What sets the Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of India’s top companies apart from the rest? How do they manoeuvre the vibrant, chaotic, and ever-evolving Indian market with such finesse? Our 2024 list of the CEOs of all top companies in India gets into these questions. These are the leading corporates in India by market capitalization as of June 18, 2024.
The leaders are not just captains of industry—they are visionaries uplifting India on a global stage. Let’s look at the stories of these leaders one by one, discover their phenomenal achievements, and get inspired by their innovative strategies.
CEO of top 10 companies
Ready to meet the trailblazers? Here are the Indian CEOs of top companies who made it into our list.
Mukesh Ambani
How could the list go without the regular rank holder among the world’s richest billionaires? Mukesh Ambani. He is the powerhouse behind oil-to-telecom empire Reliance Industries.
He joined the Reliance board, led by his father, in 1977. He worked hard on the company’s expansion. First textiles. Then polyester fibres. Soon, petrochemicals and petroleum refining. He was behind in turning the Jamnagar refinery into the world’s largest. That’s 1.4 million barrels per day.
Ambani also developed Reliance Retail and Jio. Reliance Retail is India’s largest organized retail player and market disruptor Jio, who is changing India’s digital future.
Also read: Mukesh Ambani net worth bio, Assets, industries and future vision
K. Krithivasan
Tata Consultancy Services, or TCS is the largest information technology company in India and who is leading it? It’s Kirthivasan. He took charge as CEO on June 1, 2023.
Krithivasan has been with TCS for over three decades, where he started as the Global Head of the Banking, Financial Services, and Insurance, also referred to as BFSI Business Group. Now, the company has generated US $29.1 billion in revenue in FY24 under his leadership.
His remuneration for FY24 was ₹25.4 crore. An avid reader and fitness enthusiast, Krithivasan continues to drive TCS forward with innovation and strategic vision.
Sashidhar Jagdishan
He is leading the ship of newly merged HDFC Bank. Sashidhar, or sometimes Sashi, started working at the position on October 27, 2020. And shall carry out the duties until October 26, 2026, in accordance with RBI’s reappointment.
Jagdishan started as a manager in the finance department in 1996. By 1999, he became Business Head in the same department and, in 2008, CFO or the Chief Financial Officer.
He received awards like Best CFO in the banking sector and Banker of the Year. The bank also received numerous awards under his direction, like ‘Best Private Sector Bank’.
Also read: The mega merger of HDFC and HDFC Bank
Gopal Vittal
This man defines and delivers the business strategy, leading Airtel’s operations in India. Vittal joined Airtel in 2013. Under his leadership, Airtel achieved a lifetime high in revenue market share and enterprise value.
Before joining Airtel, he worked with Unilever for 20 years, where he joined after his Master’s in IIM, Calcutta. In his old company, he handled various roles across sales, marketing, and general management in 4 Asian markets.
Sandeep Bakhshi
Sandeep took the lead in 2018 October after Chanda Kochhar’s controversy. He joined the ICICI Bank in 1986 and was the Chief Operating Officer before his current role.
The XLRI alum shifted the bank’s strategy 180 degrees. It turned from a corporate-focused model to a more retail-oriented approach. His focus on customer-centric solutions and working on technology has been key. The m-cap bounced to ₹8 lakh crore in 2024 from 2018’s ₹2 lakhs crore.
Dinesh Kumar Khara
The next CEO on the list is also from the banking sector. The captain of the biggest state-owned bank, Dinesh Kumar Khara. State Bank of India, or SBI, under him, saw its share price surge from ₹250 to ₹820.
His travel with SBI began in 1984 as a probationary officer. From then, he oversaw many roles. He led the global banking & SBI Mutual Funds.
Khara played a main part in the merger of five associate banks and Bhartiya Mahila Bank with the SBI. However, he is retiring in August this year.
Siddhartha Mohanty
Mohanty is the chairperson of the #1 global insurance brand- Life Insurance Corporation of India or LIC. He joined this role in April 2023. He was Managing Director (MD) prior to it.
He started as a direct recruiter in 1985. Afterwards he worked in many roles like in marketing, HR, legal, and investments.
Eventually, he led the LIC Housing Finance Ltd, a prominent name in Indian housing finance companies. Mohanty is a fervent supporter of innovation and digital transformation in the insurance industry.
Salil Parekh
Did you know Parekh is one of the highest-paid leaders in the industry? This Cornell University alumnus is currently leading Indian billionaire Narayana Murthy’s brainchild, Infosys. He has nearly three decades of global IT services experience.
Salil joined Infosys in January 2018. He concentrates on digital transformation and cloud services, directly working with client leaders to execute their digital strategies.
Before Infosys, Parekh was with Capgemini for 25 years, holding various leadership roles. He also worked at Ernst & Young as a Partner.
Rohit Jawa
Jawa is the president of Unilever South Asia and CEO and MD of Hindustan Unilever Limited. He has been in his new role for a year. Throughout India, Southeast Asia, and North Asia, he has successfully led company outcomes with his vast knowledge in marketing and commercial strategy.
Before HUL, Rohit was in North Asia and Chairman of Unilever China. He transformed it into Unilever’s third-largest market. He has also led Unilever Philippines, making it one of the top ten markets globally. And is now in the direction to beat India’s clock speed.
Sanjiv Puri
Mr Puri is the chair of ITC Limited. With over three decades at ITC, he has held various leadership positions, including COO and president of fast-moving consumer goods businesses. He led his way to head the company in 2018.
The company has adopted the ‘ITC Next’ strategy under his direction, emphasising innovation and customer centricity. Puri has spearheaded the organisation’s sustainability and digital transformation efforts, transforming ITC into a forward-thinking business.
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Bottomline
They are the CEOs of all top companies. They are visionary leaders driving innovation, digital transformation, and sustainable growth. Their strategic insights and leadership are shaping India’s economic future.
