Ashok Chakra awardee Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma, the first Indian to travel to space, is a true inspiration to an aspiring nation.
Born on 13 January 1949 in Patiala of present-day Punjab, Sharma, attended St. George's Grammar School, Hyderabad, and graduated

from Nizam College, Hyderabad. He joined the National Defence Academy as an Air Force plebe in July 1966.
He was commissioned into the Indian Air Force as a Pilot Officer in 1970. He flew 21 combat missions as a MiG-21 pilot during the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War. Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma, then a Squadron Leader, embarked on a historic mission in 1984 as part of a joint space program between the Indian Space Research Organisation and the Soviet Intercosmos space program.
He spent seven days and twenty-one hours aboard the Salyut-7 space station. During his mission, Wing Commander Sharma performed experiments related to remote sensing and bio-medicine, particularly exercises to study the effects of yoga on the body during weightlessness among others.
After retiring from the Air Force as Wing Commander, Rakesh Sharma joined Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) as chief test pilot. He served as the Chief Project Pilot of India’s Light Combat Aircraft ‘Tejas’. During this period, his skills were extensively utilised by HAL on its indigenous Intermediate Jet Trainer Project. Out of a flying career spanning 33 years, he spent 24 years testing aircraft and systems. During this period, he flew 4000 hrs on all front-line fighter aircraft of the Indian Air Force, apart from the NT-33, NF-16, and F-18. He retired from test flying in July 2001.
He continues to support and advise ISRO’s Gaganyaan program, which is slated to carry four Indian astronauts to space.
Wing Commander Sharma was conferred with the honour of ‘Hero of Soviet Union’ upon his return from space. The Government of India conferred on him its highest peacetime gallantry award, the Ashoka Chakra.

Padma Vibhushan Amjad Ali Khan, a Sarod virtuoso and composer par excellence, is an icon of Indian classical music. He is a proponent of interpreting traditional notions of music, giving a new, refreshing take yet respecting the timelessness of tradition.

Amjad Ali Khan, born on October 9, 1945, in Gwalior, India, hails from the illustrious Bangash lineage of the Senia Bangash School of Music. Under the guidance of his father, Haafiz Ali Khan, he mastered the art of playing the Sarod. His public debut at the age of six marked the beginning of a remarkable journey. Renowned for his unique style, he has not only popularised Indian classical music globally but also fostered diverse musical collaborations.
He has performed at prestigious venues and events around the world, captivating audiences with deep emotional expression. He has performed at the WOMAD Festival in Adelaide and New Plymouth, Edinburgh Music Festival, World Beat Festival in Brisbane, Taranakiin New Zealand, Summer Arts Festival in Seattle, BBC Proms, International Poets Festival in Rome, Shiraz Festival, UNESCO, Hong Kong Arts Festival, Adelaide Music Festival, 1200 Years celebration of Frankfurt WOMAD Rivermead Festival, UK, and ‘Schonbrunn’ in Vienna.
To mark the Hundred Years of Gandhi’s Satyagraha Movement, Amjad Ali Khan presented a Concert at Carnegie Hall in 2006. He performed at the Central Hall of the Indian Parliament on the commemoration of India's 60th year of Independence in 2007.
He is a recipient of the Padma Vibhushan, UNESCO Award, UNICEF’s National Ambassadorship, The Crystal Award by the World Economic Forum and Honorary Doctorates from the Universities of York in 1997, England, Delhi University in 1998, Rabindra Bharati University in 2007, Kolkata and the Vishva Bharti (Deshikottam) in Shantiniketan in 2001. He represented India in the first World Arts Summit in Venice in 1991, received Honorary Citizenship to the American states of Texas (1997), Massachusetts (1984), Tennessee (1997), the city of Atlanta, Georgia (2002), Albuquerque, NM (2007) and the Key of the City of Tulsa, Oklahoma and Fort Lauderdale, Miami.
Amjad Ali Khan’s passion for bringing the sarod to new audiences has seen him give numerous residencies as well as being appointed as a Visiting Professor at several universities.

Sukla Mistry is a woman of many firsts. Besides being the first woman Functional Director on the IndianOil Board, she is responsible for the business and operations of nine refineries and mega petrochemical plants. She also holds directorial positions on the Board of Chennai

Petroleum Corporation Ltd. (CPCL), Cauvery Basin Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited, and the upcoming Ratnagiri Refinery and Petrochemical Limited in Maharashtra.
Besides leading projects worth approximately INR 1.1 Lakh Crore ($14 billion) across refinery units for capacity expansion, Ms Mistry has been driving IndianOil's green growth agenda.
Among her achievements towards sustainability, Mistry's work in meeting ~650 MW refinery power requirements through renewable energy is commendable. Her exploration towards carbon capture, utilisation, and storage across refineries and Green Hydrogen projects for the net carbon zero goal drives India towards its efforts to curb emissions.
Under her leadership, the Maharatna enterprise achieved its highest throughput of 73.31 MMT in FY 2023-24. Besides IndianOil's capacity utilisation reaching about 104.5%.
Fighting against the odds has been Mistry's forte since childhood. Besides being the first girl to pursue higher education outside her village in West Bengal's Sundarbans, her educational journey has been replete with multiple successes. After specialising in metallurgy during her B.Tech at Bengal Engineering College, she earned an Advanced Diploma in Business Management from ICFAI and certifications in Industrial Radiography and Ultrasonic Non- destructive Testing, among others.
During her 37 years in the oil and gas sector, Mistry spearheaded the introduction of Aviation Gasoline 100 Low Lead (AVGas 100LL) from Gujarat Refinery, producing premium Grade Low Sulphur Heavy Stock. Besides fueling India's developmental goals, her work has also helped the country efficiently defend its maritime boundaries.
Mistry's work on innovative business processes leveraging digital technologies has been ahead of her time. Under her leadership, IndianOil has utilised artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) to perform predictive analysis of critical equipment.

Padma Bhushan awardee Krishen Khanna, an icon of Indian art, is one of the most versatile modernists of our times. His works stand apart in their figurative nature, narrative quality, and a distinct blend of realism and expressionism, making them a fascinating study in artistic style.

Khanna was born on July 5, 1925, in Lyallpur (now Faisalabad, Pakistan) in pre-partition Punjab. As a Rudyard Kipling Scholar, he studied at the Imperial Service College, England, from 1938 to 1942. After completing his B.A. (Honors) from Government College, Lahore, Krishnen Khanna began his professional journey working at Grindlays Bank in 1946, during which he enrolled in Sheikh Ahmed's Studio One to study drawing. His artistic career started when he participated in the annual exhibition of the Punjab Art Society, where his painting, Dead Tree, was highly appreciated. He continued his stint at Grindlays Bank, where he resigned in 1961 to devote himself to art full-time.
During his stint at Grindlays Bank in Mumbai (1948), he became part of the Progressive Artist's Group, which brought him close to others in the group, like M.F. Husain and S.H. Raza, to name a few.
Among his solo exhibitions are those at Vadehra Art Gallery, New Delhi, in 2016; Grosvenor Gallery, London, in 2015; Sakshi Gallery, Mumbai, in 2013; Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi, in 2010; Cymroza Art Gallery, Mumbai, in 2008; Saffronart and Berkeley Square Gallery, London, in 2005; and Pundole Art Gallery, Mumbai, in 2004.
For his invaluable contribution, Khanna has received several awards and honours. He was the first Indian artist to be awarded the Council on Economic and Cultural Affairs (later renamed the John D. Rockefeller III Fund) fellowship in 1962 and was an artist in residence at American University in Washington in 1963-64. In 1965, he received the Lalit Kala Akademi's National Award. He was honoured with Padma Shri in 1990, the Lalit Kala Ratna in 2004, and Padma Bhushan in 2011 by the Government of India.