Phoenix, USA: The recipients were honored for their impactful work in artificial intelligence, ranging from business transformation to climate innovation and the creative sector.
TIME magazine has unveiled its third annual TIME100 AI list, featuring five leaders of Indian origin among the world’s 100 most influential figures shaping advancements in artificial intelligence across multiple fields.
This year’s Indian-origin honorees are Ravi Kumar S, Maithra Raghu, Navrina Singh, Priya Donti, and Kakul Srivastava.
Ravi Kumar S, the CEO of Cognizant, champions the concept of “sentient enterprises,” where agentic AI works in tandem with human expertise. Under his leadership, the $35 billion IT services firm has made significant strides in generative AI—introducing its Agent Foundry platform, securing 59 patents, and scaling its Synapse learning program to train millions. Kumar stresses that AI is more about spreading knowledge than replacing human jobs.
Maithra Raghu, co-founder and CEO of Samaya AI, has carved a niche for her company as a trusted AI ally for Wall Street. Unlike broad-purpose chatbots, Samaya delivers specialized financial intelligence, offering research insights and economic modeling. Supported by notable investors like Eric Schmidt and Yann LeCun, the startup recently raised $43.5 million and rolled out “Causal World Models” to evaluate global economic trends.
Navrina Singh, founder and CEO of Credo AI, is focused on responsible AI governance. Her platform helps organizations identify potential risks, including algorithmic bias, compliance issues, and generative AI errors. Credo has doubled its client base with partners such as Mastercard and McKinsey, while Singh also plays an advisory role to regulators in the U.S. and worldwide on ethical AI use.
At MIT, assistant professor Priya Donti is building machine learning tools to better integrate renewable energy into power systems. Her research tackles the challenge of balancing complex electricity flows, with the ultimate goal of speeding up decarbonization at a crucial point in the fight against climate change.
Meanwhile, Kakul Srivastava, CEO of Splice, is transforming how musicians create and share work. Using AI-driven discovery tools, Splice enables artists to turn sounds into digital instruments and earn royalties automatically, while ensuring creative ownership stays at the forefront.
The list also highlights two India-based leaders — Mitesh Khapra of IIT Madras and Abhishek Singh, CEO of the IndiaAI Mission.
Khapra spearheads AI4Bharat, an initiative developing open-source datasets across 22 Indian languages. His work supports startups, agriculture, and judicial systems through voice-based technology and underpins India’s Bhashini program, boosting linguistic diversity and digital independence.
Abhishek Singh leads the IndiaAI Mission, a national strategy built on seven pillars to make AI accessible to all. Supported by government and philanthropic investments, the mission is driving AI innovations in healthcare, farming, and climate solutions—advancing India’s digital public services while positioning the nation as a global leader in AI.
