President Droupadi Murmu conferred the 2026 Padma Awards, celebrating icons like Dharmendra and N. Rajam alongside grassroots heroes in social work, culture, and sports.

At a majestic ceremony inside the Rashtrapati Bhavan, President Droupadi Murmu presented the first round of the 2026 Padma Awards. This year, the nation celebrates 131 exceptional individuals, spanning 5 Padma Vibhushan, 13 Padma Bhushan, and 113 Padma Shri recipients. This initial investiture saw 66 trailblazers walk up the stage.

Here is a closer look at the inspiring icons and their remarkable contributions:

Padma Vibhushan: A posthumous honor was conferred upon legendary Bollywood actor Dharmendra. Joining him was violin virtuoso N. Rajam, globally celebrated as the "Singing Violin" for pioneering the Gayaki Ang technique that allows an instrument to emulate human vocals.

Padma Bhushan: Honors went to Kotak Mahindra Bank founder Uday Kotak, advertising wizard Piyush Pandey, and former Uttarakhand CM Bhagat Singh Koshyari. The cohort also celebrated gastroenterologist Kallipatti Ramasamy Palaniswamy, former MP Vijay Kumar Malhotra (posthumous), and Shatavadhani R. Ganesh, who single-handedly revived the ancient classical art of Avadhana.

Padma Shri:

• Sports: Women’s cricket icon Harmanpreet Kaur Bhullar, veteran hockey coach Baldev Singh, para-athlete Praveen Kumar, and K. Pajanivel, a master keeping the ancient Tamil martial art of Silambam alive.

• Arts & Public Service: Cinema icon Prosenjit Chatterjee, Kantha embroidery artist Tripti Mukherjee, and former CRPF Director-General K. Vijay Kumar.

• Grassroots & Science: Environmentalists Devaki Amma G. and Hally War; bibliophile Ankegowda M.; Sanskrit scholar Vempaty Kutumba Shastry; botanist Gambir Singh Yonzone; and the inspiring husband-wife duo, Dr. Ramchandra and Suneeta Godbole, for their medical service to tribal communities.

• Folk Traditions: Musicians Mir Haji Kasam, N. Swaminathan (Tamil devotional), and Taga Ram Bheel.