Telecommunication

The richest person in Asia, Mukesh Ambani is an Indian billionaire business magnate. He is the chairman and managing director of Reliance Industries Ltd. (RIL). The son legendary Dhirubhai Ambani, he started his career by helping his father build their family business. As of today, he is the only Indian businessman on Forbes' list of the world's most powerful people.

Ratan Tata is a well-known Indian industrialist and the former charman of Indian multinational conglomerate Tata Sons. His reign as chairman was marked by acquisitions of iconic global brands, such as Tetley, Jaguar Land Rover and Corus by the Tata Group. Ratan Tata was instrumental in turning Tata Group from a largely India-centrist group into a global business.

Dhirubhai Ambani was an Indian business tycoon. He is credited with founding Reliance Industries, which is currently the largest company in the country in terms of revenue. Dhirubhai Ambani's life and career inspired the 2007 drama film Guru, in which his character was portrayed by Abhishek Bachchan.

Indian businessman Anil Ambani is the chairman of Reliance Group. Once the sixth richest person in the world, he declared bankruptcy in early 2020 though the veracity of his claim is questionable. He has served in the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Parliament of India. He has been involved in many controversies.

Described as America’s greatest inventor, Thomas Edison’s legacy is an everlasting one. He was the first to help make the incandescent light bulb commercially viable, even though he was not the first inventor of it. Quadruplex telegraph, phonograph, motion picture camera and the alkaline storage battery are some the many innovations that made him a worldwide phenomenon and an icon.

Masayoshi Son is a Japanese technology entrepreneur, philanthropist, and investor. He is credited with founding SoftBank, a popular Japanese holding company, for which he also serves as the chief executive officer. One of the richest men in Japan, Son has pledged to donate $120 million to support the victims affected by the 2011 earthquake off the Pacific coast of Tōhoku.

Chinese business magnate Ma Huateng, or Pony Ma, is best known as the founder, chairman, and CEO of the technology giant Tencent. His company owns the messaging app WeChat. One of CEOWORLD’s Most Powerful People in the World, he was a delegate of the 12th National People's Congress.

Ren Zhengfei is a Chinese engineer and entrepreneur. He is credited with founding Huawei, the second-largest manufacturer of smartphones and the largest manufacturer of telecommunications equipment in the world. He also serves as the CEO of Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. In 2005, Ren Zhengfei was named in Time magazine's 100 most influential people in the world list.

Irish media magnate Denis O’Brien, the owner of Communicorp and Digicel, got his first lessons in salesmanship from his father, who was pharma salesman. While in school, he excelled in rugby. Named one of the World's Top 200 Billionaires in 2015, he owns a philanthropic foundation, too.

Carlos Slim Domit is a Mexican businessman. He is the son of business magnate, investor, and philanthropist Carlos Slim Helú. He has a degree in business administration from Universidad Anáhuac. Currently, he serves as the chairman of the board of America Movil, Grupo Sanborns, Grupo Carso, and Telmex. He is also a member of the senate of the FIA. 

German electrical engineer Werner von Siemens is remembered as a pioneer of the telegraph industry. The founder of Siemens also inspired the name to the SI unit of electrical conductance. He was part of the Prussian army and had begun his chemistry experiments while in prison for a minor crime.

Telecom magnate Mo Ibrahim was born in Sudan and educated in Egypt and the U.K. His company Celtel International was one of the pioneers in the mobile phone industry in Africa and the Middle East. He was featured on Forbes’s billionaire’s list and offers scholarships for African students through his foundation.

Iqbal Quadir is a Bangladeshi entrepreneur who is credited with founding Grameenphone in Bangladesh. Quadir founded Grameenphone in an attempt to enhance self-employment opportunities for the poor. He is also credited with founding the Legatum Center for Development and Entrepreneurship. In 2007, he was named by Wharton Alumni Magazine in its 125 Influential People and Ideas list.

English physician and scientist Edward Davy is best known for his inventions such as his version of an electrochemical telegraph. He sold off the patent of his telegraph and moved to Australia later. He also developed the electromagnetic repeater. The Experimental Guide to Chemistry remains his most notable work.