Time magazine has unveiled its annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world. The TIME 100, as it is called, has for years been a good benchmark of any popular figure’s global popularity and impact. This year, few Indians have made the cut, including Bollywood star Ranbir Kapoor, the only name from the world’s largest film industry. He is joined in the list by celebrity chef Vikas Khanna.
On Wednesday, TIME released its list of the 100 Most Influential People of 2026, a compilation that includes global pioneers, leaders, and titans, as well as artists, innovators, and icons.
Ranbir Kapoor the only Indian actor in TIME 100
TIME’s profile of Ranbir Kapoor was written by his fellow Bollywood star, Ayushmann Khurrana. “There are actors who chase legacy and there are actors who become one through their craft. Ranbir Kapoor is the latter,” Ayushmann wrote. In his write-up, Ayushmann emphasised that Ranbir has moved beyond the chatter about box-office and weekend collections in Bollywood.
“In an industry as prolific and passionate as Indian cinema, we often measure greatness in decibels-box-office numbers, fan frenzy, opening weekends. But every once in a while, an actor shifts something quieter yet far more enduring: our emotional vocabulary as an audience. Ranbir has been doing that film after film. In a world where performances are often amplified, Ranbir internalizes. He shows our culture through quiet restraint. He represents the India that is finally learning how to listen to itself and leaves a mark through simple authenticity,” the profile said.
It added that actors like him become important cultural bridges. “Ranbir isn’t just a movie star-he’s a storyteller talking to a global audience and telling them stories of a fabled, mythical country where epics like The Ramayana have inspired other civilizations and cultures.”
Vikas Khanna named among visionaries from culinary arts
Celebrity chef Vikas Khanna also made the cut among visionaries in fashion, visual, literary, and culinary arts, alongside names like Ralph Lauren and Victoria Beckham.
James Beard Award–winning chef and co-owner of Le Bernardin Eric Ripert wrote in the TIME profile for Vikas Khanna, “His generosity extends far beyond the kitchen, reaching communities across the world with compassion, dignity, and a deep sense of responsibility. What makes Vikas so unique is his ability to connect with people from every walk of life, using food as a universal language to build bridges and foster understanding.”
About the 2026 TIME 100
The list includes global leaders such as US President Donald Trump, Pope Leo XIV, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Prime Minister of Canada Mark Carney, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and commander of the 2026 Artemis II Reid Wiseman. TIME emphasized that honorees on the list are “changing culture in unprecedented ways.”
