Sanna Irshad Mattoo: Kashmiri photojournalist and documentary photographer Sanna Irshad Mattoo is nothing short of impressive. She was amongst the four Indians awarded the coveted Pulitzer Prize in 2022 for her feature photography during the pandemic. The Pulitzer Prize official website said that Mattoo’s "images of COVID's toll in India balanced intimacy and devastation while offering viewers a heightened sense of place." Mattoo continues to impress. She was recently crowned one of the 10 winners of the Serendipity Arles Grant!
Hima Das: Hima Das aka Dhing Express is one of India’s most talented sprinters. Hailing from the Kandhulimari village in Assam, Hima started from humble beginnings and shot to the top after continuous dedicated effort. She presently holds the national record in 400 meters, is India’s first female athlete to win a gold medal in a track event at the IAAF World U20 Championships and begged a spot on the World Championships held at Doha in October 2019
Mary Kom: If anyone should have a Barbie modelled after them, it’s Mary Kom! She’s broken everybody generalisation society constructs — showing young girls across the country that everybody is different. Mary Kom is one of the most inspiring athletes in India. She is India’s first woman boxer to have medalled in six World Championships, bag a Gold Medal in the Asian Games in 2014 in Incheon, South Korea and a gold medal in Asian Women’s Championship
Vineeta Singh: Vineeta Singh was born to have a Barbie molded after her and her Barbie-pink outfit on Shark Tank India seals it in. She’s an alum of IIT, Madras and IIM, Ahmedabad — two extremely competitive schools. Vineeta is a valiant entrepreneur, heading one of India’s fastest-growing start-ups — Sugar Cosmetics
Taapsee Pannu: A recipient of two Filmfare Awards, Taapsee Pannu is currently one of India’s most versatile actresses. She began her career as a model before moving into films, debuting with the Telugu film Jhummandi Naadam. Ever since, she’s aced roled in a host of films on both the big screen and OTT platforms. Her most riveting performance to date is possibly as the wrongly accused sex worker in the film Pink
Faye D'Souza: Faye D'Souza is a journalist changing the journalism game with her top-notch social media skills. She quickly understood that the current generations prefer bite-sized content, broken down in a crisp manner and that’s exactly what she gives them on her social media platforms. She host intriguing debates on national and international issues on her YouTube channel, posts 10-minute daily news updates across all sections of news and regular relevant hard and soft news updates. Faye has a whopping 1.4 million followers on Instagram! (Please note: This is a subjective list)
