Each year, with the support of our readers and communities, Asian Standard curates its Most Influential List to recognise British Asians who are shaping London and beyond, not always from the spotlight, but often from the frontlines of change.
This list is not exhaustive, nor does it claim to capture every individual making a difference. Across our communities, there are countless people leading, building, advocating and serving in ways that may never make headlines. Many operate quietly, driven by purpose rather than profile.
So why does the Influential List matter?
It matters because too often, influence is measured narrowly, by wealth, status or visibility alone. This list challenges that idea. It exists to spotlight leadership in all its forms; to share stories that inspire the next generation; to reflect the breadth of influence within our communities; and to ensure that those creating real, lasting impact are seen beyond their immediate circles.
The 2025 list reflects a year of challenge, resilience and transformation. From healthcare and education to business, technology, culture and grassroots action, this year’s honourees demonstrate how influence is exercised through service, innovation, courage and consistency. Some lead institutions, others lead movements. All are shaping lives.
At a time when representation and role models matter more than ever, Asian Standard’s Most Influential List is both a celebration and a record, capturing the people helping to define who we are, and where we are going.
Presented in no particular order, we are proud to introduce Asian Standard’s Most Influential of London, 2025.
Jasvir Singh CBE: A national voice shaping faith, inclusion and civic leadership
Jasvir Singh CBE remains one of the UK’s most influential community leaders, with a body of work that has consistently shaped national conversations around faith, equality and social cohesion.
A barrister by profession and activist by conviction, Singh is the founding chair of City Sikhs, a nationally respected body representing Sikh voices across civic, political and public life. Under his leadership, City Sikhs has become a trusted interlocutor between government, institutions and communities, helping ensure that British Sikhs are visible, understood and engaged in decision-making at the highest levels.
Singh’s influence continues to be felt through his ability to combine legal expertise with principled advocacy. He is regularly sought out for insight on faith inclusion, human rights and social justice, contributing to policy discussions that go beyond single communities to address wider questions of belonging and national identity.
Awarded a CBE for services to community cohesion and interfaith work, Singh’s leadership has long been characterised by bridge-building working across religious, cultural and political lines to promote dialogue rather than division. His work has helped challenge stereotypes, counter extremism narratives and strengthen trust between minority communities and public institutions.
What distinguishes Singh’s influence is longevity. Over many years, he has shown that sustainable change comes not from protest alone, but from sustained engagement, credibility and moral clarity. Whether advising policymakers, supporting grassroots initiatives or speaking publicly on issues of equality, his voice carries authority rooted in experience and consistency.
Jasvir Singh CBE represents a model of influence that is calm, constructive and enduring, demonstrating how faith-led leadership can play a vital role in shaping a more inclusive, confident and cohesive Britain.
Dr Nikita Ved MBE: Transforming inclusion and leadership in healthcare
Dr Nikita Ved MBE is one of London’s most influential healthcare leaders, whose impact lies
not only in clinical excellence, but in reshaping how inclusion, leadership and workforce wellbeing are understood within the NHS.
A senior NHS leader and nationally recognised advocate for equality, Dr Ved has built a reputation for driving structural change across health systems. Her influence continues to be felt through her work supporting inclusive leadership, tackling workforce inequality and embedding compassionate, people-centred approaches in complex healthcare environments.
Awarded an MBE for services to equality and diversity in the NHS, Dr Ved has long championed the idea that better leadership leads to better patient outcomes. She has worked extensively with NHS trusts and national bodies to address systemic barriers facing ethnically diverse staff, particularly in senior and decision-making roles. Her work has helped shift conversations from representation alone to accountability, culture and sustainable change.
Dr Ved is widely respected for her ability to operate at both strategic and human levels — influencing policy while remaining grounded in lived experience. She is a sought-after speaker, mentor and advisor, supporting the next generation of healthcare leaders and ensuring that inclusion is treated as core business, not a peripheral concern.
In a post-pandemic landscape where the NHS continues to face pressure on workforce morale and retention, Dr Ved’s leadership during 2025 is especially significant. Her influence lies in helping organisations move from intent to action, ensuring that healthcare systems reflect the diversity, values and compassion they seek to deliver.
Dame Meera Syal: A historic honour for a woman who reshaped British culture
Dame Meera Syal stands as one of the most influential cultural figures in modern Britain, having fundamentally reshaped how British Asian identity, womanhood and belonging are represented across stage, screen and literature.
In the King’s New Year Honours, Syal made history when she was appointed Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the King’s New Year Honours, becoming one of the few British Asian women to receive the title. The honour recognised her outstanding contribution to drama, literature and cultural life, and marked a landmark moment for representation within the UK honours system.
An acclaimed actor, novelist, playwright and broadcaster, Dame Meera’s influence spans decades. From groundbreaking television and theatre to bestselling novels, her work has challenged stereotypes, normalised complex British Asian narratives and opened doors for generations of writers and performers who followed. Her characters have never been symbolic tokens, but fully realised reflections of British life, humorous, flawed, political and deeply human.
Her influence remains firmly contemporary. As debates around identity, migration and inclusion continue to shape public discourse, Dame Meera’s voice carries renewed authority. She is widely respected not only for her creative achievements, but for her ability to articulate cultural truth with intelligence, warmth and clarity.
The Damehood is significant not just as personal recognition, but as a wider cultural marker, acknowledging that British Asian stories are not peripheral, but central to the nation’s cultural heritage. For many, particularly women from South Asian backgrounds, her recognition represents visibility at the highest level.
Dame Meera Syal’s influence lies in legacy and leadership. She did not simply succeed within the system, she changed it. In 2025, her Damehood stood out as both recognition and reminder: that representation, when sustained with excellence, can redefine what British culture looks like.
Baron Krish Raval: From grassroots Sikh activism to the House of Lords
Krish Raval, Baron Raval, has become one of the most influential British Asian figures in
public life, bridging community leadership and national policymaking with rare credibility.
Elevated to the House of Lords, Krish Raval sits as a crossbench peer, bringing lived community experience into parliamentary debate. His influence is rooted in decades of civic leadership, particularly through his role as a founding figure of City Sikhs, where he helped shape a modern, outward-facing platform for British Sikh engagement.
In 2025, Baron Raval’s influence continued to grow through his contributions on social cohesion, education, mental health and faith inclusion. He is widely respected for his calm, evidence-led approach, challenging division while advocating strongly for equality and opportunity.
What distinguishes Raval is his journey. Emerging from grassroots Sikh activism, he has consistently demonstrated how community advocacy can translate into national influence without losing authenticity. In the Lords, he has become a trusted voice on issues affecting minority communities, while also contributing to broader policy conversations that affect society as a whole.
His leadership has helped normalise faith-based perspectives within civic spaces, reframing them as assets rather than obstacles. Baron Raval’s influence lies in connection — ensuring that voices shaped by lived experience help inform the laws and policies that govern Britain’s future.
Sunny Suri: Shaping reputation, influence and narrative in modern Britain
Sunny Suri has established himself as one of the UK’s most influential figures in strategic communications, operating at the intersection of media, reputation and public perception.
A senior leader in the UK PR industry, Suri has advised high-profile individuals, brands and organisations navigating complex public scrutiny. In 2025, his influence lies in how narratives are shaped, not just reacted to, in an era defined by rapid news cycles, social media amplification and reputational risk.
Known for his strategic clarity and discretion, Suri has become a trusted adviser in moments of challenge and opportunity alike. His work often extends beyond publicity into long-term positioning, helping clients align values, visibility and credibility in a way that resonates with modern audiences.
As a British Asian leader in an industry where influence is often hidden rather than celebrated, Suri’s success carries wider significance. He represents a new generation of behind-the-scenes power brokers whose decisions shape national conversation without occupying the spotlight themselves.
Sunny Suri’s influence is measured not in headlines, but in outcomes, demonstrating how strategic communications, when done well, can protect trust, enable leadership and shape public understanding at scale.
Avnish & Anita Goyal: Building legacy, leadership and British Asian enterprise
Avnish and Anita Goyal represent one of London’s most influential business partnerships, a
couple whose impact spans enterprise, philanthropy and representation.
Avnish Goyal CBE is widely recognised for his leadership in British Asian business, having built and scaled major ventures while championing entrepreneurship and economic participation. In 2025, his influence continued through investment, mentorship and advocacy for minority-led enterprise at national level.
Alongside him, Anita Goyal has played a pivotal role in shaping the couple’s broader social and community impact. Together, they have used their platform to support causes linked to education, wellbeing and opportunity, ensuring that success translates into responsibility.
What distinguishes the Goyals’ influence is scale paired with purpose. Their work reflects a belief that leadership should open doors for others, particularly within communities that have historically faced barriers to access and capital.
Avnish and Anita Goyal’s influence lies in legacy-building, demonstrating how British Asian success can be sustainable, values-led and generational, while continuing to shape conversations around representation in business and public life.
Navjot Sawhney: Engineering dignity through innovation and global impact
Navjot Sawhney is one of London’s most influential social innovators, using engineering, design and systems thinking to address one of the world’s most overlooked challenges: access to basic sanitation.
As founder and chief executive of The Washing Machine Project, Sawhney has led the development of low-cost, off-grid washing machines designed for communities without reliable access to water or electricity. In 2025, the project’s influence continued to scale globally, improving health, dignity and economic opportunity for displaced and marginalised communities.
An engineer by training, Sawhney’s leadership bridges technical excellence with humanitarian purpose. His work has been recognised internationally for its innovation and impact, and he remains a prominent advocate for purpose-led engineering and ethical innovation.
Sawhney’s influence lies in reframing innovation itself, showing that cutting-edge thinking can and should be applied to problems affecting the world’s poorest, not just commercial markets.
Raj Baddhan: Steering global media influence from a British Asian platform
Raj Baddhan is one of the UK’s most influential media executives, shaping broadcasting,
culture and public discourse through leadership at Lyca Group.
As a senior figure within the Lyca network, Baddhan has played a pivotal role in expanding the reach and relevance of South Asian media in Britain and internationally. In 2025, his influence continued through strategic content direction, audience growth and platform diversification across radio, television and digital channels.
Celebrating five years at the helm of Lyca radio, Baddhan had double reason to celebrate, winning the coveted Radio Presenter of the Year at the Asian Media Awards.
Baddhan’s work has helped ensure that British Asian voices are not only represented, but mainstreamed, reaching audiences beyond traditional community boundaries. His leadership reflects a broader shift in media power, where culturally rooted platforms now shape national conversation.
In an era of fragmented audiences, Baddhan’s influence lies in connection, using media as a bridge between cultures, generations and geographies.
Arun Maini (Mrwhosetheboss): Redefining tech influence on a global scale
Arun Maini, known globally as Mrwhosetheboss, is one of Britain’s most influential digital creators, with a reach that extends to tens of millions worldwide.
Based in London, Maini has transformed technology commentary into a powerful platform for consumer education, digital literacy and ethical tech discussion. In 2025, his influence grew as audiences increasingly turn to trusted creators, rather than traditional outlets, for insight on innovation, AI and emerging technology.
What sets Maini apart is credibility. His content balances accessibility with depth, helping users make informed decisions while holding global tech companies to account. In doing so, he has redefined what influence looks like in the digital age.
Arun Maini’s impact lies not just in scale, but in trust, shaping how technology is understood, purchased and debated worldwide.
Romesh Ranganathan & Shanthi Ranganathan: Redefining family, fame and relatability on British television
Romesh Ranganathan and his mother, Shanthi Ranganathan, have become one of British
television’s most unexpectedly influential duos, using humour, honesty and generational warmth to reshape how South Asian families are seen on screen.
Last year their joint television appearances grew in popularity, resonating with audiences drawn to the authenticity of their mother-and-son dynamic. Their appeal lies not in performance alone, but in relatability, presenting family relationships that feel recognisable, affectionate and refreshingly unfiltered.
Romesh, already one of the UK’s most successful comedians and broadcasters, has long used his platform to normalise British Asian experiences within mainstream entertainment. Shanthi’s presence alongside him adds a new dimension, offering visibility to older South Asian women who are rarely centred in popular culture.
Together, they have helped soften stereotypes, bringing warmth and humour to conversations about family, ageing, culture and identity. Their influence during 2025 reflected a broader cultural shift: audiences increasingly value real stories over polished personas.
As a pair, they demonstrate how influence can be intergenerational, rooted in everyday relationships that connect across communities and backgrounds.
Seema Anand: Reclaiming South Asian history through storytelling and truth
Seema Anand has become one of Britain’s most influential cultural educators, using storytelling to reclaim South Asian history, sexuality and philosophy from silence and misrepresentation.
A mythologist, author and oral historian, Anand’s influence in 2025 grew further through her books, talks and widely followed digital platforms. She has become a trusted voice challenging colonial interpretations of South Asian culture, particularly around women, desire and agency.
Her work dismantles long-held taboos with clarity and scholarship, offering audiences a deeper understanding of ancient texts and traditions that celebrate complexity rather than repression. In doing so, she has empowered a new generation to reconnect with heritage on their own terms.
Anand’s influence lies in education without gatekeeping, making history accessible, provocative and liberating, while reshaping how South Asian narratives are understood globally.
Sukh Chamdal: Scaling entrepreneurship through strategic brand-building
Sukh Chamdal has emerged as one of London’s most influential entrepreneurial figures, recognised for successfully combining and scaling major high-street brands within the food
and retail sector.
Known for his role in growing Cake Box into a nationally recognised brand, and then buying into the iconic Ambala brand, Chamdal’s influence in 2025 reflected his ability to identify opportunity, streamline operations and build businesses that resonate with diverse consumer bases.
His work in merging and strengthening complementary brands has positioned him as a strategic operator within the franchising and retail space, demonstrating how British Asian entrepreneurship continues to shape the UK’s commercial landscape.
Beyond financial success, Chamdal’s influence is seen in representation. His visibility as a business leader has helped inspire aspiring entrepreneurs, particularly those from underrepresented backgrounds, to see scale and sustainability as achievable goals.
Sukh Chamdal’s influence lies in growth with intention, showing how strong leadership can turn local success into national presence.
Indhu Rubasingham: Making history at the heart of British theatre
Indhu Rubasingham has firmly cemented her place as one of the most influential cultural leaders in Britain, making history in 2025 as the first woman and first person of colour to become Artistic Director of the National Theatre.
Dubbed by Channel 4 as “the most important person in British theatre”, Rubasingham’s appointment marked a defining moment for representation, leadership and the future direction of one of the UK’s most powerful cultural institutions. Her rise reflects decades of artistic excellence, risk-taking and a commitment to widening access to theatre, both on stage and behind the scenes.
In 2025, she was also honoured with the Achievement in Art and Culture award at the Asian Achievers Awards, recognising her profound impact on British arts. Known for championing new voices and socially relevant storytelling, Rubasingham’s leadership signals a shift towards a more inclusive, contemporary and globally connected National Theatre.
Her influence lies not only in what she produces, but in who she enables, opening doors for artists who have historically been excluded from the centre of British culture.
Dr Nighat Arif: A trusted national voice on women’s health and wellbeing
Dr Nighat Arif has continued to excel as one of Britain’s most influential clinicians and media voices on women’s health, combining frontline medical expertise with compassionate
public education.
A GP specialising in women’s health, Dr Arif has become a trusted figure across television, radio and digital platforms. Her popularity and influence continued to grow as she addresses issues often overlooked or stigmatised, from menopause and hormonal health to mental wellbeing and culturally sensitive care. Regularly appearing on ITV’s This Morning and a powerful podcast with the celebrated host Davina McCall
What distinguishes Dr Arif is accessibility. She translates complex medical information into clear, empathetic guidance, empowering women to advocate for their own health. Her presence has helped normalise conversations within communities where such topics were once taboo.
In a healthcare landscape increasingly shaped by misinformation, Dr Arif’s credibility and clarity make her voice essential, influencing both patient confidence and public understanding nationwide.
Ranvir Singh: Bringing representation and authenticity to national news
Ranvir Singh has become one of the most recognisable and influential faces in British broadcasting, using her platform to bring warmth, authenticity and representation to national news.
As a lead presenter on Good Morning Britain, Singh plays a central role in shaping daily conversation across the UK. Her influence lies in how she balances serious journalism with relatability, connecting audiences to stories through empathy and clarity.
A trailblazer for British Asian women in mainstream media, Singh’s presence continues to challenge outdated norms around who delivers national news. She has used her platform to amplify under-represented voices and cover issues affecting diverse communities with nuance and respect.
Ranvir Singh’s influence is rooted in trust, proving that representation, professionalism and authenticity can coexist at the heart of British broadcasting.
Farzana Baduel: Leading the profession and shaping global narratives with purpose
Farzana Baduel is one of London’s most influential figures in strategic communications, a
leader whose impact spans professional standards, global advocacy and values-driven storytelling.
In 2025, Baduel reached a major milestone in her career when she became President of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR). Her presidency places her at the helm of the UK’s leading PR professional body, shaping the future of ethical practice, leadership and accountability across the communications industry.
She is also the founder and chief executive of Curzon PR, a London-based consultancy working with governments, corporations and development organisations on reputation management, public affairs and international communications. In an era of heightened scrutiny and global instability, her firm’s work has become increasingly influential in helping organisations navigate complexity with cultural intelligence and integrity.
Beyond consultancy, Baduel is the Resident PR Expert at Saïd Business School, University of Oxford, advising senior executives on global communications and leadership reputation. A Chartered PR Practitioner and Honorary Fellow of CIPR, she is widely regarded as a standard-bearer for professionalism within the sector.
Her influence also extends into humanitarian and cultural spaces. Baduel serves as a trustee of The HALO Trust, actively supporting its global demining work. In 2025, she played a key role in promoting the charity’s mission during a visit to Sri Lanka, meeting with the Sri Lankan Prime Minister to raise awareness of post-conflict recovery and humanitarian responsibility. She is also a trustee of the Soho Theatre, reflecting her commitment to arts and cultural expression.
Baduel believes deeply in storytelling as a force for good, a tool to bridge cultures, sectors and communities. Farzana’s influence lies in leadership with conscience: shaping narratives, setting standards and ensuring that power is exercised with responsibility, ethics and purpose.
Anita Rani: A powerful voice redefining British storytelling
Anita Rani remains one of Britain’s most influential broadcasters, using her platform to champion honest storytelling, representation and social reflection.
Across television, radio and documentary work, Rani has consistently explored themes of identity, belonging and lived experience. The past year marked a particularly high-profile period in her career, with a series of notable television appearances and hosting roles, further cementing her position as a trusted and relatable national figure.
One of her most talked-about moments came through her appearance on Celebrity Race Across the World, where she took part alongside her father, Bal. Grounded, family-orientated and effortlessly likeable, the pair quickly became fan favourites, finishing in third place. Their relationship — warm, respectful and full of humour — resonated deeply with audiences and offered a rare, positive portrayal of a British Asian father-daughter bond on primetime television.
Rani’s influence continues through work that challenges audiences to engage with Britain’s evolving cultural landscape without simplification or stereotype. As a British Asian woman in mainstream broadcasting, her visibility has helped widen the scope of whose stories are told — and who gets to tell them — within national media.
Her work is marked by a balance of journalistic integrity and emotional intelligence, making complex social issues accessible while remaining deeply human. Beyond broadcasting, she continues to serve as Chancellor of the University of Bradford, further extending her influence into education and civic life.
Anita Rani’s influence lies in authenticity, ensuring British media reflects the diversity, nuance and warmth of the society it serves, while proving that representation and relatability can sit confidently at the heart of mainstream storytelling.
Dr Amir Khan: The GP changing how Britain understands healthcare
Dr Amir Khan has become one of the UK’s most influential medical voices, bridging frontline
NHS experience with national media reach.
A Bradford-based GP, author and television doctor, Dr Khan’s influence in 2025 lied in trust. He uses his platform to explain healthcare issues with clarity, compassion and cultural awareness, from public health messaging to everyday medical concerns.
As an author and regular media contributor, he has helped demystify medicine while advocating for accessible, patient-centred care. His background enables him to speak credibly about health inequalities and the realities facing communities often underserved by healthcare systems. His fan following has continued to grow, and he has continued to use his influence to speak out about fox hunting the conflict in Gaza and many more causes.
2025 saw him connect through his involvement with the No Appointment Necessary podcast, offering candid, informative conversations that resonate strongly with listeners. It is little surprise that Dr Amir Khan continues to feature among Asian Standard’s Most Influential. His influence keeps expanding as he combines medical expertise with humanity, reshaping how health information is delivered, understood and trusted in modern Britain.
Dr Amir Khan, has had both national and local influence and is the only figure to have appeared in Asian Standard’s London and Bradford issues for 2025.
Suleman Raza MBE: Building opportunity through enterprise and inclusion
Suleman Raza MBE is one of London’s most influential advocates for entrepreneurship, diversity and economic inclusion. A businessman, with several successful and established brands such as Spice Village Suleman Raza has reinvented what entrepreneurship looks like.
Recognised with an MBE for services to business and community leadership, Raza has spent years supporting ethnic minority entrepreneurs through mentorship, investment and policy engagement. In 2025, his influence continues through work that strengthens pathways into enterprise for underrepresented groups.
Raza’s leadership bridges grassroots business support with national advocacy, ensuring that economic opportunity is both accessible and sustainable. His influence is grounded in action — helping individuals move from ambition to execution.
Zamiha Desai MBE: Building Britain’s most powerful digital sisterhood
When Zamiha Desai launched a small Facebook group in 2016 for South Asian women to swap beauty tips and cultural shortcuts, she could not have imagined it would one day earn
her a place on the King’s Birthday Honours List. Yet in 2025, the Northwood-based social entrepreneur was awarded an MBE for services to the British Asian community, recognition that reflects the extraordinary scale and impact of her work.
The idea behind RecommendAsian was born from an everyday frustration, navigating British Asian womanhood while balancing tradition and modern life. What began with just over 200 women has since grown into a trusted digital community of more than 75,000 members, offering culturally safe support on everything from parenting and wellbeing to fertility, domestic abuse and self-employment.
Recognising the need for professional representation too, Desai went on to create ProfessionalAsian, now home to more than 95,000 members. The platform has become one of the UK’s largest British Asian business networks, quietly fuelling entrepreneurship, collaborations and economic opportunity across the country.
Desai’s leadership has been shaped by resilience. Following the sudden death of her husband on Christmas Day 2022, and more recently her father, she chose not to retreat, but to deepen her mission. “The community I built held me up,” she says, a reflection of the reciprocal strength these platforms now embody.
Beyond digital spaces, Desai has extended her influence into culture and commerce. She is the force behind Hey Gorgeous, a sold-out lifestyle event championing independent South Asian brands, and co-founder of Luxurist, now also a magazine celebrating modern British Asian success, identity and style.
Zamiha Desai’s influence lies in scale with soul. Her MBE is not just recognition of an individual, but of a movement, one built through everyday acts of connection that have quietly reshaped community, culture and confidence across Britain.
