride as she was raised in the Baji Rao II’s court, the leader of the people She was the queen of Jhansi and a leader of the Indian Mutiny.

Bai stands out and makes the list of the top 13 Indian people for her uprising against the British when she ruled on behalf of a minor heir. During this period, Bai rapidly organized her troops and assumed charge of the rebels in the Bundelkhand region. She also rallied support from Mutineers in the neighbouring areas. In battle, Bai wasn’t one to surrender even in the most difficult of circumstances- she led with such bravado. It is no surprise that she was killed in battle.

9. Shashi Tharoor

Dr Shashi Tharoor is the Member of Parliament for the Thiruvananthapuram constituency and Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs. He is also a celebrated author of fiction and non-fiction.

Shashi Tharoor was amongst the first politicians to use social media for political engagement and was until 2013 the most followed Indian politician on Twitter.  He was elected to Parliament in 2009 and has served in various capacities.

Tharoor is a recognized personality in India with much experience in matters of politics, economics, and diplomacy among other subjects. He served at the United Nations for three decades as a peacekeeper, refugee worker, and high-level administrator. He was a candidate for the United Nations Secretary-General position.

10. Priyanka Chopra

She is one of India’s most popular entertainers that has received many awards and accolades. Priyanka holds the Miss World 2000 title and has been named in the list of 100 most influential people in the world as well as the World’s 100 Most Powerful Women. She immerses herself in social issues like education, hunger, and equal rights for women.

Priyanka is a Bollywood star whose career pivoted to Hollywood. She continues to oscillate between the two industries and was the first South Asian actress to lead an American series for her role in “Quantico”.