Global Leaderboard 100 in view

Most Famous People from India

All 152,953
India 3,791
11 MG Mahatma Gandhi Mahatma Gandhi Indian Politician 1869–1948
166 RT Rabindranath Tagore Rabindranath Tagore Indian Painter 1861–1941
519 SR Shah Rukh Khan Shah Rukh Khan Indian Film b. 1965
638 SV Swami Vivekananda Swami Vivekananda Indian Monk 1863–1902
924 RS Ravi Shankar Ravi Shankar Indian Composer 1920–2012
984 SR Srinivasa Ramanujan Srinivasa Ramanujan Indian Mathematician 1887–1920
1,011 R Rajneesh Rajneesh Indian Religious 1931–1990
1,031 AS Amartya Sen Amartya Sen Indian Economist b. 1933
1,260 PC Priyanka Chopra Priyanka Chopra Indian Actor b. 1982
1,385 MI Muhammad Iqbal Muhammad Iqbal Indian Poet 1877–1938
1,477 AR A. R. Rahman A. R. Rahman Indian Composer b. 1966
1,776 AR Aishwarya Rai Aishwarya Rai Indian Actor b. 1973
1,908 B Babur Babur Indian Poet 1483–1530
2,069 BR B. R. Ambedkar B. R. Ambedkar Indian Economist 1891–1956
2,184 SR Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan Indian Philosopher 1888–1975
2,208 SA Sri Aurobindo Sri Aurobindo Indian Poet 1872–1950
2,366 CV C. V. Raman C. V. Raman Indian Physicist 1888–1970
2,388 AS Adi Shankara Adi Shankara Indian Philosopher 788–820
2,410 AR Arundhati Roy Arundhati Roy Indian Novelist b. 1961
2,466 R Ramakrishna Ramakrishna Indian Mystic 1836–1886
2,483 NM Narendra Modi Narendra Modi Indian Politician b. 1950
3,052 K Kālidāsa Kālidāsa Indian Poet
3,072 PY Paramahansa Yogananda Paramahansa Yogananda Indian Philosopher 1893–1952
3,264 DP Deepika Padukone Deepika Padukone Indian Actor b. 1986
3,503 T Tulsidas Tulsidas Indian Poet 1532–1623
3,586 SS Sathya Sai Baba Sathya Sai Baba Indian Religious 1926–2011
3,673 A Akbar Akbar Indian Emperor 1542–1605
3,835 A Aurangzeb Aurangzeb Indian Sovereign 1618–1707
3,947 SK Salman Khan Salman Khan Indian Actor b. 1965
3,980 RK Raj Kapoor Raj Kapoor Indian Film 1924–1988
4,060 SJ Shah Jahan Shah Jahan Indian Monarch 1592–1666
4,127 VP Vallabhbhai Patel Vallabhbhai Patel Indian Politician 1875–1950
4,132 IK Irrfan Khan Irrfan Khan Indian Actor 1967–2020
4,146 C Chanakya Chanakya Indian Advisor -375–-283
4,163 A Ashoka Ashoka Indian Emperor -304–-232
4,226 JC Jagadish Chandra Bose Jagadish Chandra Bose Indian Botanist 1858–1937
5,074 MM Maharishi Mahesh Yogi Maharishi Mahesh Yogi Indian Guru 1917–2008
5,090 SG Sonia Gandhi Sonia Gandhi Indian Politician b. 1946
5,194 AK Anupam Kher Indian Actor b. 1955
5,233 J Jahangir Jahangir Indian Emperor 1569–1627
5,635 AB Asha Bhosle Asha Bhosle Indian Actor b. 1933
5,647 BG Bal Gangadhar Tilak Bal Gangadhar Tilak Indian Politician 1856–1920
5,737 LB Lal Bahadur Shastri Lal Bahadur Shastri Indian Politician 1904–1966
6,247 AK Amir Khusrow Amir Khusrow Indian Poet 1253–1325
6,252 RM Ram Mohan Roy Ram Mohan Roy Indian Philosopher 1772–1833
6,534 VS Vandana Shiva Vandana Shiva Indian Philosopher b. 1952
6,597 G Ghalib Ghalib Indian Poet 1796–1869
6,887 MN Mira Nair Mira Nair Indian Actor b. 1957
6,982 NS Naseeruddin Shah Naseeruddin Shah Indian Actor b. 1950
7,064 JA John Abraham (actor) John Abraham (actor) Indian Actor b. 1972
7,138 MS Manmohan Singh Manmohan Singh Indian Politician b. 1932
7,172 N Nagarjuna Nagarjuna Indian Philosopher 150–250
7,343 CM Chaitanya Mahaprabhu Chaitanya Mahaprabhu Indian Mystic 1486–1534
7,543 TS Tipu Sultan Tipu Sultan Indian Sultan 1750–1799
7,734 S Shivaji Shivaji Indian Emperor 1627–1680
7,915 CR C. Rajagopalachari C. Rajagopalachari Indian Politician 1878–1972
7,963 SA Shabana Azmi Shabana Azmi Indian Actor b. 1951
8,037 KH Kamal Haasan Kamal Haasan Indian Actor b. 1954
8,191 V Valmiki Valmiki Indian Poet d. 1
8,367 AS Anushka Sharma Anushka Sharma Indian Actor b. 1988
8,960 S Sridevi Sridevi Indian Actor 1963–2018
9,039 DA Dev Anand Dev Anand Indian Actor 1923–2011
9,100 B Brahmagupta Indian Mathematician 598–670
9,389 MG Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Indian Religious 1835–1908
9,527 DS Dayananda Saraswati Dayananda Saraswati Indian Philosopher 1824–1883
9,848 RR Raja Ravi Varma Raja Ravi Varma Indian Painter 1848–1906
9,896 BS Bhagat Singh Bhagat Singh Indian Nationalist 1907–1931
9,906 HM Hema Malini Hema Malini Indian Actor b. 1948
9,960 MB Meher Baba Indian Gourou 1894–1969
10,085 KN Kazi Nazrul Islam Kazi Nazrul Islam Indian Poet 1899–1976
10,254 R Rajinikanth Rajinikanth Indian Actor b. 1950
10,403 KK Kishore Kumar Kishore Kumar Indian Singer 1929–1987
10,547 VD Vinayak Damodar Savarkar Vinayak Damodar Savarkar Indian Freedom Fighter 1883–1966
10,577 VB Vinoba Bhave Vinoba Bhave Indian Philosopher 1895–1982
10,656 RK Rajesh Khanna Rajesh Khanna Indian Actor 1942–2012
10,728 BK B. K. S. Iyengar B. K. S. Iyengar Indian Philosophy 1918–2014
10,843 TG The Great Khali The Great Khali Indian Wrestler b. 1972
10,878 CR C. R. Rao C. R. Rao Indian Mathematician b. 1920
10,891 LD Lara Dutta Lara Dutta Indian Actor b. 1978
10,968 VB Vidya Balan Vidya Balan Indian Actor b. 1979
11,521 MK Meena Kumari Meena Kumari Indian Actor 1933–1972
11,633 R Ramanuja Ramanuja Indian Theologian 1017–1137
12,530 D Dharmendra Dharmendra Indian Film b. 1935
12,575 MD MS Dhoni MS Dhoni Indian Cricket b. 1981
12,830 G Gulzar Gulzar Indian Film b. 1934
12,886 PM Pranab Mukherjee Pranab Mukherjee Indian Politician 1935–2020
13,002 KR K. R. Narayanan K. R. Narayanan Indian Politician 1920–2005
13,566 BC Bankim Chandra Chatterjee Bankim Chandra Chatterjee Indian Writer 1838–1894
13,869 VR Venkatraman Ramakrishnan Venkatraman Ramakrishnan Indian Biologist b. 1952
14,212 KR Kangana Ranaut Kangana Ranaut Indian Actor b. 1987
14,403 SB Shyam Benegal Shyam Benegal Indian Film b. 1934
14,564 P Pāṇini Pāṇini Indian Linguist
14,705 NS Nawazuddin Siddiqui Nawazuddin Siddiqui Indian Actor b. 1974
14,792 SR S. R. Ranganathan S. R. Ranganathan Indian Mathematician 1892–1972
14,858 SS Shriya Saran Shriya Saran Indian Actor b. 1982
14,982 RR Raghuram Rajan Raghuram Rajan Indian Economist b. 1963
15,401 PD Phoolan Devi Indian Bandit 1963–2001
15,559 BI Bhāskara II Bhāskara II Indian Mathematician 1114–1185
15,835 M Mahavira Mahavira Indian Philosopher -599–-527
15,905 SG Shreya Ghoshal Shreya Ghoshal Indian Singer b. 1984
See all 152,953 rankings →

Ranked by cross-verified academic notability — how it works

By the numbers

Inside India

3,791 notable people in this slice of the dataset.

Through the Centuries

One face per century — the most globally famous figure born in India during each.

Notable Births by Decade

Notable births in India peaked in the 1950s with 433 people.

What India Is Known For

Click any row to drill into that filter.

Politics & Law is India's biggest group — 29% of all notables (1,089).

India over-indexes on film & tv — 2.4× the global rate.

India under-produces art & design — only 0.3× the global rate.

  1. Politics & Law1,089
  2. Writing718
  3. Film & TV637
  4. Sports339
  5. Other316
  6. Science203
  7. Music192
  8. Religion119
  1. Film & TV6372.4×
  2. Writing7181.6×
  1. Art & Design590.3×
  2. Sports3390.4×
  3. Religion1190.6×
  4. Science2030.7×

Profession Mix Over Time

Each band shows a profession family's share of India's notable births by decade. Hover the chart for the breakdown at any decade.

  • Politics & Law
  • Writing
  • Film & TV
  • Sports
  • Science
  • Music
  • Other

Datelines

The biggest birthplaces of fame — every city is a doorway.