Indian-origin ‘unsung heroes’ on King Charles’ 2025 New Year Honours List
London: Community leaders, campaigners, academics, and medics are among over 30 Indian-origin professionals to be recognised in King Charles’ 2025 New Year Honours List released in London on Friday night.
Ranil Malcolm Jayawardena, a Conservative member of Parliament of Sri Lankan and Indian heritage, has been conferred a Knighthood for political and public service along with recently resigned England men’s football team manager Gareth Southgate, for services to the game.
More than 1,200 recipients are named on the 2025 honours list across all sectors, with particular commendation to role models in sport, healthcare, academia and voluntary service.
“Every day, ordinary people go out and do extraordinary things for their communities,” UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said.
“They represent the very best of the UK and that core value of service which I put at the centre of everything this government does. The New Year Honours List celebrates more of these unsung heroes, and I thank them for their incredible contribution,” he said.
The list, released annually by the Cabinet Office in the name of the British monarch, includes Commanders of the Order of the British Empire (CBEs) for Satwant Kaur Deol for services to further education, Charles Pritam Singh Dhanowa OBE for services to Competition Law, and surgeon Professor Sneh Khemka for services to healthcare, science and innovation and technology.
Others of Indian heritage receiving CBEs include Leena Nair, Global Chief Executive Officer of Chanel, for services to the retail and consumer sector; Mayank Prakash, President of the British Computing Society, for services to the advancement of technology professionals; and Purnima Murthy Tanuku OBE, chief executive of the National Day Nurseries Association, for services to early years education.
Among the 2025 Indian-origin Officers of the Order of the British Empire (OBEs) include cardiologist Professor Sanjay Arya for services to black and minority ethnic doctors and healthcare in north-west England; Nandini Das, Professor of Early Modern Literature and Culture and Tutorial Fellow at Exeter College, University of Oxford, for services to interdisciplinary research in the humanities and to public engagement; Tarsem Singh Dhaliwal, CEO of Iceland Foods, for services to the Welsh economy, retail and charity; Jasmine Dotiwala for services to broadcasting, music, equality, diversity and inclusion.
Others making their names to OBEs include Monica Kohli, President of Women’s International Shipping and Trading Association UK and Chair of the Indian Maritime Association UK, for services to promoting diversity in the maritime industry; Soumya Majumdar from the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) for services to law and order; Seema Misra for her campaign in favour of scandal-hit subpostmasters, Prime Minister’s diary manager Ushma Manhar Patel MBE, mental health campaigner Gian Singh Power and Sravya Rao from the Department for Business and Trade for public service.
Philanthropist Mandeep Kaur Sanghera, UK Ministry of Defence professional Savraj Singh Sidhu, and fashion industry professional Smruti Sriram also receive OBEs for their public service contributions.
The 2025 list of Members of the Order of the British Empire (MBEs) and Medallists of the Order of the British Empire (BEMs) also includes a cross-section of British Indians including MBEs for tech expert Dalim Kumar Basu, nursing chief Marimouttou Coumarassamy, rheumatologist Professor Bhaskar Dasgupta and paediatric haematologist Professor Ajay Jaikishore Vora.
The BEM recipients include community workers Sanjib Bhattacharjee and Jagrupe Binnig, postal worker Hemandra Hindocha and charity worker Jaswinder Kumar.
Musician Balbir Singh Khanpur Bhujhangy also receives a BEM for services to Bhangra music and Punjabi culture in the West Midlands region of England.
Companion of Honour, of which there are only 65 recipients at any time, goes to author and screenwriter Sir Kazuo Ishiguro – the Japanese-British Nobel Prize winner for services to literature.
Meanwhile, well-known English actor, broadcaster, comedian, director, narrator and writer Stephen Fry receives a Knighthood for his work on mental health awareness.
The UK government said it is committed to ensuring that honours are awarded to outstanding people from across the whole of the UK and the system reflects the best of society.
Cabinet Office Minister Pat McFadden said: “This year’s New Year Honours List celebrates the unsung heroes who contribute selflessly to their communities across the UK. I send them all my congratulations for their achievements.
“Our honours system uniquely recognises the generous contributions of individuals across our nation. If you know someone in your community who has done something extraordinary, nominate them for an honour so the nation can recognise their achievements.”
According to the Cabinet Office, in this edition of New Year Honours 54 per cent of the recipients have undertaken outstanding work in their communities, either in a voluntary or paid capacity, and 12 per cent of the successful candidates belong to an ethnic minority background.
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