MR
Mithali Raj
Former Captain of the Indian Women's Cricket Team
Mithali Raj is widely regarded as one of the greatest female cricketers of all time and the former captain of the Indian women's national cricket team. Born on December 3, 1982, in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, she grew up in Hyderabad, where she pursued cricket alongside classical Bharatanatyam dance. Known for her superb batting technique and calm composure under pressure, Mithali made her One Day International debut in 1999 against Ireland, scoring an unbeaten 114 runs. She went on to hold the record for the highest run-scorer in women's international cricket and remains the only female cricketer to surpass the 7,000-run milestone in ODIs. Mithali captained India to the finals of two ICC Women's Cricket World Cups, in 2005 and 2017, becoming a central figure in popularizing women's cricket in India. Her international career spanned an incredible 23 years, during which she set numerous records, including scoring seven consecutive half-centuries in ODIs. She officially retired from all formats of international cricket in June 2022. Following her retirement, she stayed active in the cricket ecosystem, joining the Women's Premier League franchise Gujarat Giants as a mentor and advisor. Over her illustrious career, Mithali has received multiple prestigious national awards, including the Arjuna Award in 2003, the Padma Shri in 2015, and the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award in 2021, cementing her legacy as a true pioneer of the game.
Sports
Person
SA
Sisir Kumar Adhikari
Sisir Kumar Adhikari is an Indian politician who represented Kanthi Lok Sabha constituency from 2009 till 2024.
He was the Member of Legislative Assembly from Kanthi Dakshin from 2001 to 2006 and Egra from 2006 to 2009. He was the chairman of Contai Municipality for more than 25 years. Along with his son Suvendu, who was elected from Tamluk, he played a key role in the Nandigram anti-land acquisition stir.
Political
Person
RB
Roelof Botha
Managing Partner of Sequoia Capital
Roelof Botha is a highly influential South African-born venture capitalist and the Managing Partner of Sequoia Capital. Born in Pretoria, South Africa, Botha excelled academically, graduating from the University of Cape Town with a degree in Actuarial Science and later earning his MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business. Botha first rose to prominence in Silicon Valley during his tenure at PayPal, where he joined in 2000 and quickly ascended to the position of Chief Financial Officer. He successfully guided the company through its initial public offering in 2002 and its subsequent acquisition by eBay. In 2003, Botha transitioned to venture capital by joining Sequoia Capital, one of the world's most prestigious investment firms. Over more than two decades at Sequoia, he has driven monumental investments in game-changing technology companies, including YouTube, Instagram, Square, MongoDB, and Unity. Known for his disciplined approach and deep partnership with entrepreneurs, Botha has consistently ranked among the top investors on the Forbes Midas List. In 2022, he succeeded Doug Leone as Sequoia's Senior Steward, taking global leadership of the firm's operations and investment strategies. His career represents a bridge between the early dot-com boom and the modern era of global technology giant creation.
Finance
Person
RV
Robert Vadra
Robert Vadra (born 18 April 1969) is an Indian entrepreneur, and the husband of Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi.
Robert Vadra was born in Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh, to Rajendra Vadra and Maureen His father's family is of Punjabi descent and settled in Moradabad.His paternal family is originally from Sialkot in present-day Pakistan. Rajendra's father moved to India at the time of partition.
Robert Vadra's mother, Maureen is of Anglo-Indian origin, with roots stretching back to Scotland. Rajendra was a resident of Civil Lines, Moradabad, and ran a diamond trading business along with brass and wood handicrafts. Rajendra Vadra has only completed his high school education.
Business
Person
LN
Luke Nosek
Co-founder of PayPal, Founders Fund, and Gigafund
Luke Nosek is a Polish-American entrepreneur and venture capitalist, best known as a co-founder of PayPal and Founders Fund. Born in Tarnobrzeg, Poland, Nosek immigrated to the United States and earned a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. During his time at university, he met future PayPal co-founder Max Levchin.
In 1998, Nosek co-founded Confinity, which later merged with X.com to become PayPal, alongside Peter Thiel, Max Levchin, Ken Howery, and Yu Pan. At PayPal, he served as the Vice President of Marketing and Strategy, helping steer the company through its early growth and subsequent acquisition by eBay for $1.5 billion in 2002. As a prominent member of the 'PayPal Mafia,' Nosek continued to shape the technology landscape.
In 2005, Nosek reunited with Thiel and Howery to co-found Founders Fund, a prominent San Francisco-based venture capital firm. At Founders Fund, he led early-stage investments in groundbreaking companies, famously making the firm the first institutional investor in Elon Musk's SpaceX, where Nosek also joined the board of directors. He also led or participated in investments in Airbnb, Facebook, and Palantir.
In 2017, Nosek left Founders Fund to co-found Gigafund with Stephen Oskoui. Gigafund was established to make large, long-term investments in exceptionally ambitious companies, with a primary focus on continuing to fund SpaceX's multi-planetary mission. Nosek is widely recognized for his visionary investment strategy, focusing on deep technology and transformative human endeavors.
Finance
Person
VP
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel
First Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister of India
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, popularly known as the Iron Man of India, was a pioneering statesman and one of the founding fathers of the Republic of India. Born on October 31, 1875, in Gujarat, Patel went on to study law in England and established a highly successful practice as a barrister in Ahmedabad. His life took a transformative turn when he met Mahatma Gandhi, leading him to dedicate himself entirely to the Indian independence movement. He rose to prominence by organizing peasants from Kheda and Bardoli in non-violent civil disobedience, where he earned the title Sardar, meaning chief or leader. As a senior leader of the Indian National Congress, he played an influential role in organizing national campaigns and presiding over the Karachi session in 1931. Following India's independence in 1947, Patel assumed office as the nation's first Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister. His greatest legacy lies in his masterful diplomacy and administrative skill in integrating more than 500 self-governing princely states into the newly independent Indian Union, thereby preventing the balkanization of the subcontinent. He also laid the foundation for the modern All India Services, earning him the moniker of the patron saint of India's civil servants. Sardar Patel passed away on December 15, 1950, leaving behind an enduring legacy of national unity and strong governance. In 2018, the Government of India dedicated the Statue of Unity, the world's tallest statue, to honor his monumental contributions to the nation.
Political
Person
UT
Uddhav Thackeray
Uddhav Bal Thackeray is an Indian politician who served as the 19th Chief Minister of Maharashtra
Uddhav Bal Thackeray is an Indian politician who currently serves as the president of the Shiv Sena (UBT) party and the Maha Vikas Aghadi. He is a Member of the Maharashtra Legislative Council and previously served as the 19th Chief Minister of Maharashtra from 2019 to 2022.Key Political Leadership RolesShiv Sena (UBT) President: Leading the faction since 2022.Maha Vikas Aghadi President: Heading the political alliance since 2019.Legislative Council Member: Serving as a lawmaker since 2020.Former Chief Minister: Led the state of Maharashtra from 2019 to 2022.Former House Leader: Led the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly from 2019 to 2022.Historical Party PositionsShiv Sena Leader (Pramukh): Headed the original party from 2013 to 2022.Working President: Managed party operations from 2003 to 2013.Saamana Editor-in-Chief: Ran the party newspaper from 2006 to 2019.
Political
Person
AB
Abhishek Banerjee
Abhishek Banerjee is an Indian politician who had been a Member of Parliament for Diamond Harbour, West Bengal, since 2014 and President of Trinamool Youth Congress since 2011.
Banerjee was a member of the Standing Committee of Commerce in 2014, as well as a member of the Consultative Committee under the Ministry of Finance and Corporate Affairs in 2014. He also served on the Railway Convention Committee from April 2015 to May 2019. of External Affairs since September 2019. On 5 June 2021 he was appointed the general secretary of Trinamool Congress.
Political
Person
SKB
Sujay Krishna Bhadra
Sujay Krishna Bhadra is a key figure in the West Bengal school jobs scam case. He is widely known by his nickname, "Kalighater Kaku"
Sujay Krishna Bhadra has been involved with several businesses and corporate entities,
Business
Person