Padma Awards 2026: Banker Uday Kotak named for Padma Bhushan as Centre announces 131 honours

Uday Kotak among Padma Bhushan recipients

On the eve of Republic Day, the Centre announced the Padma Awards for 2026, naming veteran banker and industrialist Uday Kotak among the Padma Bhushan awardees. The announcement, made on Sunday, 25 January 2026, places a spotlight on long-term contributions to India’s financial sector, particularly in banking, capital markets and institution-building.

The Padma honours are among India’s most prestigious civilian awards and are conferred in three categories: Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri.

131 awards approved across categories

As per the government’s announcement, a total of 131 Padma awards were approved for 2026. The list includes five Padma Vibhushan, 13 Padma Bhushan and 113 Padma Shri honours, reflecting a broad spread across fields such as public life, arts, cinema, literature, sports, science and social service.

While business leaders are a small subset of the overall list, recognition for financial-sector contributions carries symbolic weight at a time when India is focused on expanding credit access, deepening capital markets, and maintaining stability amid global uncertainties.

Why the business world tracks Padma announcements

For corporate India, Padma honours often signal a broader narrative: not just commercial success, but also sustained public impact, institution-building, and contributions that influence employment, innovation, inclusion, and the credibility of Indian enterprises at home and abroad.

What’s next

• The full list will be followed by the investiture ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan, typically held later in the year.
• Expect additional profiles and debates around selections as different sectors and states highlight their awardees.
• Business associations may use the moment to underline governance, ethics and long-term value creation as key themes.