PM Modi debuts in Forbes list of most powerful people, ranked 15th

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been ranked 15th in the Forbes list of world's most powerful people this year. Russian President Vladimir Putin has piped his US counterpart Barack Obama for a second year in a row and is at the top.

The list of 72 most powerful people in the world also includes Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani at the 36th position, Arcelor Mittal Chairman and CEO Lakshmi Mittal at 57th and Microsoft's Indian-born CEO Satya Nadella at 64th.

Congress President Sonia Gandhi, who was the highest ranked Indian last year at 21, is no longer a part of the list.

"India's newest rock star does not hail from Bollywood. He is the newly elected Prime Minister who sailed into office in May with a landslide victory, ushering the Bharatiya Janata Party into power," said Forbes.

The top five remain the same as last year. After Vladimir Putin and Barack Obama, Chinese President Xi Jinping has been ranked third, Pope Francis at rank fourth and the world's most powerful woman German Chancellor Angela Merkel at fifth.

Forbes is an American business magazine which is well known for its lists and rankings.