Higher Order

Power for the greater good. Power that embraces risk. Power that tells a story. The India Today Power List 2017 celebrates those who have the courage to channel change.

- Kaveree Bamzai

These are not definitions you will find in the dictionary. Power is possibility. The possibility that allows a petrochemical giant like Reliance to bet big on technology that will control the way we communicate with each other and entertain ourselves.

Power is the courage to take risks. The risk that allows another head of a conglomerate like the Aditya Birla Group to acquire a mobile giant and hunker down for a battle for the hearts and minds of the New Indian.

Power is in big ideas. The idea of Aadhaar, of skill development, of transparency in public life that has made private citizens such as Nandan Nilekani, Manish Sabharwal and Vinod Rai such an integral part of public policy.

Power is in telling a good story. The story that makes Priyanka Chopra not only a huge television star in America but also an advocate for girl children for United Nations; that makes Deepika Padukone a global beauty and a spokesperson for mental health; and that ensures that Aamir Khan is not just one of India’s most bankable stars but also a champion of good causes ranging from water conservation to female empowerment.