The Indian diaspora’s extraordinary contribution to the global economy takes centre stage in the inaugural HSBC Hurun Global Indians List 2024. Featuring 226 CEOs, managing directors, and founders from 200 companies operating outside India, the list not only celebrates business excellence but also showcases the rising influence of Indian-origin leaders worldwide. Among these trailblazers are 12 women who have firmly established themselves as pioneers in global business leadership.
Hurun, founded in London in 1999, is a global leader in research, luxury publishing, and event curation. In India, the brand has gained prominence since 2012, with widely recognised lists like the India Rich List and India 500, highlighting wealth creation, innovation, and philanthropy. Beyond launching the inaugural Global Indians List, Hurun India also unveiled its Global Rich List, featuring a staggering 3,381 billionaires. Commenting on this new milestone, Anas Rahman Junaid, Founder and Chief Researcher of Hurun India, stated, “The HSBC Hurun Global Indians List 2024 highlights the significant achievements of leaders of Indian origin who are steering the world’s most valuable companies. Their legacies inspire future generations, and this list will play a key role in advancing global progress and innovation.”
The ranking evaluates these visionary leaders based on their companies’ market capitalization for listed firms and valuations for unlisted ones. Let’s take a closer look at the top five business leaders who dominated this prestigious list.
Satya Nadella: Chairman and CEO of Microsoft steering it to new heights
With his exceptional leadership skills Satya Nadella, Chairman and CEO of Microsoft is leading the inaugural Global Indians List. Since his taking over as CEO in 2014, Microsoft’s share value has skyrocketed by an impressive 860 percent. Under his leadership, Microsoft has evolved into a global tech powerhouse, thriving across its key verticals. Nadella’s focus on innovation and cloud technology has been particularly transformative. Microsoft Azure, the company’s cloud platform, has become a cornerstone of its success, rivalling industry leader Amazon Web Services. Similarly, his strategic emphasis on user-centric platforms like Microsoft Teams has solidified the company’s role in reshaping modern workspaces.
Satya Nadella
Nadella has also championed the growth of LinkedIn, turning it into a major revenue driver, and expanded the Xbox ecosystem, enhancing its subscription base and market presence. Beyond numbers, he has pioneered a culture of empathy, innovation, and collaboration, making Microsoft more inclusive and future-ready. As a leader whose incentives align with the company’s performance, Nadella’s vision has not only increased Microsoft’s market value but has also propelled his personal wealth, making him a symbol of global Indian excellence.
Sundar Pichai: The CEO piloting Alphabet’s journey to growth
The CEO of Alphabet, the parent company of Google, holds the second position on the inaugural HSBC Hurun Global Indians List, a recognition of his influential leadership in the tech world. Sundar Pichai became CEO of Alphabet in December 2019, succeeding co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin as they stepped back from day-to-day operations. This role marked a natural progression for Pichai, who had already been serving as CEO of Google since its 2015 restructuring. As the chief decision-maker for both Alphabet and its flagship subsidiary, Pichai has played one of the most important roles in steering the company through rapid technological advancements and market challenges.
Sundar Pichai
Pichai’s wealth is closely tied to Alphabet’s success, and stems largely from his significant stock holdings. As of a December 27, 2024 filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Pichai owned 2.57 million shares of Alphabet. Under his leadership, Alphabet has continued to innovate across sectors, from search and advertising to artificial intelligence and cloud computing, cementing its place as a global tech powerhouse.
Neal Mohan: CEO of YouTube, at the forefront of entertainment
The YouTube CEO secures the third spot on the list. As the leader of the largest video-sharing platform globally, Neal Mohan oversees YouTube’s strategic vision and daily operations, driving its evolution in the digital age. Under his leadership, YouTube has introduced groundbreaking services like YouTube Music, YouTube TV, and YouTube Premium, catering to diverse user needs and reshaping the media landscape. A passionate advocate for diversity and inclusion, Mohan has made strides in creating a more equitable platform for YouTube’s global community. His commitment extends beyond technology to championing social causes, ensuring that the platform reflects and respects the voices of its billions of users.
Neal Mohan
Mohan’s influence is widely recognized; Time magazine named him among the “100 Most Influential People in the World” in 2015, while Fortune included him in their “40 Under 40” and “50 Most Powerful People in Business” lists. Beyond his corporate achievements, Mohan is also known for his philanthropy. As a board member of the Open Society Foundations, he actively supports global initiatives promoting democracy and human rights. Additionally, his donations have funded education, healthcare, and social justice projects, solidifying his legacy as a leader who inspires impact both in and beyond the tech industry.
Thomas Kurian: Google Cloud CEO transforming enterprise cloud solutions
Following his colleague Sundar Pichai who has earned the second spot, Thomas Kurian, holds the fourth spot on the list. Since joining Google Cloud in 2018 and taking over as CEO in 2019, Kurian has driven remarkable growth and transformation within the organisation, solidifying its position as a leading provider of cloud services. Kurian’s leadership has been instrumental in expanding Google Cloud’s reach among enterprise clients. In his first year, he emphasised selling G Suite applications to large organisations, reshaping the sales strategy to better align with the needs of enterprise customers. Under his direction, Google Cloud has become a key player in enterprise solutions, leveraging cutting-edge technology to cater to businesses worldwide.
Thomas Kurian
Before joining Alphabet, Kurian gained extensive experience at Oracle, where he played a vital role in driving product and engineering strategies. His career began at McKinsey & Company, consulting in software, telecommunications, and financial services across Europe. In 2024, Gold House honoured Kurian as one of the most impactful Asians, highlighting his influence in leadership, engineering, and enterprise relations. A visionary leader, Kurian continues to transform cloud computing while cementing his legacy as a global tech pioneer.
Shantanu Narayen: Spearheading Adobe’s growth as Chairman, President, and CEO
Shantanu Narayen earns the fifth spot on the list. Since taking over as CEO in 2007, Narayen has spearheaded Adobe’s remarkable evolution, transitioning its flagship creative and digital document tools—including Photoshop, Premiere Pro, and Acrobat—from desktop applications to cloud-based platforms. Narayen also guided Adobe’s expansion into the digital experiences category, a journey that began with the acquisition of Omniture in 2009. This bold move positioned Adobe as a leader in both creativity and digital marketing solutions. In 2018, Adobe’s market capitalisation surpassed $100 billion, and the company entered the Fortune 500 for the first time. That same year, it ranked 13th on Forbes’ Most Innovative Companies list, which emphasized its industry leadership.
Shantanu Narayen
Beyond his achievements at Adobe, Narayen has played a prominent role on the global stage. In 2011, he was appointed to Barack Obama’s Management Advisory Board. He currently serves as the lead independent director at Pfizer and as vice chairman of the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum. Narayen’s visionary leadership continues to inspire innovation and redefine possibilities in the digital age.
Other prominent names on the list include Sanjiv Lamba (Linde), Vasant Narasimhan (Novartis), Arvind Krishna (IBM), Vimal Kapur (Honeywell International), and Kevin Lobo (Stryker), who rank sixth through tenth position, respectively. Together, these top ten leaders contribute an astounding 73 percent of the list’s total value, highlighting their exceptional impact. While the majority of Global Indians featured on the list are based in the USA, others reside in key international hubs such as the UK, UAE, and Singapore, reflecting the global presence of Indian talent.
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