CNN-News18’s flagship awards property, Indian of the Year, returns for its 16th edition under the theme ‘The Ones Defining Tomorrow’. Public voting is now live at www.indianoftheyear.com, inviting viewers to back the individuals they believe are shaping India’s future. Running since 2006, the awards recognise achievements that go beyond a person’s own field and speak to the India of tomorrow.
Nominees compete across eight categories: Entertainment, Sports, Youth Icon, Business, Rising Sports Star, Global Indian, Iconic Woman Achiever and Climate Warrior. The lineup includes Shreya Ghoshal, Dhanush and Imtiaz Ali in Entertainment, Suryakumar Yadav, R Vaishali and Mirabai Chanu in Sports, and Peyush Bansal, Uday Kotak and Kavitha Subramanian in Business. Priyanka Chopra and Vikas Khanna feature among Global Indians, while Climate Warrior nominees include innovators working on air pollution, water conservation and river revival. Past honourees include Narendra Modi, Shah Rukh Khan, Neeraj Chopra, Virat Kohli and ISRO.
Rahul Shivshankar, Editorial Affairs Director, CNN-News18, said the awards reflect the bond between the channel and its audience, with viewers playing an integral role in recognising impact. He added that the property keeps evolving to stay relevant, inclusive and true to its credibility. Smriti Mehra, CEO of English & Business News at Network18, said the awards celebrate people who make India proud and inspire generations, including Gen Z, and thanked the RP Sanjiv Goenka Group for its continued association.
RP Sanjiv Goenka Group is the presenting partner, with JK Tyre and Reliance Industries Ltd as associate partners. With voting open, the choice of whom to celebrate rests with the audience.
