GQ MOST INFLUENTIAL YOUNG INDIANS

This year, GQ celebrates visionaries who aren't waiting for the future but are building it. From boardrooms to digital platforms, these young trailblazers are setting trends and turning bold ideas into movements, proving that leadership today isn't about age, but about impact, imagination and the ability to spark change—often one viral idea or revolutionary prototype at a time. These young changemakers aren't just part of the conversation. They are the conversation.

- BY SANJANA RAY, SALONI DHRUV, OJAS KOLVANKAR AND PARTH CHARAN

TRIVIAL PURSUIT

PRABHU IS AFFECTIONATELY CALLED 'YASHODA' BY CLOSE FRIENDS AND FAMILY.

SAMANTHA RUTH PRABHU

Actor

Samantha Ruth Prabhu has always been drawn to playing dynamic women who exude power, but also bear vulnerabilities, because “every woman out there is kicking ass with a certain sense of vulnerability.” Her impressive stint in Citadel: Honey Bunny (2024), the India segment of the popular Amazon Prime Video's espionage series, and in the upcoming Bangaram, where she's spotlighted in a bloodied avatar, is a result of her commitment to picking characters that reclaim their identities. Prabhu will further expand her roster of playing badass female characters with Netflix’s period drama Rakht Brahmand, alongside Aditya Roy Kapur and Ali Fazal. But that’s not enough for the feisty 37-year-old; this year, she’s taken on another challenging role, that of a producer with Subham, a quirky comedy featuring six new talents that's gearing up for a release. —SR

SWETHA SUBBIAH AND TANVIE HANS

Founders of Sisters in Sweat