Padma Awards 2025: Full List of Recipients and Key Highlights

Annually on India's Republic Day ceremony, the Padma Awards emerge as the country's leading civilian tribute which bestows recognition upon extraordinary achievements throughout multiple fields. The awards are presented in three categories: Padma Vibhushan for exceptional service, Padma Bhushan for distinguished service of high order, and Padma Shri for distinguished service in any field. The Padma Awards include honors spanning critical fields including art, social work, public affairs, science, trade, medicine, literature, education, sports, and civil services.

In 2025 the President of India officially approved 139 Padma Awards alongside one duo case representing a single recognition award. The distribution highlights 7 Padma Vibhushan, 19 Padma Bhushan, and 113 Padma Shri awards. The list of Padma award recipients this year includes 23 women alongside 10 Foreigners/NRI/PIO/OCI honors and 13 are posthumous.

Objective

Public service achievements in diverse activities receive recognition through this awards program.

Categories:

1. Padma Vibhushan: Eminent contributors receive this recognition for their exceptional distinguished service.

2. Padma Bhushan: This accolade is bestowed upon recipients who provide exceptional, honorable Each year the Prime Minister announces the winners of these prestigious awards on public holidays during Republic Day commemorations (26th January).service.

3. Padma Shri: Recipients can achieve recognition for their distinguished service in any professional discipline.

Among these accolades, Padma Vibhushan stands at the top level of recognition with Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri ranked below.

Eligibility:

These prestigious awards provide opportunities to all members of society independent of their background race, profession, position, or sex attributes.

Historical Background

• Padma Vibhushan originally had three classes: Pahela Varg, Dusra Varg, and Tisra Varg. The Presidential Notification of January 8th, 1955 established new names for these awards that became Padma Vibhushan and Padma Bhushan alongside Padma Shri.

• They are announced annually on Republic Day (26th January).

Bharat Ratna

• Bharat Ratna is awarded as its highest civilian award to celebrate exceptional service/performance by individuals across all human endeavors.

• This award ranks above the Padma Awards in distinction and importance level.

• The Prime Minister of India presents nomination choices for Bharat Ratna to the President of India for approval.

• Operations for prescribing Bharat Ratna awards follow no set nomination processes and the selection panel authorizes only three annual awards.

• Since its inception, the Bharat Ratna committee has presented awards to 45 people.

Fields of Recognition 

The Padma Awards recognize distinguished and exceptional achievements in a range of fields, including:

1. Art

2. Social Work

3. Public Affairs

4. Science & Engineering

5. Trade & Industry

6. Medicine

7. Literature & Education

8. Civil Service

9. Sports

10. Others
    (Fields not covered above, including Indian culture propagation, wildlife conservation, human rights protection, etc.)

Important Facts 

• Posthumous Awards: Padma awards generally do not get presented after the death of the award recipient. Under special circumstances involving extraordinarily deserving candidates the government holds the authority to grant exceptions.

• Upgrading Awards: A recipient must wait at least five years following their original Padma Bhushan honor to become eligible for a higher category award such as Padma Vibhushan. The committee possesses the discretion to modify this standard in specific extraordinary situations.

• Presentation: India's president presents the awards annually in March or April. Those individuals honored with a Padma award receive a document known as Sanad which bears the President's signature together with their ceremonial earnings. A recipient receives a small version of the Padma medallion to use during ceremonial occasions.

• Gazette of India: On the day of the presentation ceremony the Gazette of India publishes award recipient names.

• Limit on Number: Each year awards should remain at or below 120 grants however these do not include posthumous awards nor do they include awards for NRI/foreigner/OCI recipients.

• Title Restrictions: The Padma Awards provide no title benefits which prevents recipients from using them as part of their official name.

The Padma Awards Committee

• Each year the Prime Minister forms the Padma Awards Committee to review all nominations sent for consideration.

• The Cabinet Secretary leads the committee with membership including the Home Secretary the Secretary to the President and 4 to 6 eminent members.

• Recommendations made by the committee advance to the Prime Minister of India and the President of India for agreement before becoming official.

Overview of Padma Awards 2025

• Total Awards: 139

• Padma Vibhushan: 7 recipients

• Padma Bhushan: 19 recipients

• Padma Shri: 113 recipients

• Women Awardees: 23

• Foreign/NRI Recipients: 10

• Posthumous Awards: 13

Padma Vibhushan(7)

Padma Bhushan(19)

Padma Shri (113)

Foreigner Awardees: (10)

1. Shri Osamu Suzuki (Posthumous) – Trade and Industry (Japan)

2. Shri Vinod Dham – Science and Engineering (United States of America)

3. Shri Arvind Sharma – Literature and Education (Canada)

4. Shri Chetan E Chitnis – Science and Engineering (France)

5. Shri Nitin Nohria – Literature and Education (United States of America)

6. Shri Jonas Masetti – Others-Spiritualism (Brazil)

7. Shri Ajay V Bhatt – Science and Engineering (United States of America)

8. Shri Sethuraman Panchanathan – Science and Engineering (United States of America)

9. Shri Stephen Knapp – Literature and Education (United States of America)

10. Shri Naren Gurung – Art (Sikkim, India, but recognized as a foreigner)

Posthumous Awardees: (13)

1. Shri M. T. Vasudevan Nair – Literature and Education (Kerala)

2. Shri Osamu Suzuki – Trade and Industry (Japan)

3. Smt. Sharda Sinha – Art (Bihar)

4. Shri Bibek Debroy – Literature and Education (NCT Delhi)

5. Shri Manohar Joshi – Public Affairs (Maharashtra)

6. Shri Pankaj Udhas – Art (Maharashtra)

7. Shri Sushil Kumar Modi – Public Affairs (Bihar)

8. Shri Pankaj Patel – Trade and Industry (Gujarat)

9. Shri Kishore Kunal – Civil Service (Bihar)

10. Shri Chandrakant Sheth – Literature and Education (Gujarat)

11. Shri Lama Lobzang – Others-Spiritualism (Ladakh)

12. Shri Hugh and Colleen Gantzer (Duo) – Literature and Education-Journalism (Uttarakhand)

13. Shri Miriyala Apparao – Art (Andhra Pradesh)

Women Awardees: (23)

1. Smt. Kumudini Rajnikant Lakhia – Art (Gujarat)

2. Smt. Sharda Sinha (Posthumous) – Art (Bihar)

3. Smt. Arundhati Bhattacharya – Trade and Industry (Maharashtra)

4. Smt. Ashwini Bhide Deshpande – Art (Maharashtra)

5. Smt. Bhimavva Doddabalappa Shillekyathara – Art (Karnataka)

6. Smt. Gita Upadhyay – Literature and Education (Assam)

7. Smt. Jaspinder Narula – Art (Maharashtra)

8. Smt. Libia Lobo Sardesai – Social Work (Goa)

9. Smt. K Omanakutty Amma – Art (Kerala)

10. Smt. Neerja Bhatla – Medicine (NCT Delhi)

11. Smt. Nirmala Devi – Art (Bihar)

12. Smt. Pratibha Satpathy – Literature and Education (Odisha)

13. Smt. Radha Bahin Bhatt – Social Work (Uttarakhand)

14. Smt. Sally Holkar – Trade and Industry (Madhya Pradesh)

15. Smt. Sheikha Shaikha Ali Al-Jaber Al-Sabah – Medicine (Kuwait)

16. Smt. Soniya Nityanand – Medicine (Uttar Pradesh)

17. Smt. Thiyam Suryamukhi Devi – Art (Manipur)

18. Smt. Vijayalakshmi Deshamane – Medicine (Karnataka)

19. Smt. Mamata Shankar – Art (West Bengal)

20. Smt. Pratibha Satpathy – Literature and Education (Odisha)

21. Smt. Shobana Chandrakumar – Art (Tamil Nadu)

22. Smt. Jumde Yomgam Gamlin – Social Work (Arunachal Pradesh)

23. Smt. Bhimavva Doddabalappa Shillekyathara – Art (Karnataka)

Conclusion

The Padma Awards for 2025 honor exceptional individuals who work within multiple fields like art and medicine alongside social work with literature but also science, sports, and many others. These awards honor people who have achieved notable milestones within their areas of expertise. All laureates of the Padma Awards 2025 showcase exceptional Indian talent while setting an inspirational example for future social contributors.