1. The Outstanding Achievement Award
- Winner: Jay Shah (ICC Chairman).
- Reason: For his transformative leadership in cricket administration.
- Key Reforms:
- Implementing pay parity for Indian women cricketers.
- Successfully launching the Women’s Premier League (WPL).
- Strengthening India’s position in global sports governance as the new ICC Chairman (took charge in 2024).
2. Category Winners (The “Must-Knows”)
| Category | Winner | Key Achievement/Context |
| Business | Baba Kalyani (CMD, Bharat Forge) | For transforming India’s manufacturing landscape and bolstering indigenous defence capabilities (e.g., artillery systems). |
| Champion of the World | Harmanpreet Kaur (Captain, Team India) | For leading the Indian Women’s Cricket Team to victory in the 2025 Women’s Cricket World Cup. |
| Influencer of the Year | Revant Himatsingka (FoodPharmer) | For his “Label Padhega India” campaign, creating mass awareness about hidden sugars and reading food labels. |
| Youth Icons | Lt Cdr Roopa A & Lt Cdr Dilna K | For becoming the first Indian duo to complete a historic circumnavigation of the globe in double-handed mode (Navika Sagar Parikrama II). |
| Global Indian | Chef Vijay Kumar | For placing regional Indian cuisine on the global culinary map. |
3. Special Recognition Awards
- Iconic Woman Achiever: Chhonzin Angmo (The first blind woman from India to scale Mount Everest).
- Braveheart Indians: Rauf Wani & Sajjad Ahmad Bhat (For their courage in saving lives during the Pahalgam terror attack in J&K).
- Inspiring Champions: Deepika TC and the Indian Blind Women’s Cricket Team (Winners of the inaugural T20 World Cup for the Blind).
4. Confusion Point: NDTV Awards
- Note: There is often confusion between media house awards. The NDTV Indian of the Year 2025 is a separate event.
- Key NDTV Winners (2025):
- Vicky Kaushal (Actor of the Year).
- N Chandrasekaran (Business Leader of the Year).
- Sunny Deol (Entertainer of the Year).
(For exams, always check if the question specifies the organisation, e.g., “CNN-News18” or “NDTV”.)
5. Exam Takeaways
- Jay Shah moved from BCCI Secretary to ICC Chairman in 2024, which is a major plot point for his award.
- Harmanpreet Kaur’s award is linked to a specific World Cup win in 2025, differentiating it from previous years.
- FoodPharmer’s win highlights the growing importance of health literacy in current affairs.
