41 : Deepak Shantilal Parekh, 65BankerWhyThe chairman of Housing Development Finance Corporation (HDFC) has been instrumental in taking the EMI culture to the masses. As he relinquished the executive position in the company and became the non-executive chairman this January,his ranking is down this year. He is also chairman of Sebis Primary Market Advisory Committee. Power punchParekh used his vast experience to rescue scam-hit Satyam Computer and worked out strategies to bring a new promoter (the Mahindras). The hard work of Parekh and other directors paid off and Satyam is now doing well. What nextThough he has given up an active role in HDFC,nobody expects him to fade into oblivion. He is consulted by the government regularly. Will he,like Nandan Nilekani,be asked to join GoI for a special project? 42 : M Veerappa Moily, 70 Union Law MinisterWhyHe debuts in the list because he is the governments prominent trouble-shooter. Hes often consulted by both Manmohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi on sensitive issues. Under his watch,the law ministry has got back the Justice Department. Power punchIt was on his suggestion that Sonia Gandhi okayed K Rosiah over YSRs son,Y S Jaganmohan Reddy,as Andhra Pradesh CM after YSRs death. Moily has been working to bring pro and anti-Telengana Congress leaders closer. During the case between the Ambani brothers over supply of gas,both were seen courting Moily. What nextHe will be piloting an important legislation,Judges Standards and Accountability Bill. He has promised to get at least two-thirds of the 2 lakh-plus undertrials out of prisons by July-end. 43 : K M Chandrasekhar, 65 62,Cabinet SecretaryWhyHe goes down the list only because the PMs advisor circle is getting new faces. And because his term expires in June. But he may get a post-retirement crucial job. His importance was clear from the fact that extending his tenure in office by one more year was one of the first administrative decisions taken by UPA-II. Not just the PM,most senior politicians in power respect his advice. Power punchHe got the bureaucracy to work hard and work quick on drawing up UPA-IIs 100-day action plans. He has also put in place a new performance rating and appraisal system for civil servants. He wants to put this system in place before he retires. What nextOne more extension? Or a key post in PMO? Don't rule out either. 44 : MK Stalin,56 Deputy CM,Tamil NaduWhyThe son of M. Karunanidhi makes his entry into the list because he is the de facto chief minister of one of the biggest states of India. His fans say,tongue in cheek,that Rahul is the Stalin of the Nehru family. Power punchHis elevation as the Deputy Chief Minister,a day after his brother MK Azhagiri took oath as a minister at the Centre eight months ago,settled the question as to who will lead the party and government after chief minister M Karunanidhi. He holds portfolios like industry,general administration,district revenue offices,minority welfare,social reforms and special initiatives,all held earlier by Karunanidhi. The only thing he isnt is the CM. What nextAn announcement could come as early as June at the World Classical Tamil Meet: Stalin as CM and party president. 45 : K V Kamath, 62 BankerWhyHe became the non-executive chairman of ICICI Bank in April last year after he retired as CEO of the countrys second largest bank. So he slides down the list. But its only by one point as the man who created the retail banking space remains an influential figure in the banking sector. Power punchThe last six months of his tenure as MD & CEO in 2008-09 was when the global financial crisis hit banks across the world. ICICI was also caught in it,but he successfully led the bank before passing the baton to Chanda Kochhar in April 2009. What nextHe is still the guiding force for the ICICI group. His knowledge makes him suited for a bigger role in the financial sector or the corporate world in the future. 46 : Brijmohan Lall Munjal,86 IndustrialistWhyThe chairman of Hero Honda group makes it to our list because even in the middle of last years recession,his companys stock was on the rise.In the 80s,his company was the first to overtake Bajaj Auto,then the countrys largest two-wheeler manufacturer,in terms of size and sales. He set up Hero Cycles in Ludhiana in 1954 before forging a joint venture with Honda Motors motorcycle-making unit in Japan 30 years later. Power punchHe calls the shots when it comes to all the big decisions the government takes for promoting the auto sector and making Indian an automobile hub. What nextHow he counters the Nano is what we will be watching. There are also talks of Hero Honda launching a low-cost vehicle. 47 : Shah Rukh Khan, 44 ActorWhyHis one release last year Billu was tepid at the box office; he was out of action because of surgery; he was in talks for the lead role in 3 Idiots but things didnt work out a bad move. Thats why SRK drops down our list. But he remains Bollywoods biggest brand,owns an IPL cricket team and his My Name is Khan could change the equation. Power punchHe had 17,400 followers within 24 hours of joining the social networking site,Twitter. He also has the unique distinction of having a crater on the moon named after him by the International Lunar Geographic Society. What nextWith his next Ra.1,SRK has an ambitious plan to produce Indias biggest sci-fi film. He will play a superhero in the film. 48 : Nandan Nilekani, 54Chairman,Unique Identification Authority of India Co-founder,InfosysWhyMoves down a bit in this years list because although his cabinet-rank appointment was a big radical opportunity,he seemed to have found the ways of the government more challenging than many thought he would. But,as the handpicked man for implementing the Rs 3,000-crore national ID card initiative,his power is obvious. Plus,theres that sheen that comes when someone quits a top job at a $ 2-billion company to join public administration. Power punchOne of the few cases in India where an intellectual idea led to a government appointment. His debut book Imagining India talked about unique identification numbers. The PM liked the idea. And he got the job. What nextThis is a crucial year for the ID card project. We will find out if a private sector success can succeed in government. 49 : Goolam E Vahanvati, 60Attorney-General of IndiaWhyIndias first Muslim Attorney-General,he gives professional weight to a job that in UPA-I was seen as being held by a particularly political appointee. He is tasked with drawing up the roadmap for crucial and long-delayed reforms in the judiciary. Power punchHis is the strongest voice in the government that doesnt want the judiciarys independence to be tinkered with. But,he can also caution the judiciary against exceeding its limits while dealing with PILs. The only AG in recent times who drafts important legislations himself. Law Minister M Veerappa Moily doesnt take any major decision without consulting him. What nextAlong with Moily,he will have to negotiate with the judges on the stricter clauses in the proposed Judges Standards and Accountability Bill. 50 : Raj Thackeray, 41President,MNSWhyHe makes it this time and in the top 50 because although MNS has a presence in barely half-a-dozen pockets of the state and just 13 MLAs in the 288-member Maharashtra Assembly,his violent identity politics has made him a key political player in the state. The Shiv Sena is trying to emulate the MNS. The Congress,NCP and BJP dont want to effectively counter-attack him . Power punchHow many votes he takes way from whom has become a key factor in state election results. The MNS also scored a surprise in the Assembly elections by winning 13 seats when few had given it a chance of a double-digit tally. What nextHis target is to get the better of the Shiv Sena in the 2012 elections to the BMC,the countrys richest civic body. He is betting that post-Bal Thackeray,he will get more clout.
