New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been ranked ninth on the Forbes list of powerful people for 2015, up six places from last year when he was at number 15. He is placed between his host next week, UK Prime Minister David Cameron, at number eight and Google's Larry Page at 10.
Russian President Vladimir Putin retains his place as the world's most powerful, while US president Barack Obama has slipped one place to number three. At number two this year is German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
Last year's number three on the Forbes list, China's Xi Jinping, is ranked fifth this year, after Pope Francis at number four. The pope retains his position from 2014.
Forbes said PM Modi "presided over 7.4% GDP growth in his first year in office, and raised his profile as a global leader during official visits with Barack Obama and Xi Jinping. A barnstorming tour of Silicon Valley reinforced his nation's massive importance in tech."
"But governing 1.2 billion people requires more than shaking hands: Now Modi must pass his party's reform agenda and keep fractious opposition under control," it also said.
Putin, Forbes said, "continues to prove he's one of the few men in the world powerful enough to do what he wants - and get away with it."
US President Obama had slipped a place, it said, as "it's clear his influence is shrinking, and it's a bigger struggle than ever to get things done. At home, his approval ratings are perpetually stuck under 50%; abroad, he's outshined by Merkel in Europe, and outmaneuvered by Putin in the Middle East."
Microsoft's Bill Gates and US Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen are the others who feature in the top 10.
Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg, 31, is the 19th most powerful person in the world, according to Forbes.
New members of the list include Dell CEO Michael Dell (number 59); China's richest man, Wang Jianlin (number 68); newly elected Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (number 69); billionaire activist investor Carl Icahn (number 70); and US Presidential candidate Donald Trump (number 72).
Russian President Vladimir Putin retains his place as the world's most powerful, while US president Barack Obama has slipped one place to number three. At number two this year is German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
Last year's number three on the Forbes list, China's Xi Jinping, is ranked fifth this year, after Pope Francis at number four. The pope retains his position from 2014.
"But governing 1.2 billion people requires more than shaking hands: Now Modi must pass his party's reform agenda and keep fractious opposition under control," it also said.
Advertisement
US President Obama had slipped a place, it said, as "it's clear his influence is shrinking, and it's a bigger struggle than ever to get things done. At home, his approval ratings are perpetually stuck under 50%; abroad, he's outshined by Merkel in Europe, and outmaneuvered by Putin in the Middle East."
Advertisement
Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg, 31, is the 19th most powerful person in the world, according to Forbes.
Advertisement
COMMENTS
Advertisement
This Pakistani City Is Ranked Second-Riskiest For Tourists Akshit Bansal And Raghav Arora, Entrepreneurs On Forbes 30 Under 30 List Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia List Out. These Indians Made It Student Arrested For Controversial Post On Mamata Banerjee Malala Yousafzai's Post On Taliban After Attending Taylor Swift Concert Flower Seller Forced To Buy iPhone For Son On Hunger Strike, Internet Reacts UPSC To Introduce AI-Based CCTV Surveillance To Prevent Cheating Switzerland Offers Rs 50 Lakh For Solutions To Clear Ammunition From Lakes Gen Z Is Turning Their Climate Change Anxiety Into Activism, Here's Why Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.