Which Indian has won the maximum Oscars?

On: March 17, 2026 3:45 PM

India’s participation in the Oscars (Academy Awards) has been steadily increasing over the years, with a number of Indian filmmakers, musicians and technicians making their mark globally. Indian’s most celebrated Oscar winner is A.R. Rahman, who holds the record for winning the most competitive Oscars as an Indian individual. In 2009, Rahman made international history by winning 2 Academy Awards in one night (Best Original Score & Best Original Song) for his score and song “Jai Ho” from the film ‘Slumdog Millionaire’.

This document will give you a detailed overview of A.R. Rahman’s accomplishments, the progress of Indian films at the Academy Awards, and the other Indian film artists who have also won Oscars.

A. R. Rahman: The Indian with the Most Academy Awards

As the first Indian to win 2 Academy Awards in a single year, music composer A.R Rahman is known as the “Mozart of Madras”. In 2009, he was awarded:

Best Original Score for Slumdog Millionaire

It was for the best Original Song for Jai Ho from Slumdog Millionaire (shared with the lyricist Gulzar). A. R. Rahman now holds the record for having the most Academy Awards won by an Indian since no other Indian individual has ever won more than 1 competitive Academy Award.

Rahman’s music is an infusion of Indian classical music and international contemporary music, which has made him well-known globally. His success as a composer for Slumdog Millionaire was especially prominent.

As well as the Oscars, Rahman has received awards such as the BAFTAs, Grammy Awards, and Golden Globes, demonstrating that he is one of the most respected and celebrated composers of music in the world.

The overall history of India at the Oscars goes back decades. Over the last number of years there has been more than 20 Indians nominated for Oscars, and there have been more than 10 winners from India of one or more Oscars, including scientific, technical, and all the other types of Oscars.

Winners from India have come from the fields of costume design, sound design, music composition, documentary filmmaking, and songwriting. There are many films that have been made in India that are very well known around the world, but winning the Oscar has been very difficult over the years. This is mostly due to the very stiff competition worldwide, and the barrier created by the fact that many Indian films are produced in a language other than English. However, each time an Indian has won an Oscar, it has raised India’s profile and helped to solidify India’s place in the worldwide movie industry.

Here are some of the more notable winners from India:

1. Bhanu Athaiya – The First Oscar Winner from India

In 1983, Bhanu Athaiya became the first Indian to win an Oscar – for Best Costume Design for the film Gandhi. The win started the long-term success of Indian filmmakers receiving Oscars.

2. Satyajit Ray – Honorary Academy Award Winner

Satyajit Ray, one of the greatest filmmakers of all time, received an Honorary Academy Award in 1992 for the work that he had done in his lifetime. With respect to his films, such as Pather Panchali, Ray’s films were recognized around the world.

3. Kartiki Gonsalves and Guneet Monga

The filmmaker Kartiki Gonsalves won the Oscar for Best Documentary Short Film for their documentary titled The Elephant Whisperers and Producer Guneet Monga was also awarded this same award in 2023.

4. Resul Pookutty – Best Sound Mixing

Resul Pookutty is an award-winning sound designer; in 2009, he won an Academy Award for the Best Sound Mixing for the film “Slumdog Millionaire,” which took home eight Oscars in total.

5. M.M. Keeravani and Chandrabose – Best Original Song at The Academy Awards

M.M. Keeravani and Chandrabose were the winners of the Best Original Song award for the 2023 Academy Awards ceremony for the song “Naatu Naatu” from the film “RRR.” This win is also considered a great success for Indian films.

Read more: A.R. Rahman Opens Up on Working With Hans Zimmer for Ramayana

Why A.R. Rahman’s Academy Awards Are so Important?

Rahman’s double Oscar win continues to be one of the most important accomplishments of any Indian citizen at the Academy Awards and demonstrates the international success of Indian music and has helped inspire many Indian artists to pursue success in the international market.

His awards were a testament to the fact that Indian talent can compete and win at a global level and helped to build a bridge between Hollywood and Indian film.

Read more: Best actor and actress award at the 98th Academy awards

Wrap Up

Of all of the Indian citizens to have won an Academy Award, A.R. Rahman has received the most—with two awards. The accomplishment of this historic win at the 2009 Academy Awards was a watershed moment for India in the world of cinema.

With the recognition of Indian films like RRR and The Elephant Whisperers, India’s presence at the Academy Awards continues to develop and expand as Indian storytelling and Indian talent are increasingly recognised around the world and it is very possible that in a short period of time, India will be able to produce Oscar-winning films.