InfluenceAsia 2021 Future 100

He is selected for building a company whose products define how video, music, creators and advertising travel across borders. In 2021, ByteDance remains a rare Asian consumer internet force with direct global cultural power.

He is selected for turning Southeast Asian platform ambition into public-market scale. In 2021, Sea is a benchmark for how the region's technology companies can compound across categories and markets.

He is selected for building one of Southeast Asia's most important regional platforms. In 2021, Grab's influence is measured not only by growth, but by its ability to become trusted infrastructure across fragmented markets.

He is selected for the bridge he creates between founder culture and public systems. In 2021, the question of how digital methods can improve education makes his public role particularly important.

He is selected for turning local service complexity into a scalable technology and operations system. In 2021, Meituan's relevance grows as on-demand delivery, merchant tools and neighborhood commerce become critical infrastructure.

He is selected for proving that operational infrastructure can create a powerful consumer technology brand. In 2021, Coupang's public-market debut makes Kim a symbol of Korean platform scale.

He is selected for creating a model that changed Chinese e-commerce competition. In 2021, Pinduoduo's influence is visible in the wider movement toward social, gamified and value-led commerce.

He is selected for turning a food discovery product into a public-market platform with national symbolic weight. In 2021, Zomato's listing becomes a confidence marker for India's startup ecosystem.

He is selected for turning education technology into a mass-market Asian growth story. In 2021, remote learning has become a household necessity, placing BYJU'S and its founder at the center of a decisive behavioral shift.

He is selected for ambition, youth, category creation and the scale of OYO's international operating challenge. In 2021, the hospitality sector is under stress, making Agarwal's leadership a test of resilience as much as growth.

He is selected for pushing digital payments into mass-market habit. In 2021, Paytm's listing moment makes Sharma a central figure in the debate over Indian fintech scale and durability.

He is selected for connecting digital mobility with the manufacturing challenge of electric vehicles. In 2021, India's EV future needs founders who can move from apps to factories and supply chains.

He is selected for helping build the commerce layer of Indonesia's digital economy. In 2021, GoTo's formation makes his influence institutional rather than only company-specific.

He is selected for carrying Gojek's operating culture into a larger combined technology group. In 2021, Indonesia's platform economy is defined by integration, not only growth.

He is selected for building a category leader in a sector facing one of 2021's deepest shocks. Traveloka's ability to adapt from travel demand into broader consumer services makes Unardi an important future influence case.

He is selected for rethinking finance around user experience rather than institutional complexity. In 2021, Toss points toward a broader Asian shift in which fintech brands become trusted daily utilities.

He is selected for building mobility infrastructure at national scale in one of the world's most complex urban markets. In 2021, DiDi remains central to the future of platform labor, transport safety and intelligent mobility.

He is selected for representing the software-native EV founder generation. In 2021, XPeng's public-market visibility and product roadmap make He a significant figure in Asia's electric mobility transition.

He is selected for making new-energy vehicle adoption feel practical rather than purely futuristic. In 2021, Li Auto's market visibility places Li among the founders shaping Asia's smart-car decade.

He is selected for elevating creator participation, livestream commerce and everyday expression into mainstream platform behavior. In 2021, Kuaishou is a central force in China's next social media cycle.

He is selected for helping build a platform where social belonging and commerce converge. In 2021, Cheng's influence is embedded in the design of participatory media at enormous scale.

She is selected for shaping a more community-led model of commerce and taste formation. In 2021, Xiaohongshu's combination of notes, reviews and shopping signals points toward a powerful new consumer media architecture.

Tang is selected for showing how digital systems can strengthen public trust rather than extract attention. In 2021, Taiwan's civic-tech credibility gives Tang's model influence well beyond government technology circles.

He is selected for the strategic importance of vaccine supply in 2021. Few next-generation enterprise leaders sit so clearly at the intersection of manufacturing scale, public trust and global health equity.

She is selected for taking visible leadership inside a major Indian technology group in 2021. Her influence is not only dynastic; it rests on how a second-generation leader can manage scale, trust and social responsibility.

She is selected for the scale of institutional influence attached to Reliance's digital and retail expansion. In 2021, the Jio Platforms investment cycle places Reliance's next generation at the center of India's consumer technology future.

He is selected for succession-linked influence inside one of Asia's most important digital infrastructure groups. In 2021, connectivity, platforms and strategic technology partnerships make his role consequential.

He is selected for moving fintech from consumer wallets into deep business infrastructure. In 2021, as commerce moves online faster than expected, Razorpay's relevance to merchant survival and scale becomes more pronounced.

He is selected for building a profitable, product-led alternative to conventional financial distribution. In 2021, retail investing is becoming a larger cultural and economic force, and Zerodha is one of its clearest Asian examples.

He is selected for representing a younger Indian capital-market voice with unusual reach. In 2021, his influence sits at the intersection of market access, founder wealth and investment literacy.

He is selected for influencing how India's affluent digital users think about financial status, habit and trust. In 2021, CRED is an early signal that fintech can become a culture-led category, not only a utility.

He is selected for transforming eyewear from a fragmented service into a scalable consumer brand. In 2021, Lenskart's model shows how Asian new consumer companies can blend technology with physical trust.

He is selected for turning teacher-led online learning into a high-scale consumer technology category. In 2021, Unacademy is part of India's decisive edtech moment, where distribution, trust and educator networks matter as much as software.

He is selected for helping make high-stakes education more open to students outside elite offline coaching networks. In 2021, that access question is central to Asia's future talent infrastructure.

She is selected for building infrastructure that helps businesses buy, finance and scale more efficiently. In 2021, B2B commerce becomes one of India's most serious technology frontiers.

He is selected for making B2B supply chains an investable, scalable and technology-led category. In 2021, his work points toward a future in which Asian startups digitize production systems, not only consumer behavior.

He is selected for bringing product seriousness to a category critical to Asia's mobility future. In 2021, the electric two-wheeler market is still early, making Ather's execution a meaningful future signal.

He is selected for widening the definition of who can participate in e-commerce. In 2021, Meesho's model speaks directly to India's next internet users and the informal trust networks that shape commerce.

He is selected for building technology that lowers the threshold for small entrepreneurs. In 2021, this kind of inclusion-oriented commerce infrastructure is central to Asia's next digital economy.

She is selected for helping define a new consumer language in Indian beauty and personal care. In 2021, Mamaearth's growth points to a wider shift from legacy FMCG toward founder-led, digital-native brands.

He is selected for scaling a new consumer company in a market long dominated by established FMCG players. In 2021, his work illustrates how digital acquisition, trust cues and product speed can reshape consumer goods.

He is selected as a signal of how young founders are attacking daily-use categories with operational intensity. In 2021, Zepto turns grocery delivery speed into a cultural and venture-capital talking point.

He is selected for representing the youth founder generation entering infrastructure-like consumer categories. In 2021, Zepto's speed-first model shows how daily retail can be reimagined through software, labor design and micro-fulfillment.

She is selected for helping extend a beauty-led company into broader lifestyle commerce. In 2021, Nykaa's listing makes its next generation relevant to how Asian consumer brands scale beyond founder charisma.

She is selected for helping Indian beauty move beyond imported aspiration and legacy formats. In 2021, SUGAR represents the confidence of local consumer brands built for young urban and emerging-city audiences.

She is selected for addressing the operational backbone of fashion rather than only the consumer storefront. In 2021, Zilingo's ambition reflects the need to digitize Asian SMEs and cross-border trade networks.

She is selected for understanding that modern consumer brands are built through media, trust and creator networks. In 2021, her ecosystem role signals how Indian beauty and lifestyle commerce will be shaped by audience ownership.

She is selected for treating community infrastructure as a form of social and economic innovation. In 2021, when digital participation is accelerating, her work remains central to a more inclusive Asian internet.

He is selected for influencing the pipeline of new companies, not just a single firm. In 2021, regional venture networks are essential to Southeast Asia's technology maturation, and Ng remains one of their most visible connectors.

She is selected for shaping the capital layer beneath China's next startup generation. In 2021, early-stage conviction remains one of the most important levers of future technology influence.

She is selected for making capital allocation itself part of the future-influence conversation. In 2021, SoGal's networked model points toward a more inclusive venture architecture for Asian and global founders.

He is selected for helping place Indian founders inside the global Web3 infrastructure conversation. In 2021, blockchain adoption remains early, but scaling systems are critical to whether the category can move beyond speculation.

He is selected for technical contribution to an emerging infrastructure layer with global developer relevance. In 2021, Asia's Web3 influence depends on builders who can make decentralized systems faster, cheaper and more usable.

He is selected for the scale of influence over digital asset access, liquidity and infrastructure. In 2021, crypto is moving from fringe speculation toward a broader institutional and retail conversation, making Zhao a consequential future-finance figure.

He is selected for operating across multiple Asian markets with tools that help businesses scale audiences and sales. In 2021, creator commerce and digital advertising systems are becoming central to business growth.

He is selected for building consumer technology around reuse and everyday commerce rather than only new retail. In 2021, recommerce is gaining strategic relevance as affordability and sustainability move closer together.

She is selected for her role in building one of Asia's most influential super-apps. In 2021, Grab's multi-service platform makes her contribution important to how Southeast Asian technology companies scale across cultural and regulatory borders.

She is selected for representing both fintech depth and leadership diversity in a critical infrastructure category. In 2021, her visibility matters because payment systems need operators who understand regulation, trust and business adoption.

He is selected for focusing on the financial rails beneath the region's internet economy. In 2021, as merchants and startups accelerate online, Xendit's infrastructure role becomes increasingly strategic.

She is selected for bringing new consumer thinking into mass food categories. In 2021, wellness, safety and direct consumer relationships are becoming more important across Asian packaged goods.

He is selected for helping build a consumer habit around smarter digital purchasing. In 2021, value-seeking behavior and e-commerce acceleration make cashback infrastructure more relevant to regional retail.

He is selected for proving that Asian digital culture can travel through humor, format and community rather than conventional media power. In 2021, 9GAG remains a durable reference point in global youth internet culture.

He is selected for giving an Asian-founded brand global credibility in gaming culture. In 2021, as gaming becomes mainstream entertainment and social infrastructure, Tan's influence sits across commerce, design and community behavior.

She is selected for executive influence inside one of Asia's largest technology companies. In 2021, the mobility platform sector needs credibility, safety and disciplined operations, giving Liu's leadership unusual importance.

He is selected for building a platform that changed how young Chinese consumers research, compare and narrate products. In 2021, this trust-led commerce model is increasingly relevant across Asia.

She is selected for guiding a legacy consumer institution through changing expectations around health, hygiene, inclusion and sustainability. In 2021, consumer trust is an especially valuable form of influence.

He is selected for representing a transition from founder-led technology enterprise to successor-led global institution. In 2021, Wipro's relevance depends on leadership able to balance transformation, trust and long-term stakeholder discipline.

She is selected for operating across business, philanthropy and culture while carrying the expectations of a major Indian business lineage. In 2021, her influence is notable because it blends capital access with public-facing youth voice.

He is selected for pursuing Indian consumer internet products in a category dominated by global incumbents. In 2021, his influence lies in experimentation, product identity and the search for local social behavior models.

He is selected for expanding the meaning of real estate beyond assets into cultural infrastructure. In 2021, Cheng's model shows how next-generation successors can reposition legacy groups through taste, community and creative capital.

She is selected for helping shift Macau's public image toward culture and creativity. In 2021, her influence lies in the way next-generation heirs can direct attention from inherited capital toward new cultural infrastructure.

She is selected for embodying a softer but powerful form of successor influence: brand, access, aspiration and venture participation. In 2021, this public-facing model is increasingly relevant to family business renewal.

She is selected for representing a new Indonesian leadership style that is public-facing, entrepreneurial and policy-adjacent. In 2021, her influence comes from connecting young business culture with national development narratives.

He is selected for successor relevance in a sector where scale, affordability and trust directly affect daily life. In 2021, food supply and consumer reliability give his institutional role added importance.

He is selected for the scale of influence attached to industrial family enterprises and their environmental responsibilities. In 2021, the future of Asian business leadership requires credible stewardship in high-impact sectors.

She is selected for converting personal history into a global education platform with enduring relevance to Asia. In 2021, school disruption reinforces the urgency of her work and the importance of education access for girls.

She is selected for turning advocacy into institutional action for communities too often reduced to headlines. In 2021, Murad's influence shows how Asian social leadership can carry global moral authority.

She is selected for reshaping how young refugees are seen: not as passive victims, but as leaders and competitors with agency. In 2021, her influence remains vital as displacement continues to define major parts of West Asian reality.

She is selected for demonstrating that youth-led advocacy can move from local campaign to international conversation. In 2021, environmental leadership by younger Asians is no longer peripheral; it is part of future governance.

She is selected for bringing conservation into a stronger Asian public-interest frame. In 2021, the relationship between human activity, ecosystems and public health gives her field sharper relevance.

She is selected for working on a practical social enterprise problem with climate, food security and gender implications. In 2021, resilient food systems are central to Asia's future stability.

She is selected for building a social platform around an issue that demands both public attention and practical support. In 2021, her influence lies in changing visibility, language and empathy around survivors.

She is selected for building social innovation that is grounded rather than symbolic. In 2021, her work remains relevant because economic inclusion for women is one of Asia's most important unfinished development challenges.

She is selected for representing a smaller-market but globally relevant strand of Asian environmental leadership. In 2021, island and coastal vulnerability make climate adaptation a core future-influence theme.

She is selected because her platform changes what an Asian athlete can represent in global public life. In 2021, Osaka's voice and performance make her a defining figure in the convergence of sport and social conscience.

He is selected for widening the imagination of Asian excellence in the world's most global sport. In 2021, Son's influence sits at the intersection of performance, national pride and international representation.

He is selected for turning an individual athletic achievement into a national youth signal. In 2021, Chopra expands the meaning of Indian sporting possibility on a global stage.

She is selected for transforming athletic excellence into a symbol of national possibility and gender representation. In 2021, her influence is felt far beyond weightlifting.

He is selected for helping make Korean pop culture a global conversation rather than a regional phenomenon. In 2021, BTS's reach makes RM a significant figure in Asia's cultural power.

She is selected for embodying the speed at which Korean cultural exports can create global individual influence. In 2021, her rise shows how streaming platforms can turn Asian performers into worldwide references almost overnight.

She is selected for expanding the geography of Asian pop stardom. In 2021, her dance, style and global fanbase make her a powerful signal of Southeast Asian representation within Korean-led cultural exports.

She is selected for translating Korean pop visibility into a broader cultural and style language. In 2021, BLACKPINK's global rise gives Jennie's individual influence substantial international reach.

He is selected for moving beyond idol visibility into founder-led cultural production. In 2021, his independent creative direction makes him one of the more globally legible Chinese-language youth culture figures.

He is selected for shaping the template of the Asian pop star as creative director and cultural entrepreneur. In 2021, his influence remains visible in the aesthetics of K-pop and global youth fashion.

She is selected for influence that extends beyond chart presence into attitude, image and artistic possibility. In 2021, her role remains important to the lineage of Asian women artists crossing global music and fashion.

He is selected for changing the perception of Southeast Asian presence in global hip-hop and youth music. In 2021, his influence lies in making Asian internet-born artistry feel credible on the world stage.

She is selected for widening the sonic and emotional range of Asian representation in global music. In 2021, her work shows that Asian cultural influence is not only mass spectacle, but also songwriting, texture and personal narrative.

She is selected for bringing a quiet but powerful directorial voice into the center of global cinema conversation. In 2021, her work signals a future in which Asian-born auteurs can shape the emotional grammar of international film.

She is selected for contributing to a new generation of Asian designers who are not simply local suppliers to global fashion, but authors of original visual worlds. In 2021, her influence lies in creative confidence and exportable style.

She is selected for showing how individual creators can become durable media brands. In 2021, her profile sits at the intersection of digital-native audience trust, streaming platforms and youth culture.