List of Nobel Prize Winners in India: Names, Fields, and Their Impact

List of Nobel Laureates from India: India has produced nine Nobel Prize winners from 1913 to 2024, starting with Rabindranath Tagore in Literature. Other laureates include C.V. Raman, Har Gobind Khurana, Mother Teresa, Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar, Amartya Sen, Venkatraman Ramakrishnan, Kailash Satyarthi, and Abhijit Banerjee, each recognised for significant contributions across various fields.

Dec 10, 2024, 14:00 IST
Nobel Laureates from India: A Complete List and Their Contributions
Nobel Laureates from India: A Complete List and Their Contributions

The Nobel Prize is one of the highest honours a person can receive for their contribution to humanity in various fields like Physics, Chemistry, Literature, Peace, and Medicine. 

Established by the will of Alfred Nobel, the Swedish inventor, the Nobel Prize recognises groundbreaking achievements that have made a significant impact on society and the world at large. 

The first Indian to receive the Nobel Prize was Rabindranath Tagore in 1913, who won the Nobel Prize in Literature for his profound literary work, Gitanjali. Since then, India has produced several remarkable Nobel Laureates. 

In this article, we’ll explore the list of Nobel Prize winners from India, their respective fields, and the lasting impact of their contributions. 

From scientists and peace activists to writers and doctors, these Indian winners have changed the world with their groundbreaking work. Let’s take a closer look at their achievements and the legacy they’ve created.

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Full List of Indian Nobel Prize Winners

Here's the complete list of the Indian Nobel Prize winners who have made significant contributions in various fields such as literature, peace, and economics. The list includes:

Year

Name

Field

Reason

1913

Rabindranath Tagore

Literature

Gitanjali (A collection of Poems written in Sadhu/Pure/Classical Bengali)

1930

Sir Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman

Physics

Discovery of Raman Effect/Scattering in 1928

1979

Mother Teresa

Peace

Humanitarianism (Missionaries of Charity, serving the Poorest of the Poor in India)

1998

Amartya Sen

Economics

Contribution to Welfare Economics

2014

Kailash Satyarthi

Peace

Humanitarianism (Struggle for children’s rights and education)

1968

Har Gobind Khorana

Physiology or Medicine

Interpretation of the genetic code and its function in protein synthesis

1983

Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar

Physics

Theoretical studies of the physical processes important to the structure and evolution of stars

2009

Venkatraman Ramakrishnan

Chemistry

Studies of the structure and function of the ribosome

2019

Abhijit Banerjee

Economics

Experimental approach to alleviating Global Poverty

1902

Ronald Ross

Physiology or Medicine

Work on malaria, laying the foundation for research on this disease and methods of combating it

1907

Rudyard Kipling

Literature

Originality, observation, and talent in his works

1989

14th Dalai Lama

Peace

Consistent resistance to violence in the struggle for liberty

2001

V. S. Naipaul

Literature

Unified narrative and scrutiny in works revealing suppressed histories

Source: Embassy of India

For You| List of Nobel Prize Winners in Physiology or Medicine Till 2024

As of 2024, the Nobel Prize has been awarded to a total of 1,012 individuals and organisations since its inception in 1901. 

This includes 976 individuals and 28 organizations. The breakdown of individual laureates shows that 930 are men and 59 are women, reflecting a slight increase in female recipients over the years.

Among these recipients, 12 are linked to India, with 5 being Indian citizens and 7 of Indian ancestry or residency. 

Source: Owlcation

Rabindranath Tagore was the first Indian citizen to receive the Nobel Prize and also the first Asian laureate, honoured in 1913. Mother Teresa stands out as the only woman on this list of Nobel winners. 

Notably, Sri Aurobindo, the renowned Indian poet, philosopher, nationalist, and creator of Integral Yoga, was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1943 and for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1950 but was unsuccessful in both attempts. 

Additionally, Mahatma Gandhi was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize five times (from 1937 to 1939, in 1947, and just days before his assassination in 1948), though he never won. In 2006, Geir Lundestad, the Secretary of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, referred to Gandhi’s omission as "the greatest in our 106-year history."

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Kriti Barua
Kriti Barua

Executive Content Writer

Kriti Barua is a professional content writer who has four years of experience in creating engaging and informative articles for various industries. She started her career as a creative writer intern at Wordloom Ventures and quickly developed a passion for crafting compelling narratives that resonate with readers.

Currently working as a content writer for the GK section of Jagran New Media, she continues to hone her skills in writing and strives to deliver high-quality content that educates and entertains readers.
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