Global media major TIME will bring its TIME100 Next franchise to India for the first time, launching a new edition focused on emerging leaders in partnership with Reliance, the company announced on Wednesday.

The initiative, titled TIME100 Next India, will recognise 100 rising leaders from India and the diaspora across sectors including business, science, arts, sports and advocacy. The list will be curated by TIME’s editorial team and published later this year, with a gala scheduled for December 2026 at the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre (NMACC) in Mumbai.

First international expansion of TIME100 Next

The move marks the first-ever international expansion of the TIME100 Next franchise, stressing India’s growing prominence in global leadership narratives.

“We are thrilled to bring TIME100 Next to India for the first time,” said Jessica Sibley, chief executive officer of TIME. “TIME100 Next India reflects our ongoing commitment to recognising and convening the next generation of leaders who are driving progress across industries and around the world.”

Reliance partnership signals strategic push

The partnership also indicates a broader push by TIME to expand its global events and influence platforms, building on its TIME100 franchise and international impact awards.

Reliance Foundation founder and chairperson Nita Mukesh Ambani said the initiative aligns with the group’s focus on nurturing future leadership.

“At Reliance, we’re committed to building India’s future by empowering the next generation of talent, ideas, and leadership,” she said. “We’re excited to partner with TIME to bring TIME100 Next India… for the first time ever.”

She added, “It has always been our vision to bring the best of the world to India and the best of India to the world.”

Spotlight on next-generation leaders

TIME chief strategy officer and executive editor Dan Macsai, who oversees the TIME100 franchise, said the expansion comes at a pivotal moment.

“TIME100 Next has become one of the most powerful platforms for identifying the leaders who will define the decades ahead,” he said. “Expanding to India allows us to bring that spotlight to an extraordinary generation of emerging talent… and to tell their stories for a truly global audience.”

TIME100 Next, launched as a companion to the flagship TIME100 list, focuses on emerging figures shaping the future rather than established global icons.

With India increasingly seen as a hub for innovation, entrepreneurship and cultural influence, the launch of TIME100 Next India reflects a broader shift in global attention towards the country’s next generation of leaders.