Habib Ahmed, Hairstylist to Indira Gandhi and Abdul Kalam Passes Away
Born in 1940, Ahmed carried forward a legacy of grooming India’s leaders, from presidents to prime ministers, leaving behind a cultural imprint on hairstyling
Habib Ahmed, the visionary hairstylist whose artistry shaped the looks of India’s top leaders, passed away on September 25 at the age of 84. The news was shared by his son, renowned stylist Jawed Habib, who remembered him as “a father, mentor, and artist whose influence changed hairstyling forever.”
Born on October 2, 1940, in Jalalabad near Muzaffarnagar (U.P.), Ahmed belonged to a family deeply rooted in grooming traditions. His father, Nazir Ahmed, had served as the personal barber to British viceroys including Lord Linlithgow and Lord Mountbatten, before becoming the hairstylist to India’s first president, Dr. Rajendra Prasad.
Carrying forward this legacy, Habib went on to style eminent personalities such as Indira Gandhi and Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, carving a place in history as more than a barber — a cultural trailblazer who defined eras through his craft.
