Mamdani and Musunuru Among Five Indian Americans Named to TIME’s 100 Most Influential People of 2026

TIME magazine released its annual list of the 100 Most Influential People of 2026 on Wednesday, featuring five prominent Indian Americans who have made significant global impacts across technology, politics, healthcare, and culinary arts.

The honorees include Google CEO Sundar Pichai, YouTube CEO Neal Mohan, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, celebrity chef Vikas Khanna, and gene-editing pioneer Dr. Kiran Musunuru, according to TIME and multiple media outlets.

Sundar Pichai: Leading the AI Revolution 

Sundar Pichai, who has served as Google’s CEO since 2015, was recognized in the “titans” category for his leadership in advancing artificial intelligence across Google’s ecosystem.

“After OpenAI captured the public imagination with ChatGPT’s 2022 launch, Google faced questions about its leadership in AI. Pichai responded decisively, merging the company’s premier labs, Google Brain and DeepMind, to create Gemini, which the company rolled out as a standalone” platform.

In Pichai’s TIME profile, AI expert Andrew Ng wrote: “In an era when AI is redefining knowledge, work, and power, Pichai’s influence lies not only in what Google builds, but in how widely it is used.”

Ng credited Pichai for bringing artificial intelligence to the masses on an unprecedented scale: “Few leaders have brought artificial intelligence to more people than Sundar Pichai. Since becoming CEO of Google in 2015, he has overseen the translation and implementation of Google’s research breakthroughs into products used by billions.”

Neal Mohan: Transforming YouTube Into the New TV

Neal Mohan, who became YouTube’s CEO in early 2023, was recognized for supercharging the platform’s growth and omnipresence, according to TIME.

“When Neal Mohan arrived as CEO in early 2023, YouTube’s years as the digital equivalent of America’s Funniest Home Videos were already behind it, but Mohan supercharged the platform’s growth and omnipresence,” according to TIME’s profile.

The platform is now “the place where people are as likely to watch NFL games, podcasts, or Saturday Night Live as they are to watch locally sourced content like MrBeast and CoComelon. It’s on every screen in the home. It’s on every media planner’s list, and in 2025 it became the most popular video provider on TV sets in the U.S.,” TIME stated.

Mohan, whose parents hailed from Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh, was described as one of the most approachable executives. Mohan was born on July 14, 1973, in Lafayette, Indiana, and his parents, Aditya Mohan and Deepa Mohan, were Indian-Tamils from Lucknow.

“Leading YouTube requires several discrete and usually mutually exclusive skills. Mohan has enough nerdiness to earn the respect of software engineers plus sufficient charm to woo advertisers,” TIME noted in its profile.

Zohran Mamdani: Democratic Socialist Mayor Making History

Zohran Mamdani, New York City’s mayor, was featured on the TIME 100 list as he marked his first 100 days in office, having made history as the city’s first Muslim mayor and youngest in a generation.

At 34, Mamdani has governed with “a star power unusual in politics,” according to PBS News. “Crowds of supporters show up to his news conferences. Basic municipal services have been infused with newfound excitement. Celebrities help him promote his agenda.”

Since making history as the city’s first Muslim mayor, Mamdani has surprised some of his toughest critics He has maintained a pace reminiscent of his campaign, keeping a promise to New Yorkers to make himself seen and heard on city streets, riding public transportation and making himself available to constituents.

“I know there are many who use ‘socialist’ as a dirty word, something to be ashamed of,” Mamdani said Sunday night at a rally marking his 100 days. “They can try all they want, but we will not be ashamed of using government to fight for the many, not simply the few.”

According to Al Jazeera, Mamdani’s first 100 days have been marked by major victories, including delivering on one of his signature promises: universal childcare. By early April, the city had also filled 100,000 potholes, Democracy Now! reported. Mayor Mamdani touted his accomplishments to roll out 2,000 daycare seats in low-income neighborhoods and announced that New York City will open a city-owned grocery store.

Dr. Kiran Musunuru: Pioneering Personalized Gene Therapy

Dr. Kiran Musunuru, director of the Genetic and Epigenetic Origins of Disease Program at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, was named to TIME100 Health 2026 (a separate health-focused list announced in February 2026) alongside Dr. Rebecca Ahrens-Nicklas for their groundbreaking work in personalized CRISPR gene therapy.

“Since its advent in 2012, CRISPR genome-editing technology has held the potential to change medicine. But getting from a research breakthrough to practical impacts on patients is no simple feat. In 2025, doctors Kiran Musunuru and Rebecca Ahrens-Nicklas showed it can be done,” according to TIME’s profile on its website.

When baby KJ was born in August 2024 with a rare metabolic disease, Ahrens-Nicklas and Musunuru led a remarkable multi-institutional team that designed, tested, and administered a personalized gene-editing therapy in just six months, according to TIME. At just 6 months old, in early 2025, KJ received the first personalized CRISPR therapy, designed to address his specific mutation.

“This achievement goes beyond one child. Musunuru and Ahrens-Nicklas brought together innovations from across biomedical science and proved that on-demand CRISPR therapies can be developed safely and quickly enough to help patients who don’t have years to wait,” TIME stated.

Musunuru is of Telugu descent. His father, a renowned cardiologist, moved to the U.S. from India in 1976. Musunuru was born in New York City and grew up in Florida.

At the TIME100 Health Impact Dinner on February 19, 2026, Musunuru highlighted the importance of investing in health research. “We’re simply one link in a very long chain … and, of course, no part of that long chain could have been forged without strong support from the federal government” and funding from the National Institutes of Health, he said, according to TIME.

“Now is not the time to take the foot off the accelerator,” he added.

Vikas Khanna: Elevating Indian Cuisine Globally

Celebrity chef Vikas Khanna was honored for his culinary excellence as well as humanitarian and cultural contributions, according to NewKerala. His work has been noted for using food as a bridge across cultures while showcasing Indian traditions globally.

In Khanna’s TIME profile, Chef Eric Ripert wrote that Khanna’s influence lies not only in success but in “uplifting and connecting with others.” Through his restaurant Bungalow in New York’s East Village, Khanna has created a space where food becomes storytelling rooted in memory and heritage.

“Being on the 2026 TIME100 list of the most influential people in the world is a matter of immense pride for me,” Khanna said in a statement. “I owe this recognition to my grandmother, mother, and sister; they always believed in me, and it is their sacrifices, blessings, and guidance that have helped me reach where I am today.”

Born in Amritsar, Khanna’s culinary roots trace back to his grandmother’s kitchen. After opening Junoon in Manhattan in 2009, which earned Michelin stars for several consecutive years, Khanna opened Bungalow in 2024.