Highlights of India Today Hindi 3rd November 2021, issue: Cover Story: Rasookhdaroon Ki Suchi 2021

Oonche Aur Asardaar

Call it the power of resilience, but many of the 50 stalwarts featured in these pages have been around for several editions of our High and Mighty annual. No doubt it’s good to be insulated with a carapace of power, wealth and fame during a global health crisis and the attendant economic meltdown—and this is already our second ‘Power People’ list since the pande­mic began. Still, holding on to the reins of success in a year when so many have been laid low is not a feat of privilege alone. In these precarious times, the most prominent figures of Indian business, culture and entertainment—call them the civilian elite—can only remain at the pinnacle by staying relevant. Veterans of industry kept the wheels of manufacturing turning while responding to the crisis of the second wave by helping to supply essential equipment and services. Those with a digital orientation got a massive boost due to the pandemic. Pharma majors have inevitably acquired a new aura of celebrity and influence by delivering the most necessary medicines. And as the terrors of the pandemic give way to a fragile sense of hope, our list also acknowledges the talent and character of those who kept us entertained, optimistic, even united through our darkest days.