Newsmakers@2025: People behind the year's firsts, farewells, flashpoints

From historic breakthroughs and leadership changes to legacy battles and cultural reckonings, people who shaped the year

SPACE & BEYOND 

On June 26, Indian Air Force Group Captain and astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla became the first Indian to travel to the International Space Station, aboard SpaceX’s Falcon 9 for Axiom Mission-4. Quoting the first Indian in space, Rakesh Sharma, from orbit, he said: “Aaj ka Bharat abhi bhi saare jahan se achha dikhta hai (India still looks better than the whole world).” His 18-day spaceflight experience is expected to feed into India’s own manned mission, planned for 2027 

  New York’s new bet 

US politics saw a milestone as New York City elected its first South Asian and Muslim mayor, and its youngest in over a century: Zohran Mamdani. Born to Indian-origin parents, academic Mahmood Mamdani and filmmaker Mira Nair, the Democrat defeated former New York governor Andrew Cuomo after a grassroots campaign centred on affordability. Despite sharp political differences, Mamdani and US President Donald Trump surprised the internet with a cordial meeting in November 

 

 

  Big win, bigger opponent

 

Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado was awarded the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize for her long-running fight for democracy in a country ruled by President Nicolás Maduro since 2013. The award came amid Donald Trump’s own campaign for the honour. Forced underground for 11 months, Machado fell just hours short of reaching Oslo for the ceremony. She dedicated the prize “to the suffering people of Venezuela and to President Trump” 

 

  Taking charge

 

(Clockwise from left) Justice Surya Kant succeeded Justice B R Gavai as the 53rd Chief Justice of India, beginning a 14-month tenure. The year also saw key regulatory reshuffles: Tuhin Kanta Pandey was appointed Sebi chairman in February; former finance secretary Ajay Seth was appointed chairman of the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India; and 

Sivasubramanian Ramann became head of the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority 

 

   

A grand farewell 

Pope Francis, who led the Catholic Church from 2013, died at 88 on April 21 following a stroke. More than 400,000 mourners lined the streets of Rome, and world leaders, including President Droupadi Murmu and US President Donald Trump, attended the funeral. On May 9, Robert Francis Prevost was elected the new Pope, becoming the first American pontiff and taking the name Leo XIV 

 

   

In Detention 

On September 10, activist Sonam Wangchuk (right) began a 35-day hunger strike, renewing his demand for statehood for Ladakh and the extension of the Constitution’s Sixth Schedule. He was detained under the National Security Act on September 26 after violent clashes between protesters and police left four people dead. Wangchuk continues to remain lodged in a Jodhpur jail amidst demands for his release 

 

     

Fighter’s final flight 

On September 26, the Indian Air Force decommissioned its iconic Mikoyan-Gurevich 21 (MiG-21) at the Chandigarh air base, ending 62 years of its service. The Soviet-designed supersonic fighter played key roles in conflicts, from the 1960s to the 2019 Balakot airstrikes. Yet its legacy was also marred by frequent crashes that earned it the grim “flying coffin” moniker  

 

   

When Prada wore Kolhapuri 

What began on Milan’s runway echoed 6,000 km away in Maharashtra’s Kolhapur, after Prada’s Summer 2026 menswear collection featured footwear resembling GI-tagged Kolhapuri chappals. Accused of cultural appropriation, the Italian luxury brand sent a team to Kolhapur in July to engage with artisans. Prada has since announced a collaboration with craftspeople in Maharashtra and Karnataka for a limited-edition collection 

 

   

Bridging barriers 

Priya Nair took over from Rohit Jawa as chief executive officer and managing director of Hindustan Unilever Ltd, becoming the first woman to lead the FMCG giant in its 92-year history. A Unilever veteran since 1995, Nair rose through brand and category roles before her global appointment in 2022 as chief marketing officer of the beauty and wellbeing business 

 

       Inheritance dispute

 

  Sona Comstar chairman Sunjay Kapur (extreme left) died of a heart attack on June 12, leaving behind a ~30,000-odd crore company and an inheritance dispute. Following his death, his wife Priya Sachdev Kapur (centre) and their son, Azarius, were named significant beneficiaries. His purported will was challenged by his mother, Rani Kapur, and his two children, Samaira and Kiaan, from his previous  marriage to actor Karisma Kapoor. The case continues 

 

Charged up fortunes

 

Even as Elon Musk’s political engagements proved volatile, his business fortunes surged. Tesla shareholders approved a performance-linked compensation package valued at $1 trillion, backed by 75 per cent of votes — an unprecedented payout for a chief executive. With a net worth approaching $600 billion, Musk remains on course to become the world’s first trillionaire 

 

‘As the British would say, I’m going quiet’

 

Warren Buffett’s annual letter to Berkshire Hathaway shareholders carried an unexpected message this year. After six decades at the helm, the “Oracle of Omaha” handed over leadership to Vice Chairman Greg Abel. Buffett had bought the struggling textile firm in 1965 and transformed Berkshire Hathaway into a trillion-dollar conglomerate