Former Supreme Court judge K T Thomas (public affairs), Hindustani classical musician and violinist N Rajam (art), and eminent Malayalam journalist P Narayanan (literature and education) have also been awarded the Padma Vibhushan, the government said. Thomas and Narayanan hail from Kerala, as did Achuthanandan, while violin maestro Rajam, born in Chennai, taught at Banaras Hindu University and is currently settled in Uttar Pradesh.
Highlighting the role of “industry leaders at the forefront of Atmanirbhar Bharat”, the government awarded Kotak Mahindra Bank founder Uday Kotak the Padma Bhushan for “creating and leading India’s first fully private Indian bank”, “expanding it to over 2,000 branches”, and providing “employment to hundreds of thousands across the country”..
On the eve of Republic Day, the government announced 131 Padma awards for 2026, including five Padma Vibhushan, 13 Padma Bhushan, and 113 Padma Shri. Awardees are drawn from 84 districts across India, including 10 districts recognised with a Padma award for the first time. Ninety awardees are women. The list also includes six foreigners, non-resident Indians, persons of Indian origin, and overseas citizens of India, as well as 16 posthumous awards.
In the trade and industry category, the Padma Shri was awarded to Satyanarayan Nuwal, founder and chairman of Solar Industries, India’s first licensed private defence company, which pioneered indigenous ammunition manufacturing; T T Jagannathan of TTK Prestige, who died in October 2025; and Ashok Khade, managing director of DAS
The Padma Bhushan was also awarded to playback singer Alka Yagnik; former Uttarakhand CM Bhagat Singh Koshyari; actor Mammootty; Tamil Nadu-based gastroenterologist Kallipatti Ramasamy Palaniswamy; US-based oncologist Dattatreyudu Nori; social worker S K M Maeilanandhan; Avadhana bhajan performer Shatavadhani R Ganesh; and Vellappally
Natesan, general secretary of Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana Yogam and secretary of Sree Narayana Trust.
Senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader V K Malhotra, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha founder and former Jharkhand CM Shibu Soren, and advertising veteran Piyush Pandey were awarded posthumously. Actor Satish Shah received the Padma Shri posthumously.
Tennis legend Vijay Amritraj was awarded the Padma Bhushan. Cricketer Rohit Sharma, women’s cricket captain Harmanpreet Kaur and hockey player Savita Punia received the Padma Shri. Former wrestling coach Vladimir Mestvirishvili, who trained Olympic medallists Yogeshwar Dutt and Bajrang Punia, was awarded the Padma Shri posthumously.
Former Jawaharlal Nehru University vice-chancellor C M Jagadesh Kumar, former Prasar Bharati chief executive officer Shashi Shekhar Vempati, and actors R Madhavan and Prosenjit Chatterjee are also among the Padma Shri awardees, the ministry said.
Aerospace scientist Gaddamanugu Chandramouli of the Defence Research and Development Laboratory, who led the Akash missile system from development to deployment during Operation Sindoor, and Indian Space Research Organisation scientist A E Muthunayagam, who headed the cryogenic propulsion programme, have been awarded the Padma Shri.
Ramamurthy Sreedher, former Central Reserve Police Force director general and Special Task Force chief who led the operation that killed poacher Veerappan and a pioneer of community radio in India, has also been awarded the Padma Shri.
Archaeologist Buddha Rashmi Mani, who led excavations in Ayodhya and Sarnath, and agricultural scientist Ashok Kumar Singh, who developed over 25 rice varieties, have been awarded the Padma Shri.
In a message, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, “Congratulations to all the Padma awardees for their outstanding contributions to our nation. Their excellence, dedication, and service across diverse fields enrich the fabric of our society.”
The list includes 16 awardees from Maharashtra, 14 from Tamil Nadu, 12 from Uttar Pradesh, 11 from West Bengal, eight from Kerala, and five from Assam.
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