Prominent Parsis

Science and Industry

• Byram Dinshawji Avari (19??- ): hotelier, founder and chairman of the Avari Group of companies.
• Cowasji Shavaksha Dinshaw (Adenwalla) (1827-1900): entrepreneur; founder of the modern port of Aden
• Sam Balsara (1951- ): chairman of Madison Communications, India's largest independent media agency; Media Services Person of the Year 2005
• Sohrabji Shahpurji Bengalee (1839-1904): justice of the peace; first Indian to advocate worker's welfare
• Karan Bilimoria (1961- ): industrialist; founder of the Cobra Group (Beverages, Publishing); UK's youngest university chancellor; London Businessman of the Year 2004
• Homi Jehangir Bhabha (1909-1966): nuclear scientist; first chairman of the Indian Atomic Energy Commission.
• Keki Dadiseth (1946- ): Home and Personal Care Director, Unilever plc
• Ardeshir Godrej (1868-1936): inventor; co-founder (with his brother Piroj) of the Godrej industrial empire
• Pirojsha Godrej (1882-1972): entrepreneur; co-founder (with his brother Ardeshir) of the Godrej industrial empire
• Jamsetji Jeejeebhoy, Sir (1783-1859): opened sea trade with China; philanthropist
• Cowasjee Jehangir, Sir (1812-1878): civil engineer; master constructor of Bombay
• Fardunjee Marzban (1787-1847): publisher, founded the first newspaper on the Indian subcontinent Bombay Samachar
• Pallonji Mistry (1929- ): construction tycoon
• Hormusjee Naorojee Mody, Sir (1838-1911): financier and industrialist, co-founder of Chater & Mody, initiated the development of the port of Hong Kong; founding committee member of the Hong Kong & Shanghai Bank
• Dinshaw Maneckji Petit, Sir (1823-1901): founded the first textile factories in India
• Villoo Morawala-Patell, Dr. (19??-): scientist, founder of Avestha Gengraine Techologies Pvt. Ltd., a pioneer in the Indian biotech industry
• Sorabji Pochkhanawala, Sir (1880-19??): economist; founded the first Indian commercial bank: Commercial Bank of India
• Cyrus Poonawalla (1945- ): industrialist, pharmacologist; co-founder of the Serum Institute of India
• Jehangir Hormusjee Ruttonjee (18??-195?): industrialist; founded Hong Kong's first brewery; established the first anti-tuberculosis sanatorium in the far-east
• Homi Nusserwanji Sethna (????-????): chemical engineer; guided the development of India's first nuclear explosive device.
• Ardeshir Darabshaw Shroff (1899-1965): economist; delegate at the 1944 Bretton Woods Conference; co-author of the Bombay Plan; founder-director of the Investment Corporation of India; first Indian chairman of the Bank of India and the New India Assurance Company
• Dorabji Tata, Sir (1859-1932): industrialist and philanthropist
• Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata (1839-1904): industrialist; founder of the Tata group of companies, titled a "One-Man Planning Commission" by Nehru
• Jehangir Ratanji Dadabhoy (J. R. D.) Tata (1904-1993): industrialist; founder of India's first commercial airline: Air India
• Ratan Naval Tata (1937- ): Chairman of the Tata Group of companies; member of the central board of the Reserve Bank of India
• Lovji Nusserwanjee Wadia (1702-1774): shipwright and naval architect; builder of the first dry-dock in Asia

Arts and Sports

• Homi Adjania (19??- ): screenplay author, film actor, film director.
• Erick Avari (1952- ): Hollywood actor.
• Homi K. Bhabha (1949- ): cultural-studies theorist.
• Behram "Busybee" Contractor (1930-2001): journalist and columnist.
• Nariman "Nari" Contractor (1934- ): cricketer; coach at the CCI Academy.
• Ardeshir Cowasjee (1926- ): investigative journalist and newspaper columnist.
• Sam Dastor (19??- ): television actor and director.
• Maneckji Nusservanji Dhalla (1875-1956): theologian, historian and high priest.
• Farrukh Dhondy (1944- ): novelist, short story writer, screenplaywriter, journalist.
• Nadirshaw Edulji Dinshaw (18??-1924?): philanthropist; founder of the NED Engineering College, the largest and oldest engineering institution in Karachi, Pakistan.
• Farokh Engineer (1938- ): cricketer.
• Kaizad Gustad (1968- ): maverick film director.
• Firdaus Kanga (1960- ): author, actor and screenwriter.
• Persis Khambatta (1950–1998): actress and model.
• Amal Kiran (Kaikhosru Dadhaboy Sethna) (1904-19??): historian.
• Gary Lawyer (19??- ): singer and musician.
• Mehli Mehta (1908-2002): musician; founder of the Bombay Philarmonic and Bombay String Orchestras.
• Zubin Mehta (1936- ): musician; conductor of the London, Los Angeles and Israel Philarmonic Orchestras; director of the Bavarian State Opera.
• Freddie Mercury (Farrokh Bulsara) (1946-1991): rock icon and lead singer for Queen.
• Deena M. Mistri (19??- ): author and educationalist; recipient of Pakistan's "Pride of Performance" medal.
• Rohinton Mistry (1952- ): novelist, short story author, screenplay writer.
• Sohrab Modi (1897-1984): stage and film actor, director and producer.
• Cyrus Poncha (19??- ): Asian Squash Federation Junior Coach of the Year 2003-4.
• Bapsi Sidhwa (1938- ): author and screenwriter; vocal proponent of women's rights
• Godrej Sidhwa (1925- ): theologian, historian and high priest.
• Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji (1892–1988): composer.
• Sooni Taraporevala (1957- ): screenwriter, author and photographer.
• Zubin Varla (19??- ): stage actor.
• Nina Wadia (1969- ): comedienne and television actress.

Law, Gov't, and Indian Nationalist Movement

• Minocher Bhandara (19??- ): Pakistani parliamentarian and owner of Muree Brewery.
• Sam Piroj Bharucha (1937- ): Chief Justice of India.
• Mancherjee Bhownagree (1851-1933): politician, second asian to be elected to the House of Commons (Conservative).
• Bhikaiji Cama (1861-1936): political activist, co-creator of the Indian nationalist flag.
• Jal Cursetji (1919- ): the first Indian Admiral of the Indian Navy.
• Feroze Gandhi (1912-1960): journalist and politician, Indian MP under Jawaharlal Nehru.
• Frene Nusserwanji Ginwala (1932- ): first Speaker of the Parliament of South Africa under President Nelson Mandela.
• Sohrab Kavasji Katrak (1892-1972): businessman; author; Mayor of Karachi; advisor to Ayub Khan; recipient of the Sitara-e-Khidmat.
• Sam Manekshaw (1914- ): the first Indian Field Marshal of the Indian Army.
• Jamsheed Marker (19??- ): Pakistani diplomat, listed in the Guinness Book of Records as having been ambassador to more countries than any other person; recipient of Hilal-i Imtiaz.
• Jamshed Nusserwanjee Mehta (1886-1952): former Mayor of Karachi for 12 consecutive years.
• Pherozeshah Mehta (1845–1915): political activist, first President of the Indian National Congress, founder of the Bombay Municipal Corporation.
• Dadabhai Naoroji (1825–1917): economist, political activist, first asian to be elected to the House of Commons (Liberal), first to publicly demand independence from Great Britain.
• Fali Nariman (19??- ): Member of Parliament in the Indian Rajya Sabha
• Khursheed Framji Nariman (18??-19??): social activist, Mayor of Bombay, founding member of the Indian National Congress.
• Nanabhoy ("Nani") Palkhivala (1920-2002): prominent jurist and economist.
• Cowasji Jehangir (Readymoney) (1812-1878): J.P.; introduced income tax in India; first baronet of Bombay.
• Shapurji Saklatvala (1874-1936): socialist, workers' welfare activist, third asian to be elected to the House of Commons (Communist, Labour).
• Rustom Maneck Sett (16??-16??): diplomat, negotiated the trade license with Aurangzeb on behalf of the East India Company.
• Soli Jehangir Sorabjee (1930- ): Attorney-General of India.
• Kershasp Nariman Choksy ([19??]-): Minister, Sri Lanka holding at various times the Finance, Law and Constitutional Affairs portfolios.

People with Parsi ancestry

Notable persons that are not Parsis themselves but have a notable Parsi parent:

• Rajiv Gandhi (1944–1991): Prime Minister of India; son of Feroze Gandhi.
• Sanjay Gandhi (1946-1980): Indian MP; son of Feroze Gandhi.
• Dina Wadia (1919- ): daughter of Rattanbai Petit and Muhammad Ali Jinnah; wife of Neville Wadia; mother of Nusli Wadia.