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Newsmakers of the Week OCTOBER 23, 2026 | The Indian Eye 46

NEWSMAKERS OF THE WEEK

Selected stories about Indian diaspora from our website www.theindianeye.com

SATYA NADELLA NAVANETHEM “NAVI” PILLAY

Microsoft chief honored South African of Indian origin

with National Medal of Technology wins 2026 Nobel Peace Prize

and Innovation

Oslo:
Washington, DC:
ndian-origin South African jurist and human rights pioneer Navanethem
S President Donald Trump on Thursday (local time) honoured six lead- “Navi” Pillay, former United Nations High Commissioner for Human
ing American innovators, including Elon Musk, Sergey Brin, Jensen IRights, was awarded the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize on Friday for her efforts
UHuang, Lisa Su, Michael Dell and Satya Nadella, with the National to promote peace and international law, the Norwegian Nobel Committee an-
Medal of Science and the National Medal of Technology and Innovation, de- nounced.
scribing the recipients as “national treasures” helping pioneer an “incredible In its official announcement on Friday, the committee said Pillay had
future for America”. demonstrated exceptional courage and integrity in advancing a more compre-
Nadella received the National Medal of Technology and Innovation “for hensive global legal order and had played a significant role in ensuring that
his transformative leadership of a critical American technology company, war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide are prosecuted.
which led to its rejuvenation for a new era of cloud computing, and for his “The Nobel Peace Prize for 2026 goes to a person who with exceptional
construction of the hyperscale infrastructure that enabled the training and courage and integrity has led the way towards a more comprehensive global
global deployment of American super intelligence.” legal order. This year’s laureate has been instrumental in ensuring that war
Trump praised Nadella for his role in transforming Microsoft and its crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide are prosecuted,” the press re-
cloud computing business. lease stated.
“For more than three decades, Satya Nadella has been a key figure in the In a post on X announcing the award, the Nobel Prize account said, “To-
transformation of Microsoft, revolutionising the company and empowering day Navi Pillay has been awarded the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts
businesses, students, and consumers from all over the world with some of the to promote peace and international law.”
most capable software ever built or ever even conceived,” Trump said. The Nobel Committee highlighted Pillay’s long career in advancing uni-
“Before becoming CEO in 2014, Satya led Business Services research and versal legal principles, from her early work defending Nelson Mandela and
development efforts, and the cloud computing platform that undergirds prod- others who opposed apartheid in South Africa to her service as a judge in
ucts used by billions and billions of people every single day,” he added. major international legal cases.
Trump also credited Nadella with making Microsoft an early leader in “Born into a family of Indian Tamil origin under apartheid in Durban,
superintelligence. South Africa, Pillay became a lawyer and legal pioneer, confronting deep
“Satya, we are honoured to give you the National Medal of Technology structural discrimination, segregation and exclusion,” the committee said.
and Innovation. It is so well deserved. Congratulations, Satya,” Trump said. Pillay has served as a judge on South Africa’s High Court, the Interna-
“Satya Nadella. The National Medal of Technology and Innovation to tional Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda and the International Criminal Court.
Satya Nadella of the Microsoft Corporation, for his transformative leadership She also served as the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and, until
of a critical American technology company which led to its rejuvenation for recently, chaired the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry
a new era of cloud computing, and for his construction of a hyperscale infra- on the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
structure that enabled the training and global deployment of American super- She is currently a judge at the International Court of Justice in the case in
intelligence. Congratulations,” White House Office of Science and Technolo- which Myanmar stands accused of genocide, according to the Nobel Committee.
gy Policy (OSTP) Director Michael Kratsios said while announcing the award. Continued on next page... >>

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