Top 10 CEOs in India

Running a company is not an easy job at all. The Chief Executive Officer is senior-most executive of a company who is responsible for making important decisions, leading different teams and ultimately guiding company towards its goals.

In India, many CEOs have played an important role in building successful companies and taking them to new heights. In this blog, we will take a look at list of top 10 CEOs in India, their companies and achievements.

List of Top 10 CEOs in India

The list below provides the top 10 CEOs in India who have made a significant contribution to the companies they lead, according to the author. These CEOs belong to some of the leading companies in the country and have played an important role in driving and propelling their growth.

1. Sandeep Kalra

CEO at: Persistent Systems

Sandeep Kalra has been CEO and Executive Director of Persistent Systems since October 2020. His association with company began earlier when he joined in May 2019 as the President of Technology Services. Within just a short period of time, he moved into the top leadership role and has since then played an important part in shaping company’s growth as well as success.

In FY26, he received a record remuneration of around Rs. 389 crore. This was largely due to exercise of stock options. Under his leadership, Persistent Systems has seen a pretty strong revenue growth and has also been moving toward an AI-first strategy with greater focus on using artificial intelligence across its business and technology offerings.

2. C. Vijayakumar

CEO at: HCLTech

Vijayakumar has been leading HCLTech as its CEO since 2016 and took on additional role of Managing Director in 2021. What makes his career particularly notable is his long association with company. He joined HCLTech back in 1994 as a Senior Technical Engineer and gradually moved up to one of top leadership positions.

Today, he is regarded as one of highest-paid CEOs in Indian IT services industry. In FY26, his total remuneration was approximately Rs. 176.47 crore.

Over the years, Vijayakumar has played an important role in shaping HCLTech’s growth and has been closely involved in expanding its software product business, which has grown into a billion-dollar business unit.

3. Harshavardhan Chitale

CEO at: Hero MotoCorp 

Harshavardhan Chitale currently serves as CEO of Hero MotoCorp, a position he has held since January 2026. Before joining Hero MotoCorp, he served as the Global CEO of Signify’s €4 billion professional business, where he led around 12,000 employees across 70 countries.

He has also served as CEO of HCL Infosystems in past. With more than three decades of global leadership experience, Chitale has worked across different industries and held senior leadership roles in both India and international markets.

4. Sashidhar Jagdishan 

CEO at: HDFC Bank

Sashidhar Jagdishan is an Indian Banker and a qualified Chartered Accountant. He is current CEO of HDFC Bank, as of 7 September 2026. He is also the Bank’s Managing Director. He has been a valuable part of HDFC Bank for three decades.

He joined it in 1996 as a finance manager and then became the Bank’s Chief Finance Officer in 2008. He is scheduled to retire from his CEO post in October 2026. Before he joined HDFC Bank, he worked at Deutsche Bank in Mumbai for a total of three years.

5. Ashok Vaswani 

CEO at: Kotak Mahindra Bank

Ashok Vaswani is Managing Director and CEO of Kotak Mahindra Bank, which are positions he has held since January 2024. According to the author, Kotak CEO is among the top 10 chief executive officers in India. Before joining the bank, he built a long career in the global banking and financial services industry, including senior roles at Barclays and Citigroup.

From July 2022 to January 2024, Vaswani served as the President of Pagaya Technologies. He then moved to Kotak Mahindra Bank where he took charge of bank’s leadership. With his experience in international banking and digital financial services, he has been playing an indispensable role in guiding the bank and supporting its growth in financial sector.

6. Abhijit Kishore

CEO at: Vodafone Idea 

Abhijit Kishore is CEO of Vodafone Idea, which is one of the top telecom companies in India. He took charge as CEO in August 2025 and has since been playing an important role in the company’s growth and operations. Kishore has spent many years in telecom sector and has held different positions during his career. He began his professional journey in 2007 with Reliance Communications, where he worked for around two years in total. After that, he decided to join Tata Telecommunications and remained with company until 2015.

During these years, he handled different kinds of responsibilities and built a very strong experience in telecom business. In March 2015, he joined Vodafone Cellular as the Business Head for Kerala circle. Over the years, he took on several senior positions until he gradually moved up leadership ladder. His experience across different telecom roles eventually led him to position of CEO of Vodafone Idea.

7. Ambarish Kenghe 

CEO at: Angel One

Ambarish Kenghe is CEO of Angel One, one of India’s leading digital stockbroking and fintech companies. He joined the company as CEO more than a year ago in 2025. Kenghe has strong experience in fintech, e-commerce, technology and digital business. Before Angel One, he worked as Chief Product Officer at Myntra, where he focused on technology and AI-driven product development.

Earlier, he also worked with Bain & Company in San Francisco and Cisco Systems in San Jose. With his wide industry experience, Kenghe now leads Angel One and contributes to its continued growth as well as development.

8. Sudhir Singh

CEO at: Coforge 

Sudhir Singh is CEO and a Board member of Coforge, a leading company that provides IT services, consulting and digital transformation solutions. He joined Coforge in 2017 and has been leading the company for several years. He has around 30 years of professional experience.

Singh has worked across technology and business leadership. He is known for making important business decisions and focusing on long-term growth. Singh holds a B.Tech from IIT BHU and a PGDM from IIM Calcutta. Under his leadership, Coforge has continued to expand its digital as well as AI-focused services.

9. Kalyan Krishnamurthy 

CEO at: Flipkart

Kalyan Krishnamurthy is CEO of Flipkart, one of the leading e-commerce companies in India. He has been serving in this leadership role since 2018. During his tenure as CEO, he has taken Flipkart to new heights through strategic business decisions and a strong focus on the company’s growth. Before joining Flipkart, Mr. Krishnamurthy served as the Director of Finance and Portfolio Companies at Tiger Global Management.

Before he joined Tiger Global, he held various senior positions at eBay including Director of Financial Planning and Analysis at eBay Asia-Pacific and Country Finance Director for Southeast Asia and Hong Kong. Mr. Krishnamurthy holds an MBA degree from the Asian Institute of Management in Philippines. He also holds an MBA in Finance from UIUC College of Business, University of Illinois, US.

10. Shashwat Sharma

CEO at: Bharti Airtel

Shashwat Sharma is CEO and Managing Director of Bharti Airtel Limited. He took charge of these roles in January 2026. He is one of the top 10 CEO in India, according to author. Sharma joined Airtel in 2018 as Chief Brand Officer and became Chief Marketing Officer in 2019. He played an important role in the Airtel Thanks programme and the company’s mobility, broadband and digital services.

Before joining Airtel, he had worked with Hindustan Unilever in various marketing roles, including Dove, Lakmé, Oral Care and Lever Ayush. He holds a management qualification from IIM Ahmedabad. He also holds an engineering degree from Delhi College of Engineering.

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Conclusion

According to author, the top 10 CEOs in India are the following: (i) Sandeep Kalra – CEO, Persistent Systems, (ii) C. Vijayakumar – CEO, HCLTech, (iii) Harshavardhan Chitale – CEO, Hero MotoCorp, (iv) Sashidhar Jagdishan – CEO, HDFC Bank, (v) Ashok Vaswani – CEO, Kotak Mahindra Bank, (vi) Abhijit Kishore – CEO, Vodafone Idea, (vii) Ambarish Kenghe – Group CEO, Angel One, (viii) Sudhir Singh – CEO & Executive Director, Coforge, (ix) Kalyan Krishnamurthy – Group CEO, Flipkart, and (x) Shashwat Sharma – CEO, Airtel India. These CEOs have worked hard to grow their businesses, develop unique strategies, make important decisions and contribute to growth and success of their respective companies

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q1. Who are the top 10 CEOs in India?

According to the author, the top 10 CEOs in India, as of 7 September 2026, are (i) Sandeep Kalra – CEO, Persistent Systems, (ii) C. Vijayakumar – CEO, HCLTech, (iii) Harshavardhan Chitale – CEO, Hero MotoCorp, (iv) Sashidhar Jagdishan – CEO, HDFC Bank, (v) Ashok Vaswani – CEO, Kotak Mahindra Bank, (vi) Abhijit Kishore – CEO, Vodafone Idea, (vii) Ambarish Kenghe – Group CEO, Angel One, (viii) Sudhir Singh – CEO & Executive Director, Coforge, (ix) Kalyan Krishnamurthy – Group CEO, Flipkart, and (x) Shashwat Sharma – CEO, Airtel India.

Q2. What is CEO full form?

CEO full form is Chief Executive Officer.

Q3. Who is the highest paid CEO in India?

The highest paid CEO in India is Sandeep Kalra, CEO at Persistent Systems. For FY26, his annual compensation amounts to Rs. 388.58 crore.

Q4. Who is Bharti Airtel CEO?

As of 7 September 2026, Bharti Airtel CEO is Shashwat Sharma. He has been serving this role since January 2026.

Q5. Who is Vodafone Idea CEO?

Vodafone Idea CEO is Abhijit Kishore, as of 7 September 2026. He has been serving this role since 2025.

Q6. Who is Flipkart CEO?

Kalyan Krishnamurthy is the CEO of Flipkart, as of 7 September 2026. He has been serving this role since 2018.

Q7. Who is Coforge CEO?

A. Coforge CEO is Sudhir Singh. He has been serving this role in the company since May 2017, according to his official Linkedin profile.

Q8. Who is HCLTech CEO?

C. Vijayakumar is HCLTech CEO. He has been serving this leadership role since 2016.

Q9. Who is Kotak CEO?

The Kotak Mahindra Bank CEO is Ashok Vaswani. He has been serving this leadership role since January 2024.

Q10. Who is Persistent Systems CEO?

The Persistent Systems CEO is Sandeep Kalra. He has been serving this role since October 2020.