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 Dato Prof Joseph Adaikalam
Position: Executive Chairman, Binary University
Country: Malaysia
2012 was a most significant year for Dato Joseph Adaikalam. The Binary University received a 5-Star rating from the Ministry of Higher Education and Malaysian Qualification Agency in 2012. This is the highest rating accorded in Malaysia to any public, private or overseas branch university. The university had to meet stringent criteria in both research and academic excellence. Started 28 years ago as a college, Binary is a world class institution. It remains the first full-fledged private university run by a PIO in Malaysia.
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 Mr Yusuff Ali M.A
Position: Managing Director, EMKE Group
Country: U.A.E.
Mr Yusuff Ali has been ranked the second richest Indian in the Gulf by ArabianBusiness.com He’s had phenomenal success with the Lulu Hypermart that employs over 27,000, has 480,000 shoppers each day over 20
million square feet across 104 stores in 21 countries. He is Vice Chairman of NORKA, the agency set up to ensure the welfare of Non Resident Keralites. In 2012, he resigned from the Air India board saying he’d not been able to improve services of the airline to the Gulf. He has announced huge investment plans in Kerala.
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 H.E. Kamla Persad-Bissessar
Position: Prime Minister
Country: Trinidad and Tobago
In 2012, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, the first woman PM of Indian origin, was invited as chief guest to the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas by Indian Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh. She came with the largest ever delegation from her country to India that included top cabinet ministers, over 150 businessmen and cricketers like Brian Lara and Darren Ganga. She was also felicitated with the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award by the President of India.
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 Mr Ylias Akbaraly
Position: Chairman, Groupe Sipromad
Country: Madagascar
Mr Akbaraly’s forefathers went from Gujarat as traders to this island, the world’s fourth largest. In 2009 he was conferred the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award. He looks up to tall leaders such as Mahatma Gandhi and Barack Obama. And he is now in the process of constructing the tallest tower among all nations in the Indian Ocean. He says by standing out tall, the tower will be a symbol of Madagascar’s financial preparedness to meet the challenges of the global economy as well as testimony to the group’s far sightedness.
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 Mr Preet Bharara
Position: Attorney
Country: U.S.A.
Punjab-born American attorney Mr Bharara was named in 2012 by Time magazine as among "The 100 Most Influential People in the World". During his tenure, Mr Bharara’s office has prosecuted wanted terrorists who have indulged in mass murder. He has overseen the liquidation and forfeiture of large companies, charged several current and former elected officials in cases of public corruption, including that of New York Senator Carl Kruger who was sentenced to seven years in prison in April 2012.
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 Mr Inder Singh
Position: Chairman
Country: GOPIO International
In 2012, Mr Inder Singh spearheaded a global campaign to have worldwide celebrations on the occasion of the Gadar centennial in 2013. The movement was incepted exactly 100 years ago when Gadar started out as a political party and a newspaper in California in 1913. At the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas 2013, the Government of India, on the Prime Minister’s directions, decided to have an oration on the subject of Gadar. This has definitely been a feather in Mr Inder Singh’s cap.
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 Mr Keith Vaz
Position: Member of Parliament
Country: U.K.
Mr Vaz, Indian-origin Labour MP, emerged as Britain’s most influential Asian in a recent exercise called GG2 Power 101 by the Garavi Gujarat Publications. The list had 101 men and women including the likes of businessman L.N. Mittal, the Hinduja brothers, Lord Swraj Paul and Kartar Lalwani, author Salman Rushdie and several top notch bankers. To emerge on top of such an illustrious heap speaks volumes for Mr Vaz’s charisma, credibility and calibre.
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 Mr Gambhir Watts
Position: President, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan
Country: Australia
Mr Watts is Australian chapter president of an institution that has 180 centres in India and has tentacles all over the world. In 2012, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Australia held the Holi Mahotsav at Darling Harbour, Sydney over three days. More than a thousand artistes and performers showcased their talents. Several thousand footfalls were registered, marking it one of the largest Indian events anywhere in the world. In 2013, along with Ela Gandhi he will set up the International Centre for Non Violence in Australia.
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 Mr Monty Panesar
Position: International Cricketer
Country: U.K.
2012 turned out to be a comeback year for Mudhsuden Singh Panesar. Out of the English Test side for a couple of seasons, he came back strongly first against Pakistan in the UAE, then against India. His spinning fingers helped England win a Test series in India for the first time in 28 years. While most expected India to dominate at home, it was Panesar and teammate Graeme Swann that had spun webs around Indian batsmen. Monty’s series-winning performance of 17 wickets should now cement his place in the side.
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 Mr Fauja Singh
Position: Marathon Runner
Country: U.K.
Would you believe that this iron-willed centenarian took up running marathon at age 89? Mr Singh, 101, ran what he calls “his last marathon” in 2012. Don’t be too sure, though. Jalandar-born Singh moved to the U.K. only in 1992 to live with his son after his wife passed away. He took up running for he had “little else to do.” Since, he’s shared prime space with David Beckham in an advertisement. The Queen wished him when he turned 100. A book’s been written on him. Phidippides would be proud.
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 Late Dr Savita Halappanavar
Position: Dentish
Country: Ireland
Just like the victim of rape in Delhi who died, Dr Halappanavar’s death in Ireland led to nationwide protests. The protestors spilled on to the streets in India, England and other nations, calling for a review of abortion laws. Now the Irish Government has said that it is looking at amending the tough abortion laws that led to the dentist’s death after she was refused abortion. She died of septicemia and multiple organ failure. In her death, a nation has woken up.
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 Ms Rohini Dey
Position: Restaurateur
Country: U.S.A.
Ms Dey was one of 10 Chicagoans who featured in the City of Chicago’s video that welcomed NATO delegates and was invited to present before international press at the 2012 NATO Summit. A former World Bank and McKinsey consultant, Ms Dey gave up her management life to start Vermilion. Today she is a leading restaurateur, a proponent of Indian cuisine with a Latin twist. Since its inception, Vermilion has been profiled in Time magazine, WSJ, New York Times, BBC, Esquire and Fortune among others.
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