Complete List of Indian Nobel Prize Winners (1913–2026)

Indian Nobel Prize Winners from 1913 to 2026

The Nobel Prize is recognized globally as the pinnacle of human achievement. Throughout history, several Indians have been honored with this prestigious award across six distinct categories: Literature, Physics, Chemistry, Economic Sciences, Peace, and Physiology or Medicine. Laureates receive a gold medal, a diploma, and a monetary prize in recognition of their life-long contributions to the betterment of humanity. Before exploring the detailed list of Indian Nobel Prize winners, let us delve into the history and significance of the Nobel Prize. Below is the comprehensive list of Indian Nobel Prize winners from 1913 to 2026. 

Nobel Prize Winners in India

Established in 1901, the Nobel Prize is awarded in memory of Swedish scientist Alfred Nobel. It honors individuals who have made the most significant contributions to the welfare of mankind. Rabindranath Tagore became the first Indian to receive this honor in 1913, recognized for his deeply sensitive, fresh, and beautiful poetry that bridged Eastern thought with Western literature. Explore the complete record of Indian Nobel laureates below.

Indian Nobel Prize Winners List from 1913 to 2026
S.No.	Nobel Prize Recipients	Category	Year
1.	Rabindranath Tagore	Literature	1913
2.	CV Raman	Physics	1930
3.	Har Gobind Khurana	Medicine	1968
4.	Mother Teresa	Peace	1979
5.	Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar	Physics	1983
6.	Amartya Sen	Economics	1998
7.	Venkatraman Ramakrishnan	Chemistry	2009
8.	Kailash Satyarthi	Peace	2014
9.	Abhijit Banerjee	Economics	2019

History of The Nobel Prize

The Nobel Prize bears the name of Alfred Nobel, the visionary Swedish chemist and engineer. According to his 1895 will, prizes were originally conferred in five categories: Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, Literature, and Peace, to those whose work best benefited humanity. After his death in 1896, his estate funded the establishment of these awards, which were first presented in 1901. In 1968, the Swedish central bank, Sveriges Riksbank, introduced the Nobel Prize for Economic Sciences, bringing the total number of categories to six.

Nobel Prize Insignia

Each Nobel laureate receives three core honors: a gold medal, a personalized diploma, and a financial award. These iconic medals and diplomas are meticulously designed by renowned Swedish and Norwegian artists. 

Nobel Prize Winners from India

The following section provides a detailed breakdown of Indian Nobel Prize winners from 1913 to 2026.

Indian Nobel Prize Winner in 2019- Abhijit Banerjee

Indian-American economist Abhijit Banerjee, born on February 21, 1961, in Dhule, India, was awarded the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences in 2019 alongside Esther Duflo and Michael Kremer. Currently serving as a professor at MIT, his work has been lauded by The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, stating: “These winners of the 2019 Economics Prize have produced research that significantly improves our ability to fight global poverty.”

Year	Recipient	Category	Purpose
2019	Abhijit Banerjee	Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences	"for their experimental approach to alleviating global poverty".

Indian Nobel Prize Winner in 2014- Kailash Satyarthi 

Kailash Satyarthi, a champion of children's rights from Madhya Pradesh, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014 for his "struggle against the suppression of children and young people and for the right of all children to education." His lifelong activism against child labor and his work with UNESCO have brought global attention to youth rights. He shared this prestigious honor with Malala Yousafzai.

Year	Recipient	Category	Purpose
2014	Kailash Satyarthi	Nobel Peace Prize	“ for the struggle against the suppression of children and young people and for the right of all children to education”.

Indian Nobel Prize Winner 2009- Venkatraman Ramakrishnan 

Indian-born American-British structural biologist Venkatraman Ramakrishnan received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2009. He shared the award with Thomas A. Steitz and Ada E. Yonath for his groundbreaking "studies of the structure and function of the ribosome." The award was presented by The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.

Year	Recipient	Category	Purpose
2009	Venkatraman Ramakrishnan	Nobel Prize in Chemistry	“studies of the structure and function of the ribosome”

Indian Nobel Prize Winner in 1998- Amartya Sen

In 1998, Amartya Sen was awarded the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences "for his contributions to welfare economics." Born in Manikganj (British India), Sen has had a distinguished academic career at elite institutions in the US and the UK. As one of India's most celebrated intellectuals, his work on famine, social justice, and welfare economics remains profoundly influential.

Year	Recipient	Category	Purpose
1998	Amartya Sen	Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences	“for his contributions to welfare economics”

Indian Nobel Prize Winner in 1983- Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar

Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1983 for “his theoretical studies of the physical processes of importance to the structure and evolution of the stars.” An Indian-American mathematician and nephew of Sir C.V. Raman, his research on the mass limits of stars is famously known as the Chandrasekhar Limit.

Year	Recipient	Category	Purpose
1983	Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar	Nobel Prize in Physics	"for his theoretical studies of the physical processes of importance to the structure and evolution of the stars”.

Indian Nobel Prize Winner in 1979- Mother Teresa 

Mother Teresa became the first Indian woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979. Born in the Republic of Macedonia, she moved to India at age 19 and dedicated her life to serving the "poorest of the poor" in Kolkata's slums. Her selfless humanitarian efforts led to the founding of the Missionaries of Charity.

Year	Recipient	Category	Purpose
1979	Mother Teresa	Nobel Peace Prize	“for Humanitarian Work”

Indian Nobel Prize Winner in 1968- Har Gobind Khurana

Har Gobind Khorana was awarded the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine in 1968 alongside Marshall W. Nirenberg and Robert W. Holley "for their interpretation of the genetic code and its function in protein synthesis." An Indian-American biochemist, his pioneering research focused on synthesizing functional genes.

Year	Recipient	Category	Purpose
1968	Har Gobind Khurana	Nobel Physics for Physiology or Medicine	“for their interpretation of the genetic code and its function in protein synthesis”

Indian Nobel Prize Winner in 1930- CV Raman

Sir Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman, or C.V. Raman, was awarded the 1930 Nobel Prize for Physics "for his work on the scattering of light and for the discovery of the effect named after him." Known as the "Raman Effect," this discovery—the change in wavelength of light deflected by molecules—remains a landmark milestone in modern physics.

Year	Recipient	Category	Purpose
1930	CV Raman	Nobel Prize for Physics	“for his work on the scattering of light and for the discovery of the effect named after him”.

Indian Nobel Prize Winner in 1913- Rabindranath Tagore

Celebrated as a poet, musician, and painter, Rabindranath Tagore was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1913 for "his profoundly sensitive, fresh, and beautiful verse." Fondly known as Gurudev, Tagore holds the distinction of being the first Indian and the first Asian to receive a Nobel Prize.

Year	Recipient	Category	Purpose
1913	Rabindranath Tagore	Nobel Prize for Literature	"for his profoundly sensitive, fresh, and beautiful verse”