InfluenceAsia Original Future Ranking
InfluenceAsia 2020 Future 100
An independent editorial and research ranking identifying the Asian founders, builders, cultural figures, social innovators, investors and next-generation enterprise leaders whose work is shaping the region's future influence.
Editorial Framework
Three editorial lenses behind this annual Future 100.
The introduction, annual theme and subject criteria are grouped into compact reading modules so the page keeps momentum before moving into the ranking and methodology.
Ranking Introduction
A new map of Asian influence, written at the edge of a difficult year.
InfluenceAsia 2020 Future 100 identifies the people building Asia's next layer of influence: platform founders, consumer brand builders, cultural exporters, public-interest innovators, new investors and heirs who are moving family institutions into new markets.
The 2020 edition is not a celebrity index and not a wealth table. It is an editorial ranking of future-facing influence, measured through the ability to create systems, shift behavior, open categories, build trust and carry Asian ideas into wider global circulation.
Annual Theme
Systems Under Pressure, Futures Under Construction
The defining question of 2020 is not who is visible, but who remains useful when systems are strained. Digital platforms, payment rails, logistics networks, online education, vaccine manufacturing, creator media, civic technology and social advocacy have become part of Asia's operating infrastructure.
This year's Future 100 recognizes influence that is practical, exportable and durable: the kind of influence that changes how people move, learn, pay, work, consume, organize, tell stories and imagine public responsibility.
Selected Subjects
Who is considered for the Future 100.
Young entrepreneurs; technology founders; new consumer founders; cultural innovators; social innovators; young investors; and next-generation family enterprise successors are considered when their work demonstrates public relevance, regional significance and the capacity to shape future institutions.
The edition favors leaders broadly within a young or next-generation leadership frame as of 2020, while allowing select founder-generation and successor profiles where their role clearly represents the transfer of influence into a new era.
Top Ranked
The leading names in the 2020 Future 100.
The opening tier of the published ranking, with role, platform and editorial rationale.
Zhang Yiming
Founder, ByteDance
Zhang Yiming stands at the center of Asia's most consequential consumer internet export of the 2020 cycle. ByteDance's recommendation-led product architecture has turned short video, news feeds and creator distribution into a n...
Anthony Tan
Co-founder and Group CEO, Grab
Anthony Tan has turned Grab from a ride-hailing company into one of Southeast Asia's core digital platforms. Its services sit inside daily life across transport, food, logistics, payments and small-business enablement.
Forrest Li
Founder, Chairman and Group CEO, Sea Limited
Forrest Li leads one of Southeast Asia's rare technology groups with three powerful engines: digital entertainment, commerce and financial services. Sea's growth shows how Asian platforms can compound across markets and consume...
Colin Huang
Founder and strategic architect, Pinduoduo
Colin Huang has built Pinduoduo into one of China's most disruptive consumer platforms by making shopping more social, playful and value-driven. The company has shifted attention toward underserved consumers and new forms of de...
Nadiem Makarim
Founder of Gojek; Minister of Education and Culture of Indonesia
Nadiem Makarim moved from building one of Southeast Asia's most influential platforms to taking on a national reform role. His trajectory links startup execution with public systems at a moment when education and digital access...
Wang Xing
Founder and CEO, Meituan
Wang Xing has made Meituan a commanding force in China's local services economy. The platform touches restaurants, delivery riders, travel, merchants and urban consumers at enormous frequency.
Ritesh Agarwal
Founder and Group CEO, OYO
Ritesh Agarwal is one of Asia's most visible young founders, building OYO from India into a multi-market hospitality platform. The company reflects a bold attempt to standardize and digitize fragmented hotel supply.
Min-Liang Tan
Co-founder and CEO, Razer
Min-Liang Tan has built Razer into a global gaming lifestyle brand with a voice far larger than hardware alone. Its identity sits at the intersection of performance devices, esports, software, communities and youth culture.
Research Signals
How future-facing influence is scored.
The model reads influence through field consequence, Asia relevance, global signal, execution credibility and future durability.
Signal
20%Field-Defining Influence
Evidence that the individual is shaping a market, category, cultural field or institutional agenda rather than merely participating in it.
Signal
15%Asia Relevance
Depth of connection to Asian markets, communities, operating systems, audiences, capital flows or cultural identity.
Signal
15%Global Visibility
Ability to travel beyond a domestic audience through platforms, products, capital, policy, media, sport, music, fashion, film or public advocacy.
Signal
15%Innovation Architecture
Originality of the model, technology, creative language, distribution system, governance approach or social intervention.
Signal
15%Execution Credibility
Demonstrated ability to build, scale, operate or sustain a meaningful body of work under real-world constraints.
Signal
10%Cultural and Social Signal
The degree to which the individual affects public taste, social norms, identity, aspiration, access or civic imagination.
Signal
10%Future Durability
Likelihood that the person's 2020 influence platform will remain relevant to Asia's next decade.
Methodology
A 100-point editorial research model for future-facing Asian influence.
The Future 100 is scored through public relevance, institutional consequence, cross-border signal and durability.
Selection Rules
- Each entry must refer to a real, publicly identifiable individual with a meaningful public role visible in or before 2020.
- Selection favors original builders and operators over inherited fame alone; next-generation family successors are assessed for active leadership, strategic transition or institution-shaping relevance.
- The ranking is deliberately cross-sector: technology, consumer brands, culture, social innovation, capital and family enterprise are treated as connected forms of influence.
- The score is an editorial synthesis, not a valuation, net-worth measure, follower count or award tally.
- No entry is included because of paid participation, nomination fees, advertising, sponsorship or institutional partnership.
Scoring Model
- Field-defining influence: 20 points
- Asia relevance: 15 points
- Global visibility: 15 points
- Innovation architecture: 15 points
- Execution credibility: 15 points
- Cultural and social signal: 10 points
- Future durability: 10 points
Editorial Limits
- Influence is not the same as moral endorsement. Inclusion recognizes public relevance and future-shaping capacity within the 2020 context.
- Private companies, family enterprises and early-stage social initiatives disclose information unevenly, so exact comparability is limited.
- The ranking is written in 2020 perspective and should not be retroactively revised with later exits, scandals, acquisitions, awards or role changes unless a new edition is created.
Full Ranking
InfluenceAsia 2020 Future 100
Search by name, platform, cohort, market, region or profile.
Showing 100 entries
| Rank | Person | Role / Platform | Cohort / Region | Influence Territory | Score | Signal / Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zhang Yiming | Founder, ByteDance | Technology Founder | AI-led content distribution, short-form video, creator economy and global consumer internet | 98.7 | He is selected for building a platform company whose influence crosses language, entertainment, advertising and political attention. In 2020, TikTok's global momentum and Douyin's domestic strength make Zhang a defining figure in how Asian technology can set worldwide cultural behavior. |
| 2 | Anthony Tan | Co-founder and Group CEO, Grab | Technology Founder | Mobility, delivery, payments and Southeast Asian super-app infrastructure | 97.9 | He is selected for building a regional operating system in fragmented markets where trust, payments, maps, logistics and local execution matter. In 2020, Grab's role in urban resilience and digital adoption places Tan among Asia's most important next-generation platform leaders. |
| 3 | Forrest Li | Founder, Chairman and Group CEO, Sea Limited | Technology Founder | Gaming, e-commerce, digital payments and Southeast Asian consumer technology | 97.4 | He is selected for creating a regional technology institution with global gaming reach and deep local commerce relevance. In 2020, Sea represents a high-conviction model for Asian platform scale outside the United States and China. |
| 4 | Colin Huang | Founder and strategic architect, Pinduoduo | Technology Founder | Social commerce, value retail, agricultural commerce and mobile consumer behavior | 97.0 | He is selected for challenging the established e-commerce order with a model that combines mobile engagement, group buying and extreme operating focus. In 2020, Huang's influence is visible in how retailers, brands and platforms rethink growth beyond premium urban users. |
| 5 | Nadiem Makarim | Founder of Gojek; Minister of Education and Culture of Indonesia | Founder and Social Innovator | On-demand services, informal work, public-sector modernization and education access | 96.6 | He is selected for showing how founder methods can enter public service without losing urgency. In 2020, his significance lies in both Gojek's platform legacy and the possibility of redesigning education for a large, diverse Asian democracy. |
| 6 | Wang Xing | Founder and CEO, Meituan | Technology Founder | Local services, food delivery, merchant digitization and urban logistics | 96.2 | He is selected for turning local service complexity into a scalable technology and operations system. In 2020, Meituan's relevance grows as on-demand delivery, merchant tools and neighborhood commerce become critical infrastructure. |
| 7 | Ritesh Agarwal | Founder and Group CEO, OYO | Young Entrepreneur | Budget hospitality, hotel operations technology and cross-border consumer travel | 95.8 | He is selected for ambition, youth, category creation and the scale of OYO's international operating challenge. In 2020, the hospitality sector is under stress, making Agarwal's leadership a test of resilience as much as growth. |
| 8 | Min-Liang Tan | Co-founder and CEO, Razer | Technology Founder | Gaming hardware, esports culture, youth lifestyle and digital payments | 95.3 | He is selected for giving an Asian-founded brand global credibility in gaming culture. In 2020, as gaming becomes mainstream entertainment and social infrastructure, Tan's influence sits across commerce, design and community behavior. |
| 9 | Cheng Wei | Founder and CEO, DiDi | Technology Founder | Mobility platforms, ride-hailing networks and urban transport technology | 94.9 | He is selected for building mobility infrastructure at national scale in one of the world's most complex urban markets. In 2020, DiDi remains central to the future of platform labor, transport safety and intelligent mobility. |
| 10 | Deepinder Goyal | Founder and CEO, Zomato | Technology Founder | Food discovery, delivery, restaurant digitization and consumer internet | 94.6 | He is selected for building a platform that changed how Indian consumers discover and access food. In 2020, restaurants and delivery networks face severe pressure, making Zomato's role in the food economy unusually consequential. |
| 11 | Vijay Shekhar Sharma | Founder and CEO, Paytm | Technology Founder | Digital payments, mobile wallets, financial inclusion and merchant digitization | 94.2 | He is selected for pushing payment behavior into the mainstream at population scale. In 2020, the need for low-touch commerce and digital financial access gives Sharma's platform influence new urgency. |
| 12 | Byju Raveendran | Founder and CEO, BYJU'S | Education Technology Founder | Online learning, test preparation, K-12 education and consumer edtech | 93.9 | He is selected for turning education technology into a mass-market Asian growth story. In 2020, remote learning has become a household necessity, placing BYJU'S and its founder at the center of a decisive behavioral shift. |
| 13 | Bhavish Aggarwal | Co-founder and CEO, Ola | Technology Founder | Mobility platforms, electric mobility and urban transport | 93.5 | He is selected for combining digital mobility with the larger transition toward cleaner transport. In 2020, Ola's future relevance depends on whether software-led mobility can extend into electric vehicles and manufacturing-led ecosystems. |
| 14 | William Tanuwijaya | Co-founder and CEO, Tokopedia | Technology Founder | E-commerce, merchant enablement, Indonesian digital economy and MSME access | 93.1 | He is selected for building marketplace infrastructure in a market where geography and trust are structural challenges. In 2020, Tokopedia's role in keeping commerce active gives Tanuwijaya's work wider social and economic meaning. |
| 15 | Ferry Unardi | Co-founder and CEO, Traveloka | Technology Founder | Travel technology, digital booking, regional consumer services and payments | 92.7 | He is selected for building a category leader in a sector facing one of 2020's deepest shocks. Traveloka's ability to adapt from travel demand into broader consumer services makes Unardi an important future influence case. |
| 16 | Bom Kim | Founder and CEO, Coupang | Technology Founder | E-commerce logistics, last-mile delivery and Korean consumer technology | 92.4 | He is selected for proving that infrastructure execution can be a consumer brand advantage. In 2020, Coupang's delivery reliability and supply-chain relevance give Kim's operating model strategic significance beyond Korea. |
| 17 | Lee Seung-gun | Founder and CEO, Viva Republica | Financial Technology Founder | Consumer fintech, mobile payments, credit, financial access and financial product design | 92.1 | He is selected for rethinking finance around user experience rather than institutional complexity. In 2020, Toss points toward a broader Asian shift in which fintech brands become trusted daily utilities. |
| 18 | He Xiaopeng | Chairman and CEO, XPeng | Technology Founder | Smart electric vehicles, autonomous driving and software-defined mobility | 91.8 | He is selected for representing the software-native EV founder generation. In 2020, XPeng's public-market visibility and product roadmap make He a significant figure in Asia's electric mobility transition. |
| 19 | Li Xiang | Founder and CEO, Li Auto | Technology Founder | New-energy vehicles, family mobility and Chinese smart-car entrepreneurship | 91.5 | He is selected for making new-energy vehicle adoption feel practical rather than purely futuristic. In 2020, Li Auto's market visibility places Li among the founders shaping Asia's smart-car decade. |
| 20 | Su Hua | Co-founder and CEO, Kuaishou | Technology Founder | Short video, livestreaming, creator commerce and social media for broader China | 91.2 | He is selected for elevating creator participation, livestream commerce and everyday expression into mainstream platform behavior. In 2020, Kuaishou is a central force in China's next social media cycle. |
| 21 | Cheng Yixiao | Co-founder, Kuaishou | Technology Founder | Video communities, creator tools, livestream culture and social commerce | 90.9 | He is selected for helping build a platform where social belonging and commerce converge. In 2020, Cheng's influence is embedded in the design of participatory media at enormous scale. |
| 22 | Jean Liu | President, DiDi | Technology Executive | Mobility technology, platform governance, safety systems and global partnerships | 90.6 | She is selected for executive influence inside one of Asia's largest technology companies. In 2020, the mobility platform sector needs credibility, safety and disciplined operations, giving Liu's leadership unusual importance. |
| 23 | Miranda Qu | Co-founder, Xiaohongshu | Technology Founder | Lifestyle community, social commerce, beauty discovery and consumer trust | 90.3 | She is selected for shaping a more community-led model of commerce and taste formation. In 2020, Xiaohongshu's combination of notes, reviews and shopping signals points toward a powerful new consumer media architecture. |
| 24 | Charlwin Mao | Co-founder, Xiaohongshu | Technology Founder | Consumer internet, social commerce, community content and lifestyle retail | 90.0 | He is selected for building a platform that changed how young Chinese consumers research, compare and narrate products. In 2020, this trust-led commerce model is increasingly relevant across Asia. |
| 25 | Audrey Tang | Digital Minister of Taiwan | Social Innovator | Civic technology, open governance, digital democracy and public communication | 89.7 | Tang is selected for showing how digital systems can strengthen public trust rather than extract attention. In 2020, Taiwan's civic-tech credibility gives Tang's model influence well beyond government technology circles. |
| 26 | Harshil Mathur | Co-founder and CEO, Razorpay | Financial Technology Founder | Payment infrastructure, business banking, merchant software and online commerce | 89.4 | He is selected for moving fintech from consumer wallets into deep business infrastructure. In 2020, as commerce moves online faster than expected, Razorpay's relevance to merchant survival and scale becomes more pronounced. |
| 27 | Shashank Kumar | Co-founder and CTO, Razorpay | Financial Technology Founder | Payments engineering, financial APIs, merchant infrastructure and business software | 89.1 | He is selected for helping turn payments complexity into usable software. In 2020, Kumar's work has strategic importance because digital commerce growth depends on invisible financial infrastructure that actually works. |
| 28 | Nithin Kamath | Co-founder and CEO, Zerodha | Financial Technology Founder | Retail investing, brokerage technology, capital-market access and financial education | 88.8 | He is selected for building a profitable, product-led alternative to conventional financial distribution. In 2020, retail investing is becoming a larger cultural and economic force, and Zerodha is one of its clearest Asian examples. |
| 29 | Nikhil Kamath | Co-founder, Zerodha and True Beacon | Young Investor | Retail brokerage, asset management, private capital and investment culture | 88.5 | He is selected for representing a younger Indian capital-market voice with unusual reach. In 2020, his influence sits at the intersection of market access, founder wealth and investment literacy. |
| 30 | Kunal Shah | Founder, CRED | Financial Technology Founder | Consumer finance, credit behavior, rewards, premium digital communities and brand-led fintech | 88.2 | He is selected for influencing how India's affluent digital users think about financial status, habit and trust. In 2020, CRED is an early signal that fintech can become a culture-led category, not only a utility. |
| 31 | Peyush Bansal | Co-founder and CEO, Lenskart | New Consumer Founder | Omnichannel eyewear, vision care, consumer retail and private-label scale | 87.9 | He is selected for transforming eyewear from a fragmented service into a scalable consumer brand. In 2020, Lenskart's model shows how Asian new consumer companies can blend technology with physical trust. |
| 32 | Tarun Mehta | Co-founder and CEO, Ather Energy | Technology Founder | Electric two-wheelers, charging infrastructure, connected vehicles and clean mobility | 87.6 | He is selected for bringing product seriousness to a category critical to Asia's mobility future. In 2020, the electric two-wheeler market is still early, making Ather's execution a meaningful future signal. |
| 33 | Vidit Aatrey | Co-founder and CEO, Meesho | Technology Founder | Social commerce, reseller networks, women entrepreneurs and small-town digital retail | 87.3 | He is selected for widening the definition of who can participate in e-commerce. In 2020, Meesho's model speaks directly to India's next internet users and the informal trust networks that shape commerce. |
| 34 | Sanjeev Barnwal | Co-founder and CTO, Meesho | Technology Founder | Social commerce technology, reseller tools, mobile-first retail and marketplace operations | 87.0 | He is selected for building technology that lowers the threshold for small entrepreneurs. In 2020, this kind of inclusion-oriented commerce infrastructure is central to Asia's next digital economy. |
| 35 | Ghazal Alagh | Co-founder, Mamaearth | New Consumer Founder | Personal care, toxin-conscious consumer branding, digital-first beauty and parenting-led trust | 86.7 | She is selected for helping define a new consumer language in Indian beauty and personal care. In 2020, Mamaearth's growth points to a wider shift from legacy FMCG toward founder-led, digital-native brands. |
| 36 | Varun Alagh | Co-founder, Mamaearth | New Consumer Founder | DTC consumer goods, personal care, brand systems and digital distribution | 86.4 | He is selected for scaling a new consumer company in a market long dominated by established FMCG players. In 2020, his work illustrates how digital acquisition, trust cues and product speed can reshape consumer goods. |
| 37 | Vineeta Singh | Co-founder and CEO, SUGAR Cosmetics | New Consumer Founder | Beauty, color cosmetics, DTC retail, women-led entrepreneurship and youth consumer culture | 86.1 | She is selected for helping Indian beauty move beyond imported aspiration and legacy formats. In 2020, SUGAR represents the confidence of local consumer brands built for young urban and emerging-city audiences. |
| 38 | Ankiti Bose | Co-founder and CEO, Zilingo | Technology Founder | Fashion supply chains, SME commerce, sourcing technology and Southeast Asian trade | 85.8 | She is selected for addressing the operational backbone of fashion rather than only the consumer storefront. In 2020, Zilingo's ambition reflects the need to digitize Asian SMEs and cross-border trade networks. |
| 39 | Priyanka Gill | Founder, POPxo and Plixxo | New Consumer Founder | Women-focused digital media, influencer commerce, beauty content and creator-led consumer funnels | 85.5 | She is selected for understanding that modern consumer brands are built through media, trust and creator networks. In 2020, her ecosystem role signals how Indian beauty and lifestyle commerce will be shaped by audience ownership. |
| 40 | Sairee Chahal | Founder and CEO, SHEROES | Social Innovator | Women's internet communities, work access, entrepreneurship and digital safety | 85.2 | She is selected for treating community infrastructure as a form of social and economic innovation. In 2020, when digital participation is accelerating, her work remains central to a more inclusive Asian internet. |
| 41 | Shradha Sharma | Founder and CEO, YourStory | Cultural and Ecosystem Innovator | Startup storytelling, founder visibility, entrepreneurial media and ecosystem memory | 84.9 | She is selected for building media infrastructure around entrepreneurship itself. In 2020, as startups become part of India's national economic imagination, Sharma's influence lies in who gets seen, heard and remembered. |
| 42 | Khailee Ng | Managing Partner, 500 Startups Southeast Asia | Young Investor | Early-stage venture capital, founder networks and Southeast Asian startup ecosystem building | 84.6 | He is selected for influencing the pipeline of new companies, not just a single firm. In 2020, regional venture networks are essential to Southeast Asia's technology maturation, and Ng remains one of their most visible connectors. |
| 43 | Pocket Sun | Co-founder and Managing Partner, SoGal Ventures | Young Investor | Women-led venture capital, cross-border founders, consumer technology and inclusive capital | 84.3 | She is selected for making capital allocation itself part of the future-influence conversation. In 2020, SoGal's networked model points toward a more inclusive venture architecture for Asian and global founders. |
| 44 | Anna Fang | CEO and Partner, ZhenFund | Young Investor | Early-stage investing, Chinese startups, founder selection and venture ecosystem development | 84.0 | She is selected for shaping the capital layer beneath China's next startup generation. In 2020, early-stage conviction remains one of the most important levers of future technology influence. |
| 45 | Sandeep Nailwal | Co-founder, Matic Network | Technology Founder | Blockchain scaling, decentralized applications, developer infrastructure and Web3 adoption | 83.7 | He is selected for helping place Indian founders inside the global Web3 infrastructure conversation. In 2020, blockchain adoption remains early, but scaling systems are critical to whether the category can move beyond speculation. |
| 46 | Jaynti Kanani | Co-founder and CEO, Matic Network | Technology Founder | Blockchain engineering, Ethereum scaling, developer infrastructure and Web3 tooling | 83.4 | He is selected for technical contribution to an emerging infrastructure layer with global developer relevance. In 2020, Asia's Web3 influence depends on builders who can make decentralized systems faster, cheaper and more usable. |
| 47 | Changpeng Zhao | Founder and CEO, Binance | Technology Founder | Crypto exchange infrastructure, digital assets, global trading systems and blockchain finance | 83.1 | He is selected for the scale of influence over digital asset access, liquidity and infrastructure. In 2020, crypto is moving from fringe speculation toward a broader institutional and retail conversation, making Zhao a consequential future-finance figure. |
| 48 | Kosuke Sogo | Co-founder and CEO, AnyMind Group | Technology Founder | Marketing technology, creator commerce, DTC tools and cross-border business enablement | 82.8 | He is selected for operating across multiple Asian markets with tools that help businesses scale audiences and sales. In 2020, creator commerce and digital advertising systems are becoming central to business growth. |
| 49 | Quek Siu Rui | Co-founder and CEO, Carousell | Technology Founder | Recommerce, classifieds, peer-to-peer marketplaces and circular consumption | 82.5 | He is selected for building consumer technology around reuse and everyday commerce rather than only new retail. In 2020, recommerce is gaining strategic relevance as affordability and sustainability move closer together. |
| 50 | Tan Hooi Ling | Co-founder, Grab | Technology Founder | Product strategy, operations, mobility, delivery and regional platform execution | 82.2 | She is selected for her role in building one of Asia's most influential super-apps. In 2020, Grab's multi-service platform makes her contribution important to how Southeast Asian technology companies scale across cultural and regulatory borders. |
| 51 | Kevin Aluwi | Co-founder and Co-CEO, Gojek | Technology Founder | On-demand services, product systems, driver networks and Indonesian platform technology | 81.9 | He is selected for carrying Gojek's founder DNA into a more institutional phase. In 2020, the company's services remain deeply embedded in urban life, making Aluwi part of Indonesia's digital infrastructure generation. |
| 52 | Achmad Zaky | Founder, Bukalapak | Technology Founder | E-commerce, MSME digitization, Indonesian founders and startup ecosystem development | 81.6 | He is selected for making marketplace participation more accessible to Indonesian sellers. In 2020, small-business digitization is a national economic priority, and Zaky's founder legacy remains highly relevant. |
| 53 | Mudassir Sheikha | Co-founder and CEO, Careem | Technology Founder | Mobility, super-app services, Middle East startup culture and regional platform talent | 81.3 | He is selected for demonstrating that the Middle East can produce major technology platforms with regional depth. In 2020, Careem's founder story continues to influence talent, capital and ambition across West Asia and Pakistan-linked networks. |
| 54 | Moses Lo | Co-founder and CEO, Xendit | Financial Technology Founder | Payments infrastructure, Southeast Asian fintech, digital business tools and startup finance | 81.0 | He is selected for focusing on the financial rails beneath the region's internet economy. In 2020, as merchants and startups accelerate online, Xendit's infrastructure role becomes increasingly strategic. |
| 55 | Tessa Wijaya | Co-founder and COO, Xendit | Financial Technology Founder | Fintech operations, payments infrastructure, women in technology and Indonesian startup leadership | 80.7 | She is selected for representing both fintech depth and leadership diversity in a critical infrastructure category. In 2020, her visibility matters because payment systems need operators who understand regulation, trust and business adoption. |
| 56 | Shinta Nurfauzia | Co-founder and CEO, Lemonilo | New Consumer Founder | Healthy food, consumer wellness, DTC retail and Indonesian new consumption | 80.4 | She is selected for bringing new consumer thinking into mass food categories. In 2020, wellness, safety and direct consumer relationships are becoming more important across Asian packaged goods. |
| 57 | Joel Leong | Co-founder, ShopBack | Technology Founder | Cashback commerce, loyalty, affiliate marketing and consumer savings behavior | 80.1 | He is selected for helping build a consumer habit around smarter digital purchasing. In 2020, value-seeking behavior and e-commerce acceleration make cashback infrastructure more relevant to regional retail. |
| 58 | Ray Chan | Co-founder and CEO, 9GAG | Cultural Technology Founder | Internet culture, memes, youth media, social sharing and global digital entertainment | 79.8 | He is selected for proving that Asian digital culture can travel through humor, format and community rather than conventional media power. In 2020, 9GAG remains a durable reference point in global youth internet culture. |
| 59 | Roshni Nadar Malhotra | Chairperson, HCL Technologies | Next-Generation Family Enterprise Successor | Information technology, corporate governance, philanthropy, education and conservation | 79.5 | She is selected for taking visible leadership inside a major Indian technology group in 2020. Her influence is not only dynastic; it rests on how a second-generation leader can manage scale, trust and social responsibility. |
| 60 | Isha Ambani | Director and next-generation leader within Reliance's digital and retail businesses | Next-Generation Family Enterprise Successor | Digital services, retail, consumer platforms, fashion, telecom and Indian household consumption | 79.2 | She is selected for the scale of institutional influence attached to Reliance's digital and retail expansion. In 2020, the Jio Platforms investment cycle places Reliance's next generation at the center of India's consumer technology future. |
| 61 | Akash Ambani | Director and next-generation leader within Reliance Jio | Next-Generation Family Enterprise Successor | Telecommunications, digital platforms, connectivity, media and consumer technology | 78.9 | He is selected for succession-linked influence inside one of Asia's most important digital infrastructure groups. In 2020, connectivity, platforms and strategic technology partnerships make his role consequential. |
| 62 | Adar Poonawalla | CEO, Serum Institute of India | Next-Generation Family Enterprise Successor | Vaccines, public health manufacturing, global health supply and pharmaceutical scale | 78.6 | He is selected for the strategic importance of health manufacturing during a global crisis. His role shows how next-generation family enterprise leadership can carry direct implications for public health, diplomacy and global equity. |
| 63 | Nisaba Godrej | Executive Chairperson, Godrej Consumer Products | Next-Generation Family Enterprise Successor | Consumer goods, governance, women in leadership, sustainability and emerging-market brands | 78.3 | She is selected for guiding a legacy consumer institution through changing expectations around health, hygiene, inclusion and sustainability. In 2020, consumer trust is an especially valuable form of influence. |
| 64 | Rishad Premji | Chairman, Wipro | Next-Generation Family Enterprise Successor | Information technology services, corporate governance, philanthropy and enterprise transformation | 78.0 | He is selected for representing a transition from founder-led technology enterprise to successor-led global institution. In 2020, Wipro's relevance depends on leadership able to balance transformation, trust and long-term stakeholder discipline. |
| 65 | Ananya Birla | Founder, Svatantra Microfin; musician and social-impact entrepreneur | Young Entrepreneur | Microfinance, women's entrepreneurship, youth culture, mental health and music | 77.7 | She is selected for operating across business, philanthropy and culture while carrying the expectations of a major Indian business lineage. In 2020, her influence is notable because it blends capital access with public-facing youth voice. |
| 66 | Kavin Bharti Mittal | Founder and CEO, Hike | Technology Founder | Messaging, social products, gaming, Indian internet culture and next-generation family enterprise | 77.4 | He is selected for pursuing Indian consumer internet products in a category dominated by global incumbents. In 2020, his influence lies in experimentation, product identity and the search for local social behavior models. |
| 67 | Adrian Cheng | Executive leader, New World Development; founder, K11 | Next-Generation Family Enterprise Successor | Cultural commerce, property, art patronage, luxury retail and urban experience | 77.1 | He is selected for expanding the meaning of real estate beyond assets into cultural infrastructure. In 2020, Cheng's model shows how next-generation successors can reposition legacy groups through taste, community and creative capital. |
| 68 | Sabrina Ho | Cultural entrepreneur and founder, Chiu Yeng Culture | Cultural Innovator | Art, culture, auction platforms, creative industries and next-generation family influence | 76.8 | She is selected for helping shift Macau's public image toward culture and creativity. In 2020, her influence lies in the way next-generation heirs can direct attention from inherited capital toward new cultural infrastructure. |
| 69 | Chryseis Tan | Entrepreneur and investor within the Berjaya family ecosystem | Next-Generation Family Enterprise Successor | Hospitality, retail, lifestyle, social media influence and next-generation entrepreneurship | 76.5 | She is selected for embodying a softer but powerful form of successor influence: brand, access, aspiration and venture participation. In 2020, this public-facing model is increasingly relevant to family business renewal. |
| 70 | Putri Tanjung | Founder, Creativepreneur; Special Staff to the President of Indonesia | Young Entrepreneur | Youth entrepreneurship, creative economy, public leadership and next-generation family enterprise | 76.2 | She is selected for representing a new Indonesian leadership style that is public-facing, entrepreneurial and policy-adjacent. In 2020, her influence comes from connecting young business culture with national development narratives. |
| 71 | Axton Salim | Director, Indofood Sukses Makmur | Next-Generation Family Enterprise Successor | Food manufacturing, consumer goods, nutrition, brand portfolios and Indonesian household consumption | 75.9 | He is selected for successor relevance in a sector where scale, affordability and trust directly affect daily life. In 2020, food supply and consumer reliability give his institutional role added importance. |
| 72 | Anderson Tanoto | Managing Director, Royal Golden Eagle | Next-Generation Family Enterprise Successor | Natural resources, manufacturing, sustainability, family enterprise transition and Asian industrial stewardship | 75.6 | He is selected for the scale of influence attached to industrial family enterprises and their environmental responsibilities. In 2020, the future of Asian business leadership requires credible stewardship in high-impact sectors. |
| 73 | Malala Yousafzai | Education advocate and co-founder, Malala Fund | Social Innovator | Girls' education, global advocacy, youth leadership and human rights | 75.3 | She is selected for converting personal history into a global education platform with enduring relevance to Asia. In 2020, school disruption reinforces the urgency of her work and the importance of education access for girls. |
| 74 | Nadia Murad | Human rights advocate and founder, Nadia's Initiative | Social Innovator | Survivor justice, post-conflict recovery, human rights and community rebuilding | 75.0 | She is selected for turning advocacy into institutional action for communities too often reduced to headlines. In 2020, Murad's influence shows how Asian social leadership can carry global moral authority. |
| 75 | Yusra Mardini | Athlete and refugee advocate | Social Innovator | Refugee dignity, sport, youth representation and humanitarian storytelling | 74.7 | She is selected for reshaping how young refugees are seen: not as passive victims, but as leaders and competitors with agency. In 2020, her influence remains vital as displacement continues to define major parts of West Asian reality. |
| 76 | Shiza Shahid | Co-founder, Malala Fund; founder, Our Place | Social Entrepreneur | Social enterprise, education advocacy, mission-led consumer brands and women-led entrepreneurship | 74.4 | She is selected for translating values into multiple operating formats rather than a single campaign. In 2020, her path is an important example of Asian women shaping global conversations around purpose and business. |
| 77 | Khalida Brohi | Founder, Sughar Foundation | Social Innovator | Women's economic empowerment, rural enterprise, craft, education and community leadership | 74.1 | She is selected for building social innovation that is grounded rather than symbolic. In 2020, her work remains relevant because economic inclusion for women is one of Asia's most important unfinished development challenges. |
| 78 | Melati Wijsen | Co-founder, Bye Bye Plastic Bags; founder, Youthtopia | Social Innovator | Youth climate action, plastic reduction, civic participation and environmental education | 73.8 | She is selected for demonstrating that youth-led advocacy can move from local campaign to international conversation. In 2020, environmental leadership by younger Asians is no longer peripheral; it is part of future governance. |
| 79 | Isabel Wijsen | Co-founder, Bye Bye Plastic Bags | Social Innovator | Youth environmental action, plastic reduction, education and community campaigns | 73.5 | She is selected for showing that environmental activism can be practical, young and internationally legible. In 2020, her work continues to influence how schools, communities and youth groups approach sustainability. |
| 80 | Trang Nguyen | Founder, WildAct | Social Innovator | Wildlife conservation, anti-trafficking education, biodiversity and environmental leadership | 73.2 | She is selected for bringing conservation into a stronger Asian public-interest frame. In 2020, the relationship between human activity, ecosystems and public health gives her field sharper relevance. |
| 81 | Anoka Abeyrathne | Environmental entrepreneur and youth advocate | Social Innovator | Mangrove conservation, youth leadership, climate resilience and sustainable development | 72.9 | She is selected for representing a smaller-market but globally relevant strand of Asian environmental leadership. In 2020, island and coastal vulnerability make climate adaptation a core future-influence theme. |
| 82 | Nidhi Pant | Co-founder, S4S Technologies | Social Entrepreneur | Food preservation, climate resilience, women farmers, rural supply chains and social enterprise | 72.6 | She is selected for working on a practical social enterprise problem with climate, food security and gender implications. In 2020, resilient food systems are central to Asia's future stability. |
| 83 | Ria Sharma | Founder, Make Love Not Scars | Social Innovator | Acid-attack survivor support, public awareness, rehabilitation and gender justice | 72.3 | She is selected for building a social platform around an issue that demands both public attention and practical support. In 2020, her influence lies in changing visibility, language and empathy around survivors. |
| 84 | Naomi Osaka | Professional tennis player and global cultural figure | Cultural Innovator | Sport, identity, fashion, mental health, anti-racism and global youth culture | 72.0 | She is selected because her platform changes what an Asian athlete can represent in global public life. In 2020, Osaka's voice and performance make her a defining figure in the convergence of sport and social conscience. |
| 85 | Son Heung-min | Professional footballer | Cultural Innovator | Global sport, Korean soft power, youth aspiration and Asian representation in elite football | 71.7 | He is selected for widening the imagination of Asian excellence in the world's most global sport. In 2020, Son's influence sits at the intersection of performance, national pride and international representation. |
| 86 | RM (Kim Namjoon) | Leader and artist, BTS | Cultural Innovator | K-pop, global youth culture, language, fandom organization and cultural diplomacy | 71.4 | He is selected for helping make Korean pop culture a global conversation rather than a regional phenomenon. In 2020, BTS's reach makes RM a significant figure in Asia's cultural power. |
| 87 | G-Dragon (Kwon Ji-yong) | Musician, producer and fashion figure | Cultural Innovator | K-pop, fashion, youth style, art direction and Asian celebrity entrepreneurship | 71.1 | He is selected for shaping the template of the Asian pop star as creative director and cultural entrepreneur. In 2020, his influence remains visible in the aesthetics of K-pop and global youth fashion. |
| 88 | Lisa Manobal | Artist, BLACKPINK | Cultural Innovator | K-pop, dance, fashion, Thai representation and global youth culture | 70.8 | She is selected for expanding the geography of Asian pop stardom. In 2020, her dance, style and global fanbase make her a powerful signal of Southeast Asian representation within Korean-led cultural exports. |
| 89 | Jennie Kim | Artist, BLACKPINK | Cultural Innovator | K-pop, luxury fashion, beauty, youth style and global fandom | 70.5 | She is selected for translating Korean pop visibility into a broader cultural and style language. In 2020, BLACKPINK's global rise gives Jennie's individual influence substantial international reach. |
| 90 | Jackson Wang | Musician and founder, Team Wang | Cultural Innovator | Music, fashion, Chinese-language cultural export, personal branding and creative entrepreneurship | 70.2 | He is selected for moving beyond idol visibility into founder-led cultural production. In 2020, his independent creative direction makes him one of the more globally legible Chinese-language youth culture figures. |
| 91 | CL (Lee Chae-rin) | Musician and performer | Cultural Innovator | K-pop, performance, fashion, women in music and global pop experimentation | 69.9 | She is selected for influence that extends beyond chart presence into attitude, image and artistic possibility. In 2020, her role remains important to the lineage of Asian women artists crossing global music and fashion. |
| 92 | Rich Brian | Musician | Cultural Innovator | Hip-hop, Asian youth culture, internet-born music careers and Southeast Asian representation | 69.6 | He is selected for changing the perception of Southeast Asian presence in global hip-hop and youth music. In 2020, his influence lies in making Asian internet-born artistry feel credible on the world stage. |
| 93 | NIKI (Nicole Zefanya) | Singer-songwriter | Cultural Innovator | R&B, singer-songwriter culture, Asian women in global music and youth identity | 69.3 | She is selected for widening the sonic and emotional range of Asian representation in global music. In 2020, her work shows that Asian cultural influence is not only mass spectacle, but also songwriting, texture and personal narrative. |
| 94 | Joji (George Kusunoki Miller) | Musician and digital-culture artist | Cultural Innovator | Alternative music, internet culture, Asian creative identity and digital-era reinvention | 69.0 | He is selected for embodying the new path from digital subculture to mainstream creative influence. In 2020, his music and audience demonstrate how Asian artists can move through global internet culture on their own terms. |
| 95 | Suboi | Rapper and cultural figure | Cultural Innovator | Hip-hop, Vietnamese youth culture, women in music and regional creative identity | 68.7 | She is selected for cultural pioneering in a market that is gaining regional creative confidence. In 2020, Suboi's influence is important because she represents voice, independence and gendered possibility in Asian music. |
| 96 | Yuna | Singer-songwriter | Cultural Innovator | Music, modest fashion, Malaysian cultural export and Muslim women representation | 68.4 | She is selected for carrying Southeast Asian creative identity into international music without erasing cultural specificity. In 2020, her profile remains a reference point for artists building global careers from outside dominant pop centers. |
| 97 | Chloe Zhao | Film director and writer | Cultural Innovator | Film, storytelling, cross-cultural authorship and Asian women in cinema | 68.1 | She is selected for bringing a quiet but powerful directorial voice into the center of global cinema conversation. In 2020, her work signals a future in which Asian-born auteurs can shape the emotional grammar of international film. |
| 98 | Angel Chen | Fashion designer | Cultural Innovator | Fashion design, Chinese youth style, color, craft and global runway visibility | 67.8 | She is selected for contributing to a new generation of Asian designers who are not simply local suppliers to global fashion, but authors of original visual worlds. In 2020, her influence lies in creative confidence and exportable style. |
| 99 | Minju Kim | Fashion designer | Cultural Innovator | Fashion design, Korean creative identity, textile imagination and global fashion visibility | 67.5 | She is selected for showing how Korean cultural influence extends into independent fashion design, not only music and screen culture. In 2020, her visibility strengthens the case for Asian designers as global creative authors. |
| 100 | Nuseir Yassin | Founder, Nas Daily | Cultural Technology Founder | Short-form video, educational media, cross-border storytelling and creator entrepreneurship | 67.2 | He is selected for turning short-form social video into a repeatable media product with international reach. In 2020, his Asia-linked creator company points toward the professionalization of creator-led media. |
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