List of first Indian Award Winners
Discover the inspiring stories of the first Indian award winners who made history in India and across the world. From Rabindranath Tagore – the first Indian Nobel Prize winner, to Bhanu Athaiya – the first Indian to win an Oscar, this list highlights the greats. This list of first Indian award winners is perfect for students, competitive exam preparation, and anyone curious about India’s proud milestones.
List of First Indian Award Winners
| No. | Award | Recipient(s) | Year |
| 1 | Ashoka Chakra | Naik Nar Bahadur Thapa, Havildar Bachittar Singh, Flt Lt Suhas Biswas | 1952 |
| 2 | Ashoka Chakra Award to a Civilian | D.K. Jatar (posthumous), M.C. Dixit | — |
| 3 | Bharat Ratna | Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, C. Rajagopalachari, C. V. Raman | 1954 |
| 4 | Commandeur of the Order of Arts and Letters | Mrinal Sen | — |
| 5 | Chevalier of the Order of Arts and Letters | Sivaji Ganesan | — |
| 6 | Dadasaheb Phalke Award | Devika Rani | 1969 |
| 7 | Duff Cooper Memorial Prize | Nirad C. Chaudhuri | 1966 |
| 8 | Dronacharya Award | O.M. Nambiar, Om Prakash Bhardwaj, Bhalchandra Bhaskar Bhagwat | 1985 |
| 9 | Dr. B. C. Roy Award | Dr. J. G. Jolly | 1981 |
| 10 | Golden Globe Award | A R Rahman | 2009 |
| 11 | Grammy Award | Pandit Ravishankar | 1967 |
| 12 | Jamnalal Bajaj Award | Jugatram Dave, Satish Chandra Das Gupta | 1978 |
| 13 | Jnanpith Award | G. Sankara Kurup | 1965 |
| 14 | Kamal Kumari National Award | Sobha Brahma | 1991 |
| 15 | Man Booker Prize | Arundhati Roy | 1997 |
| 16 | Miss World | Reita Faria | 1966 |
| 17 | Miss Asia Pacific | Zeenat Aman | 1970 |
| 18 | Miss Universe | Sushmita Sen | 1994 |
| 19 | Mrs. World | Aditi Gowitrikar | 2001 |
| 20 | Miss Earth | Nicole Faria | 2010 |
| 21 | Miss Asia Pacific World | Himangini Singh Yadu | 2012 |
| 22 | Nishan-e-Pakistan | Morarji Desai | 1990 |
| 23 | Nobel Prize Winner | Rabindranath Tagore | 1913 |
| 24 | Newbery Medal | Dhan Gopal Mukerji | 1927 |
| 25 | Magsaysay Award | Vinoba Bhave | 1958 |
| 26 | Oscar for Lifetime Achievement | Satyajit Ray | — |
| 27 | Oscar Award | Bhanu Athaiya | 1982 |
| 28 | Olympic Medal | Khashaba Jadav | 1952 |
| 29 | Param Vir Chakra | Major Som Nath Sharma | 1947 |
| 30 | Padma Vibhushan | Satyendra Nath Bose, Nand Lal Bose, Zakir Hussain, Balasaheb Gangadhar Kher, etc. | 1954 |
| 31 | Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna | Viswanathan Anand | 1991–92 |
| 32 | Rafi Ahmed Kidwai Award | Dr Pushkarnath | 1968 |
| 33 | Rabindra Puraskar | Satinath Bhaduri, Niharranjan Ray | 1950 |
| 34 | Stalin Peace Prize | Saifuddin Kitchlew | 1952 |
| 35 | Woman to win Gold Medal in Sports | Kamaljeet Sandhu | 1970 |
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You can visit the list of most of the recognized awards in India Here.