Nambi Narayanan , the 77 year old scientist, was awarded the Padma Bhushan this year for his work in the Indian Space arena. The former scientist contributed immensely to the world of Science, he played a crucial role in the development of Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle and in the initial phase of making cryogenic engines. Narayanan was falsely accused of espionage in 1994 which led him to fame for the wrong reasons.With the Padma Bhushan this year, he has been given the recognition he deserved for his contributions.

Film Director, Script Writer and Producer Adoor Gopalakrishnan is considered one of the most notable filmmakers in India. He wrote an open letter to PM Narendra Modi along with 48 other people, including filmmakers, artists, social workers and individuals from different walks of life. The letter shared their concern regarding mob-lynching, it also included that ‘Jai Shri Ram’ has now become a provocative ‘war-cry’ today. The letter was not well received by the members of the BJP and Adoor was asked to leave for the moon if he cannot tolerate ‘Jai Shri Ram’ by BJP leader in Kerala.

Aadithyan is a 13 year old teenager has developed a mobile application and launched his own software company. He develops apps, designs logos and websites for clients. The student from Kerala was as young as 9 years when he first developed an application. His company has three employees, all three being members friends and students at Aadithyan’s school. ‘Trinet Solutions’, Aadithyan’s company has worked with over 12 clients and has given out designs and coding services entirely for free.

Popularly known as the ‘Metro Man’, E. Sreedharan is known for giving a facelift to the public transport system in India. His work with the Konkan Railway and the Delhi Metro is well known all over the world. He was awarded the Padma Shri by the Government of India in 2001, the Padma Vibhushan in 2008, the Chevalier de la Légion d’honneur in 2005 by the French Government. Sreedharan was awarded the Lifetime achievement award by ET Awards 2019 for his contribution to the mass transit system in India.

V A Ajmal, Managing Director of the Bismi Enterprises, is a production engineer turned businessman. It all started with a young engineer entering the business world 23 years ago with passion and determination. Bismi now has more than 3 Lakh sqft of retail area serving over 6 million customers. V A Ajmal is enthusiastic about business which has lead him to succeed in his endeavours.

Beena Kannan is the name etched in our minds when we think of textiles and sarees. Beena is the CEO and lead designer of Seematti, a popular destination for Bridal sarees and Kancheepuram for Keralites. She is innovative and ambitious and has taken the family business, started by her grandfather Veeriah Reddiar, to great heights. Beena Kannan made the Forbes India W-Power list of remarkable women in 2019 being a trailblazer of her path in life.

Ravi Pillai is the CEO and Chairman of the RP Group of Companies.He is most commonly known for his chain of hotels under the name Raviz. The 66 year old has many achievements to his name including a business which now expands to countries like the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Bahrain. Ravi Pillai is an Indian Billionaire thanks to his skills and instincts when it comes to Business. He was ranked fourth by the Arabian Business in their list of powerful Indians in the Middle East in 2015.

Co-founder and Former CEO of Infosys, S D Shibulal is an influential name in the world of business. He was ranked 100 in Forbes India’s Richest in 2019. Shibulal stepped down from his post as CEO of Infosys in 2014 though he holds a small stake in the company. There are many other ventures that bear his stamp, including The Tamara, a boutique resort chain founded by his daughter, and the business incubator Axilor Ventures.

Saji Gopinanth has many feathers to his cap. Whether it was being a Professor at IIM Kozhikode for over 17 years or taking up responsibility as the leading force in the Government’s Kerala Startup Mission, he excels in everything he chooses to do. Saji Gopinanth plays a vital role in boosting the startup ecosystem in Kerala with his work at KSUM.

Sheela Kochouseph Chittilappily is the Managing Director of V-Star Creations, an Indian manufacturer for innerwear. Founded in 1995, it is now of the leading brands in South India as well as the Middle East. Her success in the field is inspirational and has paved the way for other women entrepreneurs and business enthusiasts. Wife of Kochouseph Chittilappily, founder and chairman of V-Guard, Sheela draws inspiration from
her husband’s drive and qualities.

He is the Founder and CEO of Entri, a learning platform for students and teachers in India. It implements the Plug and Play technology and works in the vernacular medium. Entri, the learning app, prepares its users for competitive exams like State PSC, Bank and other Government Exams.Hisamuddin previously founded SMSGYAN and had helped promote its growth to more than 10 million users.

Jees V. Kariyil and Jeevan K. Varghese are the Co-Founders of JOBOY, a unique platform which organizes the service sector and gives its user their on-demand/scheduled services. Whether you need a plumber or a carpenter, JOBOY is what you need. This brainchild of the Kochi-based brothers has made life easier and more comfortable.

Designed and developed her official school website when 8 years old, Sreelakshmi Suresh is the Youngest Girl Web Designer and Youngest CEO in the World. She has more than 40 National and International Awards and Honours for her skills in Web Designing. Sreelakshmi owns a web designing company eDesign , wherein she is the CEO. She also received the National Child Award for Exceptional Achievement 2008, the highest award in India for Children instituted by Govt. of India.

Co-founders of IBO, a smart bottle which has 3 layer filtration system. The two young entrepreneurs met each other in college while pursuing their engineering degrees and received an Idea grant from Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM) and was later incubated under it.

Co-founder and CEO of FreshtoHome, Shan Kadavil was one of the first to realize that much of the meat being sold in the country is unhealthy, coated with chemicals to prolong their life. It was from this that he developed the idea of his e-commerce startup that delivers “100% pure and fresh fish, chicken and other kinds of meat.

Mohanlal is a veteran Indian Actor primarily in the Malayalam Film Industry. He is also a producer and singer who has captured the hearts of all Malayalees. Mohanlal began his career way back in 1978 and continues to contribute immensely to Malayalam Cinema till date. Mohanlal has won five Indian National Film Awards, along with six Kerala State Film Awards for Best Actor and eight Filmfare Awards for Best Actor. In 2009, he became the first and the only actor to receive the honorary rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the Territorial Army of India and in 2010 he received an honorary doctorate from Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit, Kerala. In 2019, the Government of India honoured him with the Padma Bhushan, India’s third highest civilian honour, for his contributions towards Indian cinema.

Karikku with over 3.7 million subscribers stays on top of the list of Malayalam content creators on Youtube. Nikhil Prasad is the founder and creative director of Karikku, the 34 year old aims to build his brand and that is currently his concern. With the release of Thera Para, a mini web series, Karikku shot to success. Karikku videos now sometimes feature mainstream actors as well.

Actor and Film Producer, Fahadh is a well known name in the Malayalam Film Industry. He has acted in over 40 films and is a recipient of several awards. He has to his name a National Film Award, 2 Kerala State Awards and 3 Filmfare Awards South. Fahadh gifted the Malayalam audience brilliant movies in 2019 like Kumbalangi Nights and Athiran amongst others.

RJ, motivational speaker, actor and author, Joseph Annamkutty Jose is a man of many talents. He gained fame through his unique voice and the videos he posts on social media. Joseph is now a Radio Jockey at Radio Mirchi, he is an MBA Graduate and has recently released a book called Buried Thoughts which comprises of his blogs. Joseph makes inspirational and motivational videos on various topics which are popular among the Malayali Youth. He was also the first man to openly come out and speak about menstrual health and its importance.

Apart from being a well known Indian Film Actress, Parvathy is an Activist and strong advocate of feminism. She has voiced her opinions regarding gender disparity in the film industry numerous times. She is talented and strong willed, she influences the youth of the country to think about gender equality in all walks of life. Parvathy has also won a Kerala State Film Award and a National Film Award- Special Mention for her movie Take Off.

Kumbalangi Nights was a game changer for Madhu C Naryanan, he had devoted a lot of time and energy into this project and was overwhelmed with joy when it reaped results. Madhu C Narayanan is an Indian Film Director who predominantly works in the Malayalam Film Industry. Madhu rented a house in Kumbalangi and stayed there for a year and a half to learn about the life of the villagers. His efforts did not go to waste as the movie did incredibly
well after its release.

Soubin began his career as an assistant director in 2003, he is now one of the leading actors in Malayalam Cinema. He has also tried his hands successfully in editing as well. Soubin won the Kerala State Film Award for Best Actor for his performance in Sudani from Nigeria, which was also a huge commercial success. He was part of Kumbalangi Nights and Ambili, both of which offered him diverse and challenging characters to perform. Soubin had also won Best Debut Director for his movie Parava.

Prithviraj Sukumaran hails from a family background that cries movies. He is an exceptional actor and newly born director who has made waves with the movies he has created. Prithviraj has won the Kerala State Film Award for Best Actor twice and is recipient of many other accolades. Prithviraj’s directorial debut Lucifer (2019) became the highest grossing Malayalam film ever.

This youth icon needs no introduction, Malayalees love him for his movies and the kind person he is. He was one of the few film actors that actively participated in flood relief during the terrible deluge that hit Kerala. He has done many inspirational and different movies this year such as Virus, Luca, Uyare, And the Oscar goes to, to name a few. He won Best Actor 2019 at Asiavision Awards and Best Performer at Asianet Film Awards.

Making her acting debut in 2017 with Njandukalude Nattil Oridavela and afterwards Mayanadhi, Aishwarya grabbed a spot in the minds of Malayalee audience. She is humble and very down to earth, and all her interviews speak of her simplicity. Aishwarya has won many awards including the FilmFare Award South for Best Female Debut. She has an MBBS degree and she hails from Trivandrum. Aishwarya has contributed to many movies this year including the well accepted Vijay Superum Pournamiyum and Argentina Fans Kaattoorkadavu.

Neeraj Madhav is a familiar face to the Malayalee audience. He made a breakthrough with his role in the pan-Indian Web series on Amazon Prime called The Family Man. The series started streaming on October 2019 and Neeraj’s character ‘Moosa Rehman’ has earned him popularity and a wider reach. Neeraj is also known for his roles in movies like Drishyam (2013), 1983 (2014), Sapthamashree Thaskaraha (2014), Oru Vadakkan Selfie (2015)Adi Kapyare Kootamani (2015) and Oru Mexican Aparatha (2017).

Hailing from Challakudy, Lijo Jose is a one of a kind Filmmaker and Actor. He won the Best Director Award at the 48th Kerala State Film Awards for Ee. Ma. Yau. Lijo has also managed to bag the Silver Peacock Award for best director at the 49th International Film Festival of India and 50th International Film Festival of India for his films Ee.Ma.Yau and Jallikattu respectively.He also received the Silver Crow Pheasant Award at the International Film Festival of Kerala 2018. Lijo began his career with Nayakan in 2010 and has maintained steady growth till date.

Radhika Menon is a Indian Navy Officer who hails from Kodungallur, Kerala. She is currently serving as the captain of the Indian Merchant Navy. Radhika had started off as a radio officer at the Shipping Corporation of India, she earned popularity through her rescue mission in 2015 saving 7 fisherman who were trapped for a week in a boat. Radhika is the first female captain of the Indian Merchant Navy. She is ambitious and brave, and was also the first woman to receive the IMO Award for Exceptional Bravery at Sea.On 29 September 2019, she was honored by the Indian government as a part of the Mann Ki Baat series to celebrate the achievements of the Indian women.

The leading force behind the Gaganyaan mission to send Indian astronauts to space by 2022, Lalithambika is a valuable member of the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO). An Engineer and Scientist, native of Thiruvananthapuram, Lalithambika right from her childhood was intrigued with ISRO. She was awarded the Space Gold Medal in 2001 and the ISRO Individual Merit Award and ISRO Performance Excellence Award in 2013.

An actress and director, Geetu Mohandas is an accomplished member of the Indian film fraternity. She began her career as a Child Artist in 1986, only to grow into one of the most talented actresses of the industry. Geetu made news with her latest release Moothon which stars Nivin Pauly in the lead role.The movie premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September and was well received by the audience. Moothon was also screened at the Mumbai Film Festival in October. Geetu was the backbone of the movie and she saw it through from perception, to execution and acceptance by viewers and critics.

Sally Varma is a lover of animals and she goes far and beyond for helping stray animals. She was selected as one of the 100 women achievers of India in the category of Animal Welfare and was awarded by the President of India. Sally is a native of Thrissur, she was a one-man army during the floods, helping animals in deluge hit areas. Her love and compassion towards animals is commendable and heart touching.

Founder and Director of Project Venda (Say No to Drugs) which works on drug counselling because of the widespread use of drugs. She is the Managing Trustee of Fourthwave Foundation with over 10 years of experience working with International organizations like UNESCO. Venda was featured as a Best Practise Case in the guide for civil societies at the Ministerial Segment of the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime in March this year.

Mirziya Shafi was hit with Polio at a very young age which left her disabled at the age of two. However this did not hold her back from exploring her skills and talents, Mirziya now owns a construction company by the name Minhaj Builders and has started another by the name Minhaj Cement Product. Mirziya did not let her disability stop her from succeeding in life, she has completed over 2000 plans and 500 Projects.

An Indian musician hailing from Palakkad, Stephen is a bundle of talent and musical expertise. He started his career at a young age and has gone on to make his name in the Musical Industry. Stephen works predominantly in the Malayalam Film Industry and has worked in various films such as Neerali and Kazhinja Kaalam. Stephen won the Amma Artiste of the Year Award in 2009, he also bagged the Swaralaya Award in 2016. Stephen is the founder of Musik Lounge, an audio technology school and studio in Chennai.

K G Jayan is an Indian Carnatic Musician who is known for his devotional songs. He has composed over 1000 songs and has also been the music director for a few Malayalam and Tamil Movies. K G Jayan was awarded the Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award in India in 2019. He had also won the Sangeetha Nadaka Academy Award in 1991 from the Government of Kerala.

Sayanora is a playback singer in Malayalam and Tamil Movies. Sayanora also composes songs, she has a unique voice that gained her popularity.

A malayalee that has made his people proud, Resul Pookutty is an Indian film sound designer, sound editor and sound mixer. He made his mark when he won an Academy Award for Best Sound Mixing, along with Richard Pryke and Ian Tapp, for Slumdog Millionaire. He has several other accolades to his name. Pookutty has worked in Hollywood, Hindi, Malayalam and Tamil movies.

Methil Devika is an Indian Dance Research Scholar, educator, performer and choreographer from Palakkad. The 48 year old focuses on the dance form Mohiniyattam and performs dance concerts in USA, Europe, Australia, Esplanade theatre Singapore, and for major festivals like the Kerala Fine Arts Society and Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar youth festival. She has been praised for how she has redefined Mohiniyattam by exploring universal human emotions. Methil was awarded the State honour Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Academy Award for Mohiniyattam for 2010 and the National Award Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Award instituted by the Kendra Sangeetha Nataka Academy for 2007.

A government employee by day, an artist by night, Lekha Radhakrishnan is a talented woman who makes artworks with the smelly remains of fish. She also makes ornaments using quilling paper and juice straws.In 2015 she was recognized by the India Book of Records for the 300 artworks made from waste materials. She also achieved attention from Universal Records Forum, Eastern Boomika, Hindustan Latex and from various associations in the following years.

Riya Isha is a pride of the transgender community, she was the first transgender judge of a Lok Adalat. The 26 year old was the first to many things from her community, she was the transgender student to take part in the Unversity of Calicut C-zone fest, she was also a member of Kerala State Human Rights Commission as well as Malappuram Justice Board and a participant of Kerala Fashion League. Riya Isha stands strong against all the hurdles that come her way to reach success in life.

A 50 year old Activist from Kerala who made BBC’s ‘100 Women List’ in 2018. She earned global recognition along with her organization after leading the ‘right to sit’ struggle by saleswomen in Kerala.Viji’s collective, also named Penkoottu (women for each other), was formed in late 2009 after established trade unions refused to take the demands of unorganised women workers seriously. It was after protesting that the law was amended to ensure a secure environment for women.

Vishnu P R is a Climate Activist from Thiruvananthapuram and also the CEO of Change Can Change Climate Change (C5) Foundation”, an organisation focused on climate change mitigation and adaptation projects.Vishnu was selected and given the “Green Ticket” that helped him travel to the UN Headquarters to attend the first ever Youth Climate Summit. C5 foundation has over 10,000 registered youngsters in the district that volunteer for sustainable development.

Anjita Malnnea Jude was crowned Queen of Dhwayah in 2019. She came out to society as transgender just a year back and faced struggles like majority of her community. Anjita is ambitious and aims to be an airhostess. Her winning the pageant has resulted in boosting her confidence as well as that of her community members.

She is Kerala’s first celebrity and bridal transgender makeup artist who has made her mark with her exceptional talent and skills. Renju is also the co-founder of the Dhwayah Arts and charitable society, a platform meant to help and support trans people in Kerala. Renju actively participates in all the events conducted by the society and she aims to bring forward trans people to mainstream industries.

The Kalo Harin (Black Buck), I M Vijayan is a name etched in Indian Football History. A striker for the national side, he also had a distinguished club career and then as a coach. At the age of 17, he joined the Kerala Police football club. He played for the club till 1991 and his performances earned him a place in the national side in 1989. Between 1989 to 2004, he scored 40 goals in 79 games for India though officially he is credited with 29 in 66. I M Vijayan turns 50 this year

Sanju Samson is a 25 year old Indian Right Handed cricketer who represents Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League (IPL). He is the youngest batsman to score 1,000 runs in the IPL and the youngest cricketer to captain a Ranji trophy side. Sanju won the “Best Young Player of the Season” in 2013 through an official poll. He represents the Kerala Cricket Team in domestic cricket.

Vysakh’s love for football is highly appreciable, having lost his leg in an accident, he did not let go of his passion for the game. The 24 year old is an native of Kozhikode will lead the team in the country’s first ever Amputee Football World Cup hopefully in 2022. Vysakh wears the number 2 jersey, in remembrance of the day he met with the accident which September 2 and believes it was the day he was reborn.

A sprinter from Kannur, Kerala specialising in 400 mts. She has produced her personal best in Indian women’s 4 × 400 metres relay team that won the gold medal at the 2018 Asian Games. The 22 year old has won accolades for the country when she won silver in the women’s 4 x 400 metres relay and silver in the mixed 4 x 400 metres relay at the Asian Championship held at Doha.She also won gold in women’s 400m run at the International Athletic Meeting in Brno, Czech Republic.

Hailing from Palakkad P U Chitra is middle distance runner specialising in 1500 mts. She has won gold at 2016 South Asian Games and 2017 Asian Championships and Doha Asian Athletics Championships. She also won bronze at the 2018 Asian Games. An undergraduate student born to parents who are agricultural labourer P U Chitra is sprinting to make her mark in the field of athletics.