M A I N   N E W S

Time’s Most Influential
Sonia, Dalai Lama, Tata, Putin in list

New York, May 1
Sonia Gandhi, chief of India’s key ruling alliance member the Congress Party, and Ratan Tata, who heads one of the country’s top business houses, have been named in a list of 100 most influential in the world by Time magazine.

The list also includes international figures like Tibetan leader Dalai Lama, US President George Bush, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Russia’s Vladimir Putin.

The annual Time 100 list, published in the latest issue of Time magazine has been divided into five categories - leaders and revolutionaries, heroes and pioneers, scientists and thinkers, artists and entertainers, and builders and titans.

Sonia has been named to the first leaders and revolutionaries category.

The most influential business people, named under the builders and titans category, include global food and beverage giant PepsiCo’s India-origin chief Indra Nooyi, besides Ratan Tata of Indian conglomerate Tata group.

In a write-up on Sonia Gandhi, former UN official Shashi Tharoor said: “The story of Sonia Gandhi (61) is remarkable at every level and the fairy-tale metaphor barely begins to scratch the surface of its extraordinariness.”

About Tata, the magazine said ever since he first suggested ago building a car that could sell for Rs 1 lakh, “rival automakers have sniggered”.

“But in January, Tata unveiled his baby car, a cute rear-engined bubble called Nano. The Nano will meet all of India’s automotive standards and sell for Rs 1 lakh.”

In a write-up on PepsiCo’s Nooyi, US coffee giant Starbucks’ CEO Howard Schultz said the most appropriate way to describe her is “world class leader”. “PepsiCo’s international business grew 22 per cent last year, and she is showing the way for American companies trying to do well overseas,” he said.

According to the list, those having been named in the heroes and pioneers category include Hollywood actor-couple Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, TV show host Oprah Winfrey, tennis player Andre Agassi and Myanmar’s Aung San Suu Kyi.

Those having been named in the scientists and thinkers category include Michael Bloomberg, New York Mayor and owner of financial news and data provider Bloomberg, and NASA’s Michael Griffin.

Besides, actor George Clooney and pop diva Mariah Carey have been named among those in the artists and entertainers category. — PTI