Gautam Adani On Indian Express 'Most Powerful Indians' List

Prime Minister Narendra Modi ranks No. 1 in a list of the 100 most powerful Indians compiled by the daily Indian Express.

Home Minister Amit Shah is on the second spot, while Mohan Bhagwat, the chief of the BJP's ideological mentor Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), has been placed on the third spot.

The first 10 in the list of 100 includes Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, BJP National Chief JP Nadda, and Adani Group Chairman Gautam Adani.

The Indian Express said PM Modi is on top of the list "because he has only grown taller and stronger - no PM has entered an election year, looking at another term, with so resounding a popularity."

Mr Shah, the No. 2, "may not be the BJP party chief, but he is its chief strategist, helming the party juggernaut as it powers through the Hindi heartland - Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Chhattisgarh - and targets new territories, including the southern states and West Bengal," the Indian Express said.

Mr Adani, who figures in the 10th slot, is the second-richest person in India with a net worth of $101 billion. "Under Adani, the group has made rapid progress in various infrastructure sectors such as cement, power, airport, green energy, ports, power, and gas distribution through a string of acquisitions and greenfield projects..." the Indian Express said.

"When Hindenburg Research came out with a report last year, alleging 'brazen stock manipulation and accounting fraud' in the group, his companies faced setbacks, shares crashed, and a mega IPO was pulled out. However, a year later, the group has bounced back, its share prices have recovered," the newspaper said.