CNN-News18 has opened public voting for the 16th edition of its flagship property, ‘Indian of the Year 2026’, inviting viewers across the country to vote for individuals they believe are shaping India’s future. Voting is now live at the official Indian of the Year website under this year’s theme, ‘The Ones Defining Tomorrow’.

According to a CNN-News18 press release issued yesterday, the 2026 edition continues the awards’ tradition of recognising individuals whose work, achievements and conviction have contributed to a changing India.

Since its launch in 2006, ‘Indian of the Year’ has brought together achievers from diverse fields, recognising contributions that extend beyond individual professions and reflect the aspirations of the country.

This year, nominees are competing across eight categories — Entertainment, Sports, Youth Icon, Business, Rising Sports Star, Global Indian, Iconic Woman Achiever and Climate Warrior.

The Entertainment category features Jim Sarbh for ‘Made in India: A Titan Story’, filmmaker Imtiaz Ali for ‘Main Vaapas Aaunga’, actor and director Dhanush, singer Shreya Ghoshal and Vishal Chaturvedi for ‘Hanuman Ansh’.

The Sports category includes cricketer Suryakumar Yadav, chess player R Vaishali, the Women’s 4×400 Relay Team comprising Kiran Pahal, Poovamma Machettira, Prachi Choudhary and Vithya Ramraj, weightlifter Mirabai Chanu and shooter Neeru Dhanda.

The Youth Icon category features comedian Samay Raina, actor Mamitha Baiju, music composer Sai Abhyankkar, rapper and singer Reble and digital creator Dharna Durga.

In the Business category, the nominees include Peyush Bansal of Lenskart, Mukund Jha and Madhav Jha of Emergent, Uday Kotak of Kotak Securities, Vaishali Nigam Sinha of Renew and Aman Sanger of SpaceX AI.

The Rising Sports Star category includes cricketer Vaibhav Suryavanshi, badminton player Aayush Shetty, cricketer Yastika Bhatia, squash player Anahat Singh and boxer Sakshi Chaudhary.

The Global Indian category features chef Vikas Khanna, premier couturier Gaurav Gupta, Kunal Shah, CEO of WhatsApp Inc., actor and entrepreneur Priyanka Chopra and Srikant M Datar, economist and Dean of Harvard Business School.

The Iconic Woman Achiever category recognises achievements across diverse fields, with nominees including ultra-distance runner Sufiya Sufi, race car driver Diana Pundole, fighter pilot Bhawana Kanth, Kavitha Subramanian, co-founder of Upstox and Michelin-starred chef Garima Arora.

The Climate Warrior category features Pooja Pal for work on air pollution, Sharanya Mehta for water conservation innovation, Bijiyashanti Tongbram for turning waste into textiles, Bittu Tabahi for reviving polluted rivers and Sumer Bhati for protecting Thar grasslands.

Over the years, ‘Indian of the Year’ has recognised prominent personalities and institutions that have made a significant mark in the country. Its past honourees include Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Shah Rukh Khan, Neeraj Chopra, Virat Kohli, Viswanathan Anand, A. R. Rahman and ISRO, among others.

Rahul Shivshankar, Editorial Affairs Director, CNN-News18, said that the awards represent the connection between the channel and its audience, with viewers playing an important role in recognising individuals who have made a meaningful impact in their respective fields.

He added that the property continues to evolve with every edition while aiming to remain relevant and reflective of India’s changing aspirations, interests and achievements.

Smriti Mehra, CEO-English & Business News, Network18, said that ‘Indian of the Year’ has spent more than a decade celebrating personalities making India proud nationally and internationally.

She highlighted the property’s focus on recognising individuals who have pushed boundaries, overcome challenges and created an impact beyond their respective fields.

Mehra also acknowledged the continued association of the RP Sanjiv Goenka Group with the awards, noting that the group has partnered with CNN-News18 year after year to celebrate these achievements.