CNN IBN - INDIAN OF THE YEAR 2007

Padma Vibhushan Soli Jehangir Sorabjee

Mr. Sorabjee was designated Senior Advocate of the Supreme Court of India in 1971. He was the Attorney General for India 1989-90 and 1998-2004. He also serves as Vice-President of the Commonwealth Lawyers Association and as a Member of the Committee on Arms Control and Disarmament Law of International Law Association. He was appointed in 2000 as a Member of the Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague for six years.

He serves as President of the United Lawyers' Association; Vice President of the Bar Association of India; Vice-President of International Institute of Human Rights Society; Honorary Professor of Law at the National Academy of Legal Studies and Research University of Law [NALSAR], Hyderabad.

Mr. Sorabjee was awarded the Padam Vibhushan, the second highest civilian award in India, in March 2002.

Padma Bhushan Deepak S Parekh

Deepak Parekh is the Chairman of HDFC. As pioneers, HDFC under his leadership has grown from its humble beginning as a mortgage provider to the Indian middle class households, into a financial powerhouse. A Chartered Accountant by profession, he started his career with Ernst & Ernst Management Consultancy Services in New York and moved on to work with Grindlays Bank (ANZ) and Chase Manhattan Bank, before joining HDFC in 1978.

Besides HDFC, he is on the board of several leading corporates and is the Non-Executive Chairman of GlaxoSmithkline Pharmaceuticals, Siemens India Ltd., Lafarge India and several of the HDFC group companies.

Mr. Parekh has received the ‘Padma Bhushan’, and the ‘Best Non Executive Director’ title by the Asian Centre for Corporate Governance, ‘The Economic Times Life Time Achievement Award’, the ‘JRD Corporate Leadership Award’, ‘Businessman of the Year’ by Business India, among others.

Recognized as one of the Stars of Asia by international Business Week, he was listed among the top fifty Asian leaders at the forefront of change – August 2007. He has also been ranked as one of the 25 most influential people in business and finance across Asia-Pacific by ASIAMONEY.

Padma Bhushan Nandan M. Nilekani

Nandan M. Nilekani is currently the Co-Chairman of the Board of Directors of Infosys Technologies Limited. From March 2002 to April 2007, he served as CEO, Managing Director, and previously held the posts of President and Chief Operating Officer. He is one of the founders of Infosys and has served as a director on the company’s board since its inception in 1981.

Mr. Nilekani is one of the youngest entrepreneurs to join 20 global leaders on the prestigious World Economic Forum (WEF) Foundation Board in January 2006. He is listed as one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time Magazine, 2006.

He co-founded India’s National Association of Software and Service Companies (NASSCOM) and the Bangalore Chapter of The IndUS Entrepreneurs (TiE). He is also a member of the National Knowledge Commission and also part of the National Advisory Group on e-Governance.

Mr. Nilekani received many prestigious awards, including the Forbes “Businessman of the year” in 2007, Fortune magazine’s ‘Asia’s Businessmen of the Year 2003’, Corporate Citizen of the Year Award at the Asia Business Leader Awards (2004) organized by CNBC and the Joseph Schumpeter prize for innovative services in field of economy, economic sciences and politics. In 2006, Mr. Nilekani was conferred the Padma Bhushan by the Government of India.

Padma Shri Shobhana Bhartia

Ms. Shobhana Bhartia is the Vice Chairperson and Editorial Director of HT Media Limited - India’s second largest print company – which publishes two of India’s finest and most widely read newspapers – Hindustan Times and Hindustan.

Ms. Bhartia is the Chairperson of the Press Trust of India and Deputy Chairperson of the Executive Committee, Audit Bureau of Circulations. She is a Member of the Executive Committee, the Indian Newspaper Society and Commonwealth Press Union, London. She is also a Member, Board of Directors of Hero Honda Limited, Apex Committee of Commonwealth Games-2010.

Ms. Bhartia’s involvement in social and charitable institutions is immense. She is a Member, Board of Governors, of the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) and of the Indian Public School Society (The Doon School).

As one of India’s leading and influential lady executives, Ms. Bhartia has won numerous accolades. She is the recipient of India’s most respected award – the Padma Shri. She was named the Global Leader of Tomorrow by the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland in 1996.

Padma Shri Geet Sethi

Mr. Geet Sethi, a billiard player par excellence has a history of world records of sorts. Be it a Guinness Book of World Records mention for 147 maximums in one championship or a world record of 1276-point break in the 1992 world professional billiards championship, Mr. Sethi has incessantly strived for brilliance in his sport. This is aptly demonstrated by his slew of achievements, from 1987 to 2007, which included five championship titles in various international championships and multiple gold, silver and bronze medals throughout his career.

His highest civilian honor came in the form of the Padmashri by the Government of India in 1986. This was followed by the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award and the KK Birla Sports Foundation Award in 1992.
He was conferred the Billiards Player of the year title by WPBSA 1999.

Mr. Sethi also manages a fulfilling family life with two children and a keen interest in music and art.

Padma Shri Mohanlal Viswanathan Nair

Mohanlal Viswanathan Nair (born May 21, 1960), is a four time National award winning Indian actor, producer, who works in Malayalam films, a part of Indian Cinema. He is one of the most popular actors in the Indian state of Kerala. He is noted for his versatility, effortless acting, unique body language and for his association with some of the best Malayalam directors and screenwriters. He was awarded the Padma Shri, one of the highest civilian honours in India, by the Indian Government in 2001.

Mohanlal became immensely popular in Kerala during the mid 80's in light hearted roles with his easy and natural acting style. The late 80's and the early 90's, known as the Golden Age of Malayalam cinema, produced some of the most creative and diverse Malayalam movies and enabled Mohanlal establish himself as one of the most talented actors in the country. He is critically acclaimed for his ability to get into the character's skin and portray their inner feelings and turmoils within a limited time-frame. He is the General Secretary of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA) for the period 2006-2009.

Magasaysay Award Kiran Bedi

Kiran Bedi was born on 9th June 1949 in Amritsar, Punjab state, India, and is one of the most celebrated and widely known police officers who ever served the Indian Police Force. A former all-India and all-Asian tennis champion, Kiran influenced several decisions of the Indian Police Service. She served in a number of tough assignments ranging from Traffic Commissoner of New Delhi, Deputy Inspector General of Police in insurgency prone Mizoram, Advisor to the Lt. Governor of Chandigarh, Director General of Narcotics Control Bureau and also on a United Nations deputation.

Her efforts have won national and international recognition, She received the Police Medal for Gallantry as well as the Asia Region Award for Work in Prevention of Drug Abuse. In 1994 she was awarded the Ramon Magsaysay Award. On 27th November 2007, Dr. Bedi had expressed her wish to take Voluntary Retirement from her job as the Director General, BPR&D, to take up new challenges in life.