Sajid Javid tops list of most influential Asian people in Britain

Sajid Javid tops the list of 101 prominent British people of Asian descent or Asian people in Britain. Photograph: David Hartley/Rex Shutterstock

The business secretary, Sajid Javid, has been judged the most influential Asian person in Britain, topping a list of 101 prominent people including Nobel Peace prize winner Malala Yousafzai, musician Zayn Malik and artist Sir Anish Kapoor.

Javid, who retains the No 1 slot he won last year, is described as a “determined young man” who, after a successful career in banking, has enjoyed a “meteoric rise” since joining the political scene in 2010, according to the GG2 Power 101 list compiled by the Asian Media and Marketing Group (AMG).

The employment minister, Priti Patel, becomes the highest-ranking woman, taking the third–place slot, while Labour’s London mayoral hopeful Sadiq Khan is ranked sixth.

The list was revealed at the GG2 Leadership awards dinner in London, attended by the justice secretary and lord chancellor, Michael Gove.

The employment minister, Priti Patel. Photograph: Dominic Lipinski/PA

Malala, who celebrates the launch of her documentary, He Named Me Malala, next month, is the youngest entry on the list, aged just 18. The Pakistani-born schoolgirl, who was shot by the Taliban for defending her right to education, is one of 23 women on the list, and is placed at No 10, having claimed the top slot two years ago.

The second youngest is the 20-year-old catwalk model, Neelam Gill, at no 87, who is the first British Indian model to have been signed by a major fashion label, Burberry.

The fifteen people on the list aged under 35 include former One Direction band member Zayn Malik; DJ Shahid Khan, known as Naughty Boy; the sitar player and composer Anoushka Shankar, who is the daughter of Ravi Shankar and half sister of US singer-songwriter Norah Jones; and Ameet Gill, David Cameron’s director of strategy.

The Labour MP, Keith Vaz, chairman of the Home Affairs Select Committee, is placed 11th; Amol Rajan, editor of the Independent, was placed 13th; and Radio 4 Today programme presenter Mishal Husain was in 16th place.

Shahid Khan, left, and Zayn Malik in April. Photograph: Dave J Hogan/Getty Images

GG2 Power 101 Top 10

1. Sajid Javid MP
2. SP & GP Hinduja of the global conglomerate Hinduja Group
3. Priti Patel MP
4. Lakshmi Mittal, steel magnate, and wife Usha.
5. Ameet Gill
6. Sadiq Khan
7. Rakesh Kapoor, businessman and CEO of consumer goods company Reckitt Benckiser
8. Sir Venkatraman Ramakrishnan, Nobel winner for chemistry
9. Sir Anish Kapoor
10. Malala Yousafzai

• This article was amended on 21 October 2015. Priti Patel is the employment minister, not the pensions minister as an earlier version said.