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Time of India
21 hours ago
- Business
- Time of India
Boardroom takeover? Indian leaders are calling the shots at global giants
Indian-origin executives are increasingly leading Fortune 500 companies, driven by strong engineering talent and a unique ability to thrive in chaotic environments. Their success stems from rigorous education in India, adaptability, and cultural fluency, making them effective global leaders. A growing "boomerang effect" sees talent building competitive businesses within India, further strengthening the nation's economic ecosystem. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Shailesh Jejurikar, born and raised in Mumbai, was named the next CEO of Procter & Gamble. Sabih Khan, from Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh, became Apple's Chief Operating Officer. Kevan Parekh, born in India, stepped in as Apple's Chief Financial Officer in January. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Indian-origin CEOs running Fortune 500 giants New faces, big roles Sandeep Dutta, President of AWS India and South Asia (Nov 2024) Srinivas Pallia, CEO & MD of Wipro (April 2024) Arundhati Chakraborty, Group CEO of Operations at Accenture (Sept 2024) Somit Goyal, CEO of IBS Software (June 2024) Rajesh Varrier, Global Head of Operations and Chairman & MD for India, Cognizant (Sept–Oct 2024) Abhijit Dubey, CEO of NTT DATA's global ops outside Japan (June 2024) Sridhar Ramaswamy, CEO of Snowflake (Feb 2024) Vaibhav Taneja, CFO & Chief Accounting Officer, Tesla (since Aug 2023) Uma Amuluru, CHRO and EVP at Boeing (April 2024) Veterans still leading the charge Satya Nadella (Microsoft), born in Hyderabad Sundar Pichai (Google/Alphabet), from Madurai, IIT Kharagpur Shantanu Narayen (Adobe), from Hyderabad Arvind Krishna (IBM), Andhra Pradesh native, IIT Kanpur Ajay Banga (World Bank), Pune-born, IIM Ahmedabad Vasant Narasimhan (Novartis), raised in India Leena Nair (Chanel), Kolhapur-born, XLRI alum Nikesh Arora (Palo Alto Networks), from Ghaziabad Sanjay Mehrotra (Micron), from Kanpur George Kurian (NetApp) Ravi Kumar S (Cognizant), from Trichy Vimal Kapur (Honeywell), CEO since 2023, Chairman since 2024 Others like Raj Subramaniam (FedEx) and Jayshree Ullal (Arista Networks) round out the list Why this happened Engineering talent built for export Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads 5x more likely to take calculated risks 6x more likely to embrace challenges Consistently ahead on resilience and process thinking Learning to thrive in chaos Cultural fluency matters The boomerang effect Even the jokes have changed. As former US ambassador Eric Garcetti said last year, 'The old joke was you could not become a CEO in the US if you were Indian. Now the joke is you cannot become a CEO in America if you are not Indian.'He wasn't kidding. According to Garcetti, who was speaking at the 2024 Indiaspora AI Summit at Stanford University, over one in ten Fortune 500 CEOs are now Indian immigrants who studied in the isn't just a trend. It's a real shift in global leadership, and it often starts far from the boardrooms of New York or the tech corridors of Silicon Valley. It starts in Indian towns and cities, in engineering colleges and crowded homes, with parents betting everything on this year, three Indians took top roles at some of the world's most powerful companies:They're not anomalies. They're part of a growing of July 2025, at least 11 Fortune 500 companies are headed by Indian-origin CEOs, according to Newsweek. These firms together hold over $6.5 trillion in market cap. That's not symbolic success. That's structural here's what matters: many of these CEOs weren't just born to Indian parents, they were born and educated in India before building global careers.A series of high-profile appointments over the last year signals just how broad this movement is:The old guard is still going strong:A lot of it starts with engineering. India's IITs, especially Kharagpur, Bombay, Delhi, Madras, and Kanpur, were always meant to be elite. They rates are brutal. IIT Bombay's acceptance rate has been as low as 0.6%, according to the Jawhar College of Education. That level of selectivity has created generations of problem-solvers who thrive under Raj Gupta, born in Muzaffarnagar, IIT Bombay grad, 1967. He moved to the US with $8 in his pocket. Eventually, he became Chairman and CEO of Rohm and Haas. A mentor told him: 'You have to get the idea of the white man at the top out of your head.' That shift in mindset shaped his the IITs are preeminent, India's broader engineering ecosystem also produces world-class talent:Satya Nadella didn't go to an IIT, he studied at Manipal. But by 2014, he was running Microsoft. Since then, its valuation has jumped from $300 billion to over $3 Pichai, raised in a modest Madurai home, earned his stripes at IIT Kharagpur and joined Google in 2004. He now runs isn't just academic horsepower. It's grit, adaptability, and insane work ethic.A study by leadership advisory firm ghSMART, which analysed 30,000 execs, found Indian-origin leaders are:And those traits aren't picked up in business school, they're shaped growing up in doesn't teach perfection. It teaches improvisation. Traffic jams, power cuts, bureaucracy, navigating daily life here is a crash course in Ravi Kumar (Cognizant CEO) said in an interview: 'If you can drive a car in India, you can drive anywhere in the world.'That ability to work through ambiguity, what Indians call jugaad, makes Indian-origin CEOs effective in unpredictable markets. ghSMART found they're particularly strong at making fast decisions without perfect global companies, being able to translate between worlds isn't just nice, it's essential. Indian-origin CEOs have an edge Nair (Chanel): Spent decades at Unilever, mastering talent management across 190 countries. Chanel picked her not for fashion experience, but for her global leadership Subramaniam (FedEx): Born in Kerala, he's climbed FedEx's ranks since 1991. His real strength? Running complex global supply chains while managing cross-cultural Nooyi (ex-PepsiCo): From Chennai, she built PepsiCo's Performance with Purpose strategy, blending growth with social and environmental Mohan (YouTube): Raised partly in India, he's scaled YouTube globally by tuning into user habits in India and other emerging narrative of Indian talent solely seeking opportunities abroad is rapidly evolving. A significant "boomerang effect" is now in full swing, where highly skilled professionals are either returning to India or choosing to stay and build globally competitive businesses right from their homeland. This trend highlights India's maturing ecosystem, proving it's a fertile ground for entrepreneurship and high-impact these impactful examples of talent choosing to build in India:Sridhar Vembu (Zoho): After a stint in the U.S., Vembu made the unconventional decision to relocate to rural Tamil Nadu. From this unexpected base, he meticulously built Zoho, a global Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) powerhouse now valued at over $5.8 billion. Zoho's success showcases how world-class enterprises can emerge from non-traditional locations within India, creating significant domestic employment and technological and Binny Bansal (Flipkart): These IIT Delhi graduates famously departed from Amazon to co-found Flipkart in Bangalore. Their entrepreneurial vision led to the creation of India's largest e-commerce platform, fundamentally reshaping the country's retail landscape. This venture culminated in Walmart acquiring a majority stake in 2018 for a monumental $16 billion, highlighting the immense value being generated by Indian-founded domestic dynamism is further bolstered by a robust financial ecosystem:Venture Capital Boom: India's startup scene has become incredibly attractive to investors. A staggering $38.5 billion in venture capital poured into Indian startups in 2021, indicating strong investor confidence and a thriving innovation Domestic Markets: While India isn't directly aiming to rival global exchanges like NASDAQ, its own stock exchanges, such as the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), have grown exponentially. The BSE is now among the world's largest by market capitalisation, signifying the increasing ability of Indian companies to raise substantial capital right at home, reducing reliance on international markets and showcasing the growing sophistication of India's financial surge in Indian-origin leadership isn't about optics. It's about skill, developed in India, refined globally, and now recognised as essential to running the world's biggest companies.
India Today
21-07-2025
- Entertainment
- India Today
Prithviraj says his first sense of belonging in the world is being Indian, not from Kerala
With 'Sarzameen', Prithviraj Sukumaran steps into the heart of a nation torn between ideals, identity, and unwavering love for one's homeland. The upcoming film, which explores themes of national duty, personal sacrifice, and moral conflict, features the popular actor as an officer on duty, one as vulnerable as he is fierce. At a time when patriotism is constantly being redefined and debated, India Today exclusively asked Prithviraj what it means to him. 'I only have one meaning for it. I don't have too many meanings for it,' he said, adding, 'When I say I'm patriotic, I mean that I absolutely love my country and I'm very proud of the fact that I'm an Indian.'advertisementThe actor exclaims, 'Wherever you go in the world, wherever I am in [any part of] the world, whatever I'm doing, my first sense of belonging is the fact that I'm from India. It's not the fact that I'm from Kerala, it's not the fact that I speak Malayalam, or that you speak Hindi, or are from Maharashtra. If tomorrow you're in some part of the world and people ask you where you're from, I'm not going to say I'm from Trivandrum. I'm going to say I'm from India. So that sense of belonging, and the pride in that sense of belonging, is what I think is patriotism for me. I'm deeply patriotic that way.' 'Sarzameen' is set to premiere on JioHotstar on July 25, 2025. The film also stars Kajol and Ibrahim Ali Khan in pivotal roles. - EndsYou May Also Like
India Today
19-06-2025
- Entertainment
- India Today
Men block aisle to play cards on flight, viral video sparks outrage
A video showing a group of men casually playing a game of cards on a flight has triggered backlash online for its blatant disregard for fellow the now-viral video, the group is seen blocking the aisle by tying a shawl across four seats, thereby creating a hammock-style surface on which to place their cards. Their impromptu game not only obstructed movement but also sparked questions about safety and etiquette during air Mahaveer Jain, who shared the video on social media, captioned it: 'Gambling is not about how well you play the games; it's really about how well you handle your money.' Watch the video here: View this post on Instagram A post shared by Mahaveer Jain (@mahaveergandhi)The scenario enraged several social media users, who lashed out at the group of men for their "inconsiderate" behaviour on the flight.'How inconsiderate to other passengers. Zero civic sense. What if someone needs to use the restroom? This is so weird,' a user asked, 'The biggest question is, was there nobody on the plane to shame these guys and make them stop? The crew are too polite but what about the other passengers?'advertisementThe video also attracted comments laced with sarcasm. 'Stop this nonsense. Watch a movie or go to sleep. And let others sleep,' a user said, while another commented, 'Show you are Indian without telling you are an Indian.'The viral video has triggered a debate about passenger etiquette and enforcement of in-flight discipline, with many calling for stricter action in such cases.
India Today
31-05-2025
- Entertainment
- India Today
Anupam Kher, victim of terrorism, applauds Operation Sindoor: Felt vindicated
Actor Anupam Kher spoke about his personal experience with terrorism, describing himself and his family as victims. He recalled the plight of Kashmiri Pandits who were forced to leave their homes on the night of January 19, 1990. Speaking exclusively to India Today, the actor-director also commended the Narendra Modi-led government's Operation Sindoor, an attack against terror bases in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied expressed his feelings of anger rather than helplessness, especially after seeing distressing visuals such as a woman sitting beside her deceased husband during the Pahalgam attack on April 22. He said seeing the distressing images evoked anger in him like that of any common Indian."I am a victim of terrorism. My family is a victim of terrorism. For 32 years, nothing happened to the Kashmiri pundits, who had to leave their homes one night on January 19, 1990. And then again, there's something like this [referring to the Pahalgam incident] happening after the abrogation of Article 370. Lots and lots of people are going over there [to Kashmir]. I've stopped feeling helpless. I get angry because when I see the visual of a woman sitting next to her dead husband, it makes me angry like any other common Indian," he explained."I stopped feeling helpless. I get angry now. I get angry when I see the visual of a woman sitting next to her dead husband. When I see something like that, it makes me angry like any other common Indian. So you expect your leadership to act. And when they did that, I felt IndiaToday (@IndiaToday) May 31, 2025advertisement Applauding the government's retaliation by launching Operation Sindoor against Pakistan, he said, "You expect your government or your leadership to act and when they did that, I felt vindicated. I don't know whether that's the right word, but I did feel that that's how it should have happened. Within two days, we know what happened there. People have their own theories, but now we are getting to know the facts and how precise our attack was."Kher also appreciated our Indian Armed forces for their precise attack on nine terror bases in Pakistan. "How wonderful our armies, how intelligence worked. It is the leadership which takes the decision. Unfortunately, when 26/11 happened in Mumbai, the leadership did not do anything about it and it was unfortunate. Now we know that we have people who will not take things for granted," he people were killed in one of the worst terror attacks in Jammu and Kashmir that took place on April 22. India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7 and attacked nine terror bases in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Watch
India Today
22-05-2025
- India Today
Fact Check: Video of man pleading for his rickshaw is from Bangladesh, not India
A distressing video of a man crying, pleading with authorities not to destroy his e-rickshaw with a bulldozer, is making the rounds online. Despite the man's constant pleas, his rickshaw is crushed. Those sharing the video claimed it was from India. Some people in the comments further claimed it was from Uttar Today Fact Check found that this video is from Dhaka, Bangladesh, and shows authorities conducting a drive against illegal battery-powered Probe Reverse-searching the keyframes of the viral video led us to a video report published by a YouTube channel called Centrist Nation TV on May 14. It featured the same visuals as seen in the viral clip. Per the video, this incident took place in Dhaka, Bangladesh. The description of the video reads: 'In a dramatic crackdown, Dhaka authorities seized and crushed hundreds of illegal battery-powered rickshaws operating on the city's main roads.'According to a report by The Financial Express, the Dhaka North City Corporation and the Dhaka Metropolitan Police jointly conducted a drive to seize illegal battery-run rickshaws. More than a hundred rickshaws were confiscated from the city's Asadagate area on May 13. The report further stated that Administrator Mohammad Ejaz, while speaking on the matter, said that a survey showed 20 per cent of accidents are caused by these battery-powered report by The Business Standard covering the developments following the incident featured the same rickshaw owner in its cover photo. The report stated that financial assistance of Tk 50,000 was provided to each of the three rickshaw pullers whose vehicles were crushed during the drive, after widespread it is evident that the video was falsely shared as Indian.(Written by Abhishek Pathak)Must Watch Want to send us something for verification? Please share it on our at 73 7000 7000 You can also send us an email at factcheck@
