Unstoppable Indians. Unstoppable Vista.
As pioneers in the luxury homestay space, we know what it takes to stand out from the crowd. At Vista, we’re marking this Independence Day by celebrating individuals who go above and beyond their call-of-duty, to break boundaries and make outstanding contributions to our great Nation. Whether it is pioneering in Women’s sport or contributing to virtuous journalism, at the heart of their efforts is their love for our country and people. In line with our own ethos of exceptional service, Vista humbly honours remarkable change-makers, path-breakers – INDIANS – who make us proud!
Palak Shah
Entrepreneur and Empowerment Leader
Palak Shah is the co-founder of Ekaya; a globally recognized design house with a specialty in Indian Textiles. Empowering women and women-led businesses is the ethos under which she thrives. She is globally recognized and works with the best international houses in luxury retail.
Karuna Nundy
Lawyer and Activist
Internationally renowned, Karuna is monumentally altering constitutional law in India., She played an instrumental role in drafting the anti-rape bill and is on the panel of experts that are developing frameworks for freedom of the media. A pillar of strength that inspires women every day.
Satish Acharya
Cartoonist & Political Satirist
Self-taught cartoonist, who quit advertising to become one of the most sought- after political cartoonists in India. His illustration of the Charlie Hebdo Massacre was regarded as a powerful depiction of the sad event and published by word-wide media, including the Wall Street Journal.
Bhuvan Bam
Comedian, Singer, Songwriter & YouTube personality
The creator of BB ki vines, Bam is a comedian, singer, songwriter, and YouTube personality. Bam is the first Indian individual YouTube content creator to cross 10 million subscribers, and create merchandise for his channel!
RJ Suchitra
Tamil Radio Jockey & South Indian Playback Singer
A self-made woman who never shied away from standing her moral ground. She was also amongst the first to speak up against the brutal deaths of Jiaraj and Fenix in police custody.
Advocate Afroz Shah
Indian Lawyer and Environmental Activist
Best known for organizing the world’s largest beach clean-up project, starting in Versova Beach Mumbai, he is pivotal in kickstarting a movement that has picked up over 4000 tons of garbage. He has been honoured by the United Nations with a ‘Champions of the Earth’ Award and by CNN as ‘Indian of the Year’.
Sonu Sood
Bollywood Actor/Producer
Despite portraying negative roles in many blockbuster movies, Sood is a true real-life hero. He has made headlines through the pandemic for aiding poor, helpless migrant workers and Indian students reach their homes. Aside from sponsoring buses, charter flights and other modes of transport, he also launched an app to help migrant labour find local jobs.
Hima Das
Indian Athlete and Sprinter
Hailing from Assam and nicknamed the “Dhing Express” for her exceptional running speed, she is the first Indian athlete to win a gold medal in a track event at the IAAF World U20 Championships. She holds the current Indian national record in 400 metres, with a timing of 50.79s, which she clocked at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta, Indonesia.
Faye Dsouza
Indian Journalist & Television News Anchor
The outspoken former executive editor of Mirror Now (Times Group), she rose to fame with her show “The Urban Debate” where she anchored on subjects of corruption, communal violence and independent press. She has been awarded the RedInk Award for ‘Journalist of the Year’ in 2018.
Smriti Mandhana
Cricketer, Indian Women’s National Team
The 24 year old, Indian Women’s Team opener has several accolades to her name including BCCI’s Best Women;s International Cricketer (2018), ICC’s Rachael Heyhoe-Flint Award for the best female cricketer and ODI Player of the Year (2018).
Prajakta Koli
YouTuber, Influencer & Comedian
Her extremely popular Youtube channel, Mostly Sane, features sketches that are a hilarious take on everyday life situations . She uses her standing as a popular youth icon to inform audiences on larger issues like Mental Health & Girl’s Education, through a Youtube programme called Creators for Change. Her music video, ‘No Offence’ was shown at the United Nations on their International Day of Tolerance where she was invited to represent India.
Sandeep Choudhary
Javelin Thrower
As an exceptional para-athlete, he clinched India’s first gold medal at the 2018 Asian Para Games, finishing on top in the men’s F42-44/61-64 category. Sandeep claimed the top honours with a best throw of 60.01m. His medal-winning performances have qualified him for the upcoming Paralymics, targeting extraordinary records from him.
Akash Banerjee
Political satirist & Social Media Entrepreneur
Founder and host of #TheDeshbhakt – India’s largest political satire platform, he is known for his witty use of sarcasm and facts to showcase issues plaguing contemporary India. Akash also runs #SocialBakBak – a Boutique Social Care consultancy, specializing in personal/institutional brand-building and content curation. He spent a decade and a half in the world of traditional media too and was most recently Vice President at Radio Mirchi.
Pratik Sinha
Physicist, Lawyer & Human Rights Activist
A software engineer by training, he is the founder of Alt News, an Indian non-profit fact checking website, launched to combat the phenomenon of fake news, certified by International Fact Checking network. He is a key figure in the social-media age of news, known for his colossal contribution to the upholding of genuine news stories in today’s day and age.
Harsh Mander
Author, Columnist, Researcher, Teacher & Social Activist
He has served as Special Commissioner to the Supreme Court of India in the Right to Food Campaign. His contribution towards the survivors of mass violence and hunger is noteworthy. He is a founding member of the National Campaign for the People’s Right to Information and his literary works are looked upon by many.
Nikhil Kumar
Co-founder of Setu
He has created APIs for Unified Payments Interface and led the team that built BHIM. His platform, Setu, helps connect companies to financial service providers. His joint setup Setu is a platform that helps connect companies to financial services companies so that they can create and build digital financial products across sectors. His ambitious work in the technology space of India has brought a new wave of development.
