Prime Minister Narendra Modi, actor Priyanka Chopra, and tennis star Sania Mirza are among the likely contenders for Time magazine's annual list of the world's 100 most influential people, TIME 100. Chief Executive of Google Sundar Pichai and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, both Indian-born, are also among the list of potential contenders, along with Aziz Ansari, an American actor of Indian origin.

While editors of the publication will decide on the final list of honorees, which will be announced next month, readers have been asked to vote for their top picks from among 127 contenders. The list includes world leaders, notable figures in science and technology as well as those in the arts.

Time said Modi, who was named on the magazine's 100 most influential people in the world last year, remains “a powerful voice on the world stage”. The Indian prime minister was also on the magazine's list of most influential people on the Internet this year.

Of Mirza, the magazine says the World No 1 in women's tennis doubles helped “redefine the role of female athletes in her home country”. Among other probable contenders are author of the Harry Potter series JK Rowling, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan, Pope Francis, Myanmar's pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, singer Rihanna, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Russian President Vladimir Putin.