On the eve of India’s 77th Republic Day, the Government of India announced the prestigious Padma Awards for 2026. This year, the President has approved the conferment of 131 Padma Awards, celebrating distinguished service across various fields including Art, Social Work, Public Affairs, Science, Medicine, Literature, Education, and Sports.
The 2026 list reflects a rich diversity of talent, featuring 19 women, 16 posthumous awardees, and 6 individuals from the Foreigner/NRI/PIO/OCI category.
The Top Honors: Padma Vibhushan
The Padma Vibhushan is awarded for exceptional and distinguished service. This year, five stalwarts were honored:
| Name | Field | State/Country |
| Shri Dharmendra Singh Deol (Posthumous) | Art | Maharashtra |
| Shri V.S. Achuthanandan (Posthumous) | Public Affairs | Kerala |
| Shri K.T. Thomas | Public Affairs | Kerala |
| Ms. N. Rajam | Art | Uttar Pradesh |
| Shri P. Narayanan | Literature & Education | Kerala |
Padma Bhushan: Distinguished Service of High Order
A total of 13 individuals were conferred with the Padma Bhushan. Notable recipients include:
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Entertainment & Art: Malayalam cinema legend Mammootty, veteran playback singer Alka Yagnik, and late advertising icon Piyush Pandey (Posthumous).
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Medicine: Renowned oncologist Dr. Nori Dattatreyudu (USA) and Shri Kallipatti Ramasamy Palaniswamy (Tamil Nadu).
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Sports: Indian tennis great Vijay Amritraj.
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Industry & Public Affairs: Banker Uday Kotak, former Uttarakhand CM Bhagat Singh Koshyari, and Jharkhand leader Shibu Soren (Posthumous).
Padma Shri: Recognizing Grassroot Heroes and Icons
The Padma Shri list consists of 113 awardees who have made significant impacts in their respective domains.
Highlights from Sports:
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Rohit Sharma: Indian Men’s Cricket Captain.
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Harmanpreet Kaur: Indian Women’s Cricket Captain.
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Savita Punia: Indian Women’s Hockey Goalkeeper.
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Baldev Singh: Veteran Sports Coach.
Highlights from Art & Cinema:
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R. Madhavan: Actor/Director (Maharashtra).
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Prosenjit Chatterjee: Tollywood (Bengali) icon.
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Satish Shah (Posthumous): Veteran Bollywood actor.
Telugu Pride: Winners from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana
The Telugu states saw a strong representation this year, with 11 recipients being honored for their contributions:
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Dr. Nori Dattatreyudu (Padma Bhushan) – Medicine (USA/Telugu origin).
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Gadde Babu Rajendra Prasad (Padma Shri) – Art (Andhra Pradesh).
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Maganti Murali Mohan (Padma Shri) – Art (Andhra Pradesh).
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Deepika Reddy (Padma Shri) – Art (Telangana).
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Guduru Venkat Rao (Padma Shri) – Medicine (Telangana).
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Palkonda Vijay Anand Reddy (Padma Shri) – Medicine (Telangana).
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Garimella Balakrishna Prasad (Posthumous) (Padma Shri) – Art (Andhra Pradesh).
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Chandramouli Gaddamanugu (Padma Shri) – Science & Engineering (Telangana).
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Kumarasamy Thangaraj (Padma Shri) – Science & Engineering (Telangana).
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Krishnamurty Balasubramanian (Padma Shri) – Science & Engineering (Telangana).
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Vempaty Kutumba Sastry (Padma Shri) – Literature & Education (Andhra Pradesh).
Significance of the 2026 Awards
The 2026 Padma list continues the government’s trend of identifying "Unsung Heroes"—individuals working at the grassroots level who have dedicated their lives to social causes, traditional arts, and scientific innovation without seeking the limelight. From acid attack survivors to tribal musicians, the awards this year truly represent the "People's Padma."
"The awards will be formally presented by the President of India at ceremonial functions held at Rashtrapati Bhavan, typically around March or April."
