India's Most Powerful Personalities 2024

Among the "Most Powerful Indians 2024" listed by The Indian Express, Prime Minister Narendra Modi stands head and shoulders above the rest. Leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) make up the bulk of the top ten on the IE 100 list for 2024. On top of that, the top ten most powerful Indians also include billionaire Gautam Adani and Chief Justice DY Chandrachud.

The head of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Arvind Kejriwal, was ranked 18th in 2024 on the IE 100 powerful Indians list, while Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was ranked 16th.

The Indian Express has compiled a list of the ten most influential Indians for the year 2024:

Who Topped India's 100 Most Powerful List?

Narendra Modi

Since Prime Minister Narendra Modi has only gotten taller and stronger over the years, the English daily claims that he deserves to be at the top of this list. The number of people following Prime Minister Modi on the X platform is 95.6 million, more than any other world leader.

Amit Shah

Amit Shah, the Union Home Minister, is another influential Indian after Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It was under his leadership as chief strategist that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) swept the legislative elections in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Chhattisgarh in December 2023.

Mohan Bhagwat

The RSS Sarsanghchalak has persisted in revelling in his unbroken reign. He sent a strong message about his position in the NDA-BJP alliance by attending the 22 January Ram Temple consecration ceremony alongside Prime Minister Modi.

D Y Chandrachud

The Bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud upheld the Centre's decision to repeal Article 370, thereby ending any remaining legal uncertainty regarding Jammu and Kashmir's incorporation into the Indian Union.

S Jaishankar

The public is in awe of S. Jaishankar, the Minister of External Affairs, due to his exceptional diplomatic abilities. India is now in a stronger diplomatic position thanks to Jaishankar’s incisive responses to Russia's oil sanctions and the Khalistan issue.

Yogi Adityanath

Because his state has more Lok Sabha constituencies than any other, the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh is a key figure in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). While the central government is investing billions to improve Uttar Pradesh, he is trying to win over Hindu voters by temple constructions.

Rajnath Singh

The Union Defence Minister has been Prime Minister Modi's most senior Cabinet colleague. The 'troubleshooter' reputation that Singh has earned has also won him the favour of politicians from all political stripes.

Nirmala Sitharaman

Nirmala Sitharaman has been India's finance minister longer than any other woman. The Indian economy grew by 7% annually during her tenure as finance minister, three years in a row. She also holds a record for presenting the budget most number of times as a woman.

J P Nadda

Nadda is the dominant figure at the helm of the BJP. He has successfully "held his own and gained the trust of the leadership and the rank and file, without coming across as someone trying to over project himself”, according to the Express.

Gautam Adani

Among the top 10 most powerful Indians, no one else is a business magnate like the head of the Adani Group empire, who has a net worth of $101 billion. Through a series of acquisitions and greenfield projects, the conglomerate led by Adani has achieved rapid progress.