India's Congress party president Sonia Gandhi and industrialists Ratan Tata and Mukesh Ambani are among the finalists for Time magazine's 100 most influential people of 2009 that also includes US President Barack Obama. The first African-American President of the US is currently ranked 13th, while the top position is held by a person who goes by the name 'Moot', the founder of 4chan.Org, a website for posting images and discussions anonymously. Gandhi, who is leading the ruling Congress party's bid for a re-election in the coming Parliamentary polls, is ranked 43 -- ahead of Tata (102), the maker of the world's cheapest car Nano and Ambani (169), who the publication referred to as 'petrol prince.' The 203 finalists includes seven people of Indian origin. The four others are are cola-queen Indra Nooyi of Pepsico, movie moghul Ronnie Screwvala of UTV, public face for Washington's Troubled Asset Relief Programme Neel Kashkari, and Harvard-eductated management consultant Ram Charan.
Besides, Slumdog Millionaire-fame British filmmaker Danny Boyle, who hit the headlines with the Oscar-winning movie shot in Mumbai slums, is also among the finalists. Time would publish the final list later in the year. In a continuing online poll on Time's website, Screwvala is currently top-ranked among Indians at 33rd overall place, Nooyi is at 89, Kashkari 187 and Charan 193. The site of moot (pseudonym), the highest ranked person at present, is said to have been started in 2003 by a then 15-year-old student from New York City. On Gandhi, 62, who has figured on Time's 100 most influential people list twice before, the publication said, "The Italian-born head of India's most influential political party is beloved by her constituents, not only because of her family history (she came to power after her husband Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated) but also because of her efforts to combat poverty." However, in a negative for her, the Indian National Congress party President "has been bogged down by a public spat with one of her rivals", it said, without specifying who her rival is.
Among those from outside India, the prominent names include US first lady Michelle Obama, former US President George Bush, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and US Finance Secretary Tim Geithner. Sarah Palin, who ran for US vice-president's office, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari, Pakistan's army chief Ashfaq Kayani, Tibetan leader Dalai Lama, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Hu Jintao and US treasury chief Ben Bernanke are among other finalists. Besides, high-profile businessmen like Warren Buffett, Carlos Slim Helu, Rupert Murdoch, Steve Jobs, Jeff Immelt and Michael Bloomberg also find a place in the list.
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