TIME’s 2025 list of the 100 Most Influential People includes global figures like Donald Trump and Muhammad Yunus in the ‘Leaders’ category but no Indian nationals — a notable break from past years. However, Indian-origin Reshma Kewalramani, CEO of Vertex Pharmaceuticals, has been featured.
US President Donald Trump and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus are among the global names featured in the ‘Leaders’ category of TIME magazine’s 2025 list of the 100 Most Influential People. The annual list, released on April 17, recognises individuals across politics, science, the arts and activism — but for the first time in recent years, no Indian national has been included. The list, however, does include Indian-origin Reshma Kewalramani, the US-based CEO of Vertex Pharmaceuticals, in the prestigious ‘Leaders’ category.
Kewalramani, who migrated from India to the United States at the age of 11, is recognized as the first woman to lead a major publicly traded U.S. biotech firm. Under her leadership, Vertex secured the first-ever FDA approval for a CRISPR-based gene-editing therapy that treats sickle cell disease, a landmark in genomic medicine.
TIME’s profile of Kewalramani, written by entrepreneur and author Jason Kelly, praised her ability to “push the limits of science while navigating the drug-approval process.” Kelly added: “Reshma is the kind of leader who can deliver that extraordinary future—it only seems crazy because no one has done it before.”
2024 list had Alia Bhatt, Sakshi Malik
In contrast to the absence of Indian nationals, the 2024 TIME 100 featured Indians like Bollywood actor Alia Bhatt and Olympian wrestler Sakshi Malik, as well as other Indian-origin figures. Their omission this year has drawn attention on social media, with commentators noting India’s growing global footprint in sectors like tech, diplomacy, and the arts, yet no representation in the 2025 TIME roster.
About TIME 100 list
The TIME 100 list is divided into six categories: Leaders, Titans, Artists, Icons, Innovators, and Pioneers. Each profile is written by a peer or expert, providing insight into why the person is influential this year.
Among the names included in the ‘Leaders’ section this year are:
- Donald Trump, two-term US president and Republican frontrunner for the 2024 election
- Keir Starmer, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
- Claudia Sheinbaum, the frontrunner in Mexico’s upcoming presidential elections and potentially its first woman leader
- Muhammad Yunus, Bangladeshi Nobel laureate and microfinance pioneer
- JD Vance, US Senator and rising conservative figure
Other well-known figures featured across categories include Serena Williams, Snoop Dogg, Elon Musk, Greta Gerwig, Ed Sheeran, and Yulia Navalnaya, widow of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny.
TIME’s list, now in its 21st year, continues to serve as a snapshot of global influence and soft power across spheres, from traditional politics to disruptive innovation. The 2025 list was officially published online on April 17 and is available in the latest issue of TIME magazine.
