The most powerful Indians in 2011: No. 91-100

Rank ’10: 85

WHY

A health industry innovator and a strong advocate of low-cost health services and insurance,he has opened a Cayman Islands branch of his Narayana Hrudayalaya hospital chain,which caters to American health tourists. But,of late,big-impact projects of the kind he is associated with have been in short supply,which is the reason he has fallen a bit in the list.

POWER PUNCH

He signed an agreement with the Cayman Islands to allow Indian doctors to practice there; Cayman used to extend this privilege to mostly Western countries.

WHAT NEXT

He wants to offer dialysis,an otherwise expensive procedure,for Rs 400 only,at low-cost kidney care units around the country.

BY THE WAY

He taught fellow students karate when he was in medical college,was Mother Teresa’s cardiac surgeon,and his admirers call him the Henry Ford of the healthcare industry.

92. Raghav Bahl, 49

Founder and Managing Director,Network 18

Rank ’10: 73

Why

He slips down the list because his Hindi entertainment channel,Colors,a venture with Viacom,has lost its number one position to Star Plus. Also,CNN-IBN,his English news channel,has not become the market leader. Nevertheless,he remains one of the country’s most ambitious media moguls. His group has formed a joint venture with A&E Television Networks (AETN),AETN-18 India,to launch AETN channels in the country.

Power Punch

He strikes a lot of strategic alliances,for instance,the distribution system with Sun 18.

What next

This year should see the launch of new channels under the AETN venture. He wants to focus on regional markets in 2011.

By the way

He is not too fond of socialising. Consequently,he ends up watching a lot of TV. At times,he watches about five or six channels simultaneously.

93. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar,54

Art of Living Founder,

Rank ’10: 100

WHY

This wasn\’t a good year for spiritual gurus,with many landing in scandals and making it to dubious videos,but Sri Sri Ravi Shankar was one guru to stay lily-white. He continues to trot the globe,landing in strife-torn regions with his version of the Sudarshan Kriya. What was initially thought to be an assassination attempt on him at his Bangalore ashram turned out to be a local farmer firing in the air to scare away wild dogs.

POWER PUNCH

In October 2010,he launched an Art of Living campus in China,a 168-acre landscaped area built in six months,and is the first Indian guru with an ashram in the Communist country. He was one among three Indian gurus invited to the 2011 Davos World Economic Forum.

WHAT NEXT

Sri Sri is spreading his Art of Living in Sri Lanka,which is recovering from civil war.

BY THE WAY

Sri Lankan cricket captain Kumar Sangakkara and actor Vivek Oberoi are his devotees.

94. UK Sinha,58

Chairman and Managing Director,UTI-AMC

NEW ON THE LIST

WHY

He makes it to the list as he\’s likely to be the new Sebi chief in February. He is expected to wield a lot of clout in North Block,due to past association with the ministry as joint secretary,capital markets. His experience as CMD,UTI AMC and AMFI chief give him inside knowledge of the industry to be a proactive market regulator.

POWER PUNCH

A favourite troubleshooter of the government,he’s chaired committees on issues ranging from mutual funds to wheat procurement policy. A report authored by a panel he lead recently called for restructuring and simplifying capital flow administration. This would make domestic bourses investor-friendly and give Sebi more teeth.

WHAT NEXT

As Sebi chief,he’s likely to push his foreign investment report,and pitch for a role for the regulator in the new Financial Stability and Development Council. He’ll also clean up its image after the spats with IRDA on Ulips.

BY THE WAY

Likes music and Urdu poetry and plays bridge to unwind.

95. Kareena Kapoor,30

Actor

NEW ON THE LIST

WHY

She makes it to the list for the magnetic way she attracts blockbusters. Her new confidence puts her a cut above senior actors like Kajol,as became apparent in We Are Family. All the Khans want her in their movies. Her plate is so full that boyfriend Saif Ali Khan has to work around her schedule. The couple reportedly hasn’t fixed a wedding date yet as she’s booked all the way up to 2012.

POWER PUNCH

Industry pundits estimate that more than Rs 350 crore rides on Kareena’s 2011 releases.

WHAT NEXT

Her upcoming releases include Reema Kagti’s untitled cop thriller with Aamir Khan,Ra.One with Shah Rukh Khan,the Bodyguard remake with Salman Khan,Agent Vinod with Saif Ali Khan and Short Term Shaadi with Imran Khan.

BY THE WAY

She wants to settle in Switzerland when she retires.

96. Rajiv Bajaj, 44

Managing Director,Bajaj Auto

Rank ’10: 63

WHY

The elder son of Rahul Bajaj moves down sharply in the list because the company failed to gain any market share and lost out to competitors. Decreased growth compared to its peers,production constraints and failure to achieve targeted sales have dented Rajiv’s image. He has said Bajaj has no plans for expansion. His twin-brand strategy of promoting the Pulsar and the Discover models and exiting the scooter segment has led to a decrease in the market share.

Power Punch

He’s still number two in the two-wheeler segment,even with fewer launches of new models.

What Next

The company is dropping the Bajaj name from its vehicles. Rajiv has announced plans to increased capacity and its dealership base. Also,roll-out of the company’s small car is planned for next year.

By the Way

He is interested in yoga,bikes and homeopathy.

97. Jaggi Vasudev,53

Guru,Isha Foundation

Rank ’10: 94

WHY

A sadhu with profiles on YouTube and Facebook tells you that he understands the travails of the modern man. It’s not surprising that he was invited to the Word Economic Forum three times in a row — 2006,2007 and 2008.

POWER PUNCH

He has attracted personalities like filmmaker Shekhar Kapur and self-proclaimed atheist DMK president and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karuna-nidhi to associate themselves with the foundation\’s programmes,such as planting over a 100 million saplings in Tamil Nadu and rural education.

WHAT NEXT

After his conversations with Shekhar Kapur and author Arundhathi Subramaniam,the latest in the series My Conversations with the Mystic will be streamed live online. He’ll be heard speaking to Chris Rado,an American championship racer.

BY THE WAY

Vasudev was a biker and hitch-hiker before he “gained enlightenment at 25”.

98. KM Chandrasekhar,63

Cabinet Secretary

Rank ’10: 43

WHY

Since he’s retiring early this year,he shouldn’t have been on the list. But his story is most likely not over,that’s why he makes it,albeit very low down. He too failed to check the CWG construction mess in time; he was in charge. However,it was his determination that was the catalyst in the last minute preparations. One of the longest-serving Cabinet Secretaries,he continues to have the ear of the Prime Minister and influence in the government.

POWER PUNCH

In June last year,he managed yet another extension for a year. By the time he retires,he would have served as Cabinet Secretary for four years.

WHAT NEXT

Chandrasekhar will finally demit office in June this year,but considering his impeccable credentials and the Prime Minister\’s fondness for him,a post-retirement role is likely.

BY THE WAY

Prefers to communicate with his officers through video-conference.

99. Katrina Kaif, 27

Actor

NEW ON THE LIST

WHY

She makes it to the list because she’s got the hits. She’s got the chartbuster songs. The Indian Barbie also tops all web searches. This year,she widened her repertoire with her performance-oriented role in Raajneeti. In Tees Maar Khan,where she played her usual giggly-Barbie role,she made sure everybody in the country knew who Sheila was.

POWER PUNCH

Raajneeti’s publicity campaign hinged entirely on Katrina’s cotton sari,while for Tees Maar Khan,Sheila Ki Jawani was enough to promote the film.

WHAT NEXT

Zoya Akhtar’s Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara opposite Hrithik Roshan,Mere Brother Ki Dulhan with Imran Khan and Dostana 2 with Abhishek Bachchan and John Abraham.

BY THE WAY

In order to bare her stomach for Sheila Ki Jawani,she went on a broccoli-only diet. The day the shoot got over,she treated herself to Cinnabons,her weakness.

100. Bellary Brothers,

G Janardhan Reddy,44;

G Karunakara Reddy,48;

G Somashekhar Reddy,43

Rank ’10: 83

WHY

A series of income tax raids,loss of political clout over mounting charges of illegal mining and the exit of Jaganmohan Reddy from the Congress in Andhra Pradesh have grounded the high-flying brothers. They are still on the list because they can still play a role in the Karnataka crisis.

POWER PUNCH

During a trust vote in the state legislature in October 2010,they helped the BJP pull off a narrow win by winning over an Independent MLA at the eleventh hour.

WHAT NEXT

They have to protect their fortunes in a dramatically changed environment in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.

BY THE WAY

Their beginnings were humble. They are sons of a former police constable.