The first Indian to be honored with the Ramon Magsaysay Award, often considered the Asian equivalent of the Nobel Prize, was Vinoba Bhave. He received the award in 1958 for his role in promoting the concept of Bhoodan Movement or Land Gift Movement, advocating for the voluntary redistribution of land to the landless. Vinoba Bhave was a prominent follower of Mahatma Gandhi and played a significant role in various social and economic movements in India.