Science
Raja Ramanna
Nuclear scientist, ex-Chairman, Atomic Energy Commission
Nasir Ahmed
Invented the Discrete Cosine Transform
B. Jayant Baliga
Electrical engineer
M. V. Srinivasan, FRS
Neuroscientist
Varghese Mathai
Mathematician
Ananth Dodabalapur
Engineer
Military
General K. S. Thimayya
Former Chief of the Indian Army
Admiral Vijay Singh Shekhawat
Former Chief of the Naval Staff
Col. Lalit Rai, VrC
Kargil War hero
William Leefe Robinson, VC
WWI fighter pilot
Lt. Gen. A. C. Iyappa
First Indian Signal Officer-in-Chief
Air Marshal Malcolm Wollen
Indian Air Force
Positions of Responsibility
Gopal Krishna Pillai
Former Union Home Secretary
Dinesh Gundu Rao
Karnataka Health Minister
Akbar Mirza Khaleeli
Indian Ambassador
C. V. Ranganathan
Diplomat
Medicine
Ajit Varki
Physician-scientist, UC San Diego
Sudi Devanesen
Physician
Entrepreneurs
Nandan Nilekani
Co-founder, Infosys; Chairman, UIDAI
Bharat Goenka
Co-founder, Tally Solutions
Rohan Murty
Founder, Murty Classical Library
Sam Balsara
Founder, Madison World
Varun Agarwal
Founder, Alma Mater
Phaneesh Murthy
Former CEO, iGATE
Arts
Ricky Kej
Three-time Grammy winner
Lucky Ali
Singer-songwriter
Biddu
Composer & producer
Prabhu Ganeshan
Actor & producer
Feroz Khan
Actor & director
Brodha V
Hip-hop artist
Sports
Colin Cowdrey
England cricket captain
Brijesh Patel
India cricketer
Mayank Agarwal
India cricketer
Eugeneson Lyngdoh
Footballer
Nihar Ameen
Swimmer
Other Notable Alumni
Kenneth Anderson
Writer & naturalist
Timeri N. Murari
Novelist & playwright
Tarun Khanna
Harvard professor & author
Makarand Paranjape
Former Director, IIAS Shimla
Philip Wollen
Philanthropist & environmentalist
Distinguished guests of the School
Over the decades, Cottons has been privileged to welcome to its campus some of the most eminent figures in public life — statesmen, scholars, and spiritual leaders whose visits have enriched the life of the school and inspired successive generations of boys.
Are you an Old Cottonian?
The Roll of Honour belongs to the community that built it. Share your story — or nominate a fellow Cottonian whose achievements deserve a place here. Every name added strengthens a lineage that stretches back to 1865.