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335 profiles in the network

UR
Person

U. R. Rao

Former Chairman of ISRO and Space Scientist

Udupi Ramachandra Rao, widely known as U. R. Rao, was a pioneering space scientist and former Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). Often referred to as the Satellite Man of India, Rao was the driving force behind the design and launch of India's first satellite, Aryabhata, in 1975. Born in Adamaru, Karnataka, he completed his doctorate at the Physical Research Laboratory in Ahmedabad under the mentorship of Vikram Sarabhai, the father of India's space program. Rao then moved to the United States, working as a post-doctoral fellow at MIT and an assistant professor at the University of Texas at Dallas, where he conducted research on cosmic rays and deep space probes. Returning to India in 1966, Rao established the country's satellite technology program. As ISRO Chairman from 1984 to 1994, he accelerated the development of rocket technology, leading to the successful launches of the ASLV and PSLV rocket systems. He also initiated the development of the GSLV cryogenic rocket technology. In recognition of his vast contributions, Rao was awarded the Padma Vibhushan, India's second-highest civilian honor, in 2017. He was also the first Indian space scientist to be inducted into the prestigious Satellite Hall of Fame in Washington, D.C., in 2013.

Technology Person
VS
Person

Vikram Sarabhai

Father of the Indian Space Programme

Vikram Sarabhai was an award-winning Indian physicist and industrialist who is widely regarded as the father of India's space programme. Born into the wealthy Sarabhai family of industrialists in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, he pursued his higher education at Gujarat College before moving to the University of Cambridge, where he earned his doctorate in cosmic ray physics. Upon returning to India, Sarabhai founded the Physical Research Laboratory in Ahmedabad in 1947, which became the cradle of Indian space sciences. His visionary leadership led to the establishment of the Indian National Committee for Space Research in 1962, which was later renamed the Indian Space Research Organisation. Sarabhai played a pivotal role in setting up the Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station in Kerala and initiating the project that led to the launch of India's first satellite, Aryabhata, in 1975. Beyond space sciences, he was deeply committed to education and institution-building, founding the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad and the National Institute of Design. He also served as the Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission of India. Sarabhai was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1966 and the Padma Vibhushan posthumously in 1972 for his monumental contributions to science and nation-building.

Academic Person
JB
Person

Jaya Bachchan

Indian Actress and Member of Parliament

Jaya Bachchan is an acclaimed Indian actress and politician who has made significant contributions to both Indian cinema and public service. Born on April 9, 1948, in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, she initially gained fame as Jaya Bhaduri. She made her acting debut as a teenager in Satyajit Ray's Bengali film Mahanagar in 1963, followed by her adult debut in Hrishikesh Mukherjee's Guddi in 1971. Known for her natural acting style, she became one of the leading actresses of Hindi cinema in the 1970s, starring in iconic films such as Sholay, Abhimaan, Zanjeer, Chupke Chupke, and Mili. In 1973, she married superstar Amitabh Bachchan, forming one of Indian cinema's most prominent families. After a hiatus to focus on her family, she returned to acting with critically acclaimed performances in films like Fiza and Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham. In 1992, the Government of India honored her with the Padma Shri, the nation's fourth-highest civilian award. Beyond her cinematic achievements, Jaya Bachchan transitioned into politics in 2004. She joined the Samajwadi Party and was elected as a Member of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha, representing Uttar Pradesh. Since then, she has been re-elected multiple times, becoming one of the most vocal and prominent female parliamentarians in India, recognized for raising critical social and developmental issues on the floor of the House.

Political Person
RNB
Person

Rujira Narula Banerjee

Rujira Narula Banerjee is a Thai-born businesswoman and the wife of prominent Indian politician Abhishek Banerjee,

Personal Profile Full Name: Rujira Narula Banerjee Year of Birth: 1988 Nationality: Thai (Holds a Thai passport) Indian Status: Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cardholderReligion: Sikhism (Punjabi background) Family & MarriageSpouse: Married Abhishek Banerjee on February 24, 2012 Children: Two children (a daughter, Azania, and a son, Ayanash) Parents: Her father is a businessman with commercial ties in Delhi and Thailand

Business Person
Org
SSE
Organization

Shiv Sena Eknath Shinde

Shiv Sena is a Hindutva political party in India, primarily based in the state of Maharashtra.

Formed by a split in 2022 of Shiv Sena, the party has been led by Eknath Shinde, who was recognised by the Election Commission of India as the leader of the original Shiv Sena.The Shinde-led faction retained the party's traditional name and the iconic bow and arrow symbol,and currently forms the government in Maharashtra in alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The party continues to position itself as the true ideological successor to Bal Thackeray’s legacy.

Political Organization
AM
Person

Anand Mahindra

Anand Gopal Mahindra is an Indian billionaire businessman, and the chairman of Mahindra Group,

Anand Gopal Mahindra is an Indian billionaire businessman, and the chairman of Mahindra Group, a Mumbai-based business conglomerate. The group operates in aerospace, agribusiness, aftermarket, automotive, components, construction equipment, defence, energy, farm equipment, finance and insurance, industrial equipment, information technology, leisure and hospitality, logistics, real estate and retail. Mahindra is the grandson of Jagdish Chandra Mahindra, co-founder of Mahindra & Mahindra.

Business Person
HM
Person

Harish Mahindra

Harish Mahindra was a famous Indian industrialist and a major leader in the early growth of the Mahindra Group

Harish Mahindra was a prominent Indian industrialist who was born on March 19, 1923, and passed away on December 4, 1999, in Mumbai. After completing his higher education at top American institutions like Harvard University and The Fletcher School, he joined Mahindra & Mahindra in the late 1940s and successfully built the company's first nationwide vehicle dealership network. He became a major leader in the steel industry by founding and serving as the Chairman of the Mahindra Ugine Steel Company, while also lending his leadership to top trade groups like FICCI and serving as a treasurer in politics. In his personal life, he was married to Indira Mahindra and raised three children, including his daughters Anuja and Radhika, and his son Anand Mahindra, who currently leads the multi-billion-dollar Mahindra Group today.

Business Person
VK
Person

Virat Kohli

Virat Kohli is an Indian international cricketer and the former all-format captain of the Indian national cricket team.

Virat Kohli is an Indian international cricketer and the former all-format captain of the Indian national cricket team. He is a right-handed batter and occasional right-arm medium-pace bowler. Considered one of the greatest batsmen in limited overs cricket, he has been acclaimed for his batting skills and records. Kohli has the most centuries in ODIs and the second-most centuries in international cricket with 85 tons across all formats. He is also the leading run-scorer in the Indian Premier League.

Sports Person
AS
Person

Aravind Srinivas

Computer Scientist, Co-founder and CEO of Perplexity AI

Aravind Srinivas is a prominent Indian computer scientist, artificial intelligence researcher, and tech entrepreneur best recognized as the co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Perplexity AI. Born on June 7, 1994, in Chennai, India, Srinivas demonstrated an early exceptional aptitude for systems computing and advanced mathematics. He completed a highly selective dual-degree integrated program in Electrical Engineering at the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) in 2017 before moving to the United States to pursue doctoral studies. Srinivas earned his Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of California, Berkeley in 2021, focusing on reinforcement learning, computer vision, and deep unsupervised models under the guidance of renowned AI pioneer Pieter Abbeel. Throughout his academic path, he worked at several premier global AI institutions, serving in crucial research capacities at Google, DeepMind, and OpenAI. In August 2022, alongside co-founders Denis Yarats, Johnny Ho, and Andy Konwinski, Srinivas established Perplexity AI in San Francisco. Under his operational leadership as CEO, the company pioneered the concept of an AI-driven conversational "answer engine" that delivers direct, contextual responses paired with real-time web citations. He successfully navigated the startup through explosive growth metrics, reaching hundreds of millions of monthly queries and an institutional valuation surpassing several billion dollars. Recognized as one of the most influential global leaders in generative artificial intelligence, Srinivas represents the modern archetype of an academic researcher transitioning into a transformative technology executive.

Technology Person