The corporate ecosystem in India continues to evolve, and one of the critical factors contributing to this transformation is the exceptional remuneration packages offered to top executives. In this article, we analyze the Top 10 CEO salary in India, discussing their backgrounds, strategic contributions, and the broader implications for the Indian market.
Table of Contents
List of Top 10 CEO Salary in FY 24 in India
| Executive | Company | Designation | Remuneration (INR Cr) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abhay Bhutada | Poonawalla Fincorp | Non-Executive Director | 241.21 |
| Thierry Delaporte | Wipro | MD & CEO (Retd) | 167.61 |
| Vinay Prakash | Adani Enterprises | Executive Director | 89.37 |
| C Vijayakumar | HCL Tech | Managing Director | 84.50 |
| Arnob Roy | Tejas Networks | Whole Time Director & COO | 76.82 |
| Sandeep Kalra | Persistent Systems | ED and CEO | 76.60 |
| Salil S Parekh | Infosys | MD & CEO | 66.25 |
| Sundeep Sikka | Nippon Life India Asset Management | Executive Director & CEO | 54.90 |
| S Khosla | Crompton Greaves Consumer Electricals | Executive Vice Chairman | 53.69 |
| SN Subrahmanyan | Larsen & Toubro | Chairman & MD | 51.05 |
Abhay Bhutada – Highest Paid CEO in India
Abhay Bhutada is a well-known name in the Indian financial services sector, currently serving as the Vice Chairman of Rising Sun Holdings, the holding company for Poonawalla Fincorp. With over 15 years of experience in commercial and retail lending, he has established himself as a visionary leader and digital transformation specialist within the industry. Born in Latur, Maharashtra, Bhutada completed his schooling at Venkatesh Vidyalaya and pursued higher education at Rajarshi Shahu College.
He earned a Bachelor of Commerce degree from Symbiosis International University and became a Chartered Accountant in 2009. Bhutada started his career in 2010 as an SME finance professional with the Bank of India. He later went into entrepreneurship by founding TAB Capital in 2016, focusing on digital lending for MSMEs and consumer loans. He made TAB Capital profitable in just three years, and the Poonawalla Group was attracted to the company; in 2019, it was acquired by the Poonawalla Group.
In 2019, he co-founded Poonawalla Finance, where he is a Managing Director and CEO. His strategic focus on digitization and operational efficiency enabled the company to be profitable in the first year and to be rated “AA+” by CARE ratings. He renamed Poonawalla Fincorp after he acquired Magma Fincorp Limited in 2021. Shortly thereafter, the company achieved an “AAA” rating.
Known for his business acumen and commitment to corporate social responsibility, Bhutada founded the Abhay Bhutada Foundation in 2023 with the objective of uplifting underprivileged communities through education and other initiatives.
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Thierry Delaporte – Second In Top CEO Salary In India
Thierry Delaporte is a prominent figure in the information technology sector, currently serving as the Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Wipro. Appointed in July 2020, he succeeded Abidali Neemuchwala and has since driven significant transformation within the company. With nearly 30 years of experience in the IT services industry, Delaporte previously held several key positions at Capgemini, including Chief Operating Officer and CEO of its Global Financial Services Strategic Business Unit. His leadership at Capgemini spanned various roles, where he was instrumental in driving strategic initiatives and overseeing global operations.
Delaporte holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economy and Finance from Sciences Po Paris and a Master’s degree in Law from Sorbonne University. He is also the co-founder of “Life Project 4 Youth”, a non-profit organization focused on integrating young adults living in extreme poverty into society. Under his leadership at Wipro, the company has experienced substantial growth, with a 35% increase in revenue over four years and significant improvements in workforce diversity and inclusion.
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Vinay Prakash (Adani Enterprises)
Vinay Prakash is a prominent figure in the energy and infrastructure sectors, currently serving as the Executive Director of Adani Enterprises and the CEO of its Natural Resources division. With a strong educational background that includes a B.Tech in Mechanical Engineering, an MBA in Finance, and a Doctor of Philosophy in Mining from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Dhanbad, he has been instrumental in steering Adani towards sustainable growth and innovation.
Since joining the Adani Group in 2001, Vinay has played a critical role in developing the Natural Resources sector, which encompasses coal management, mining, cement, and aggregates. He has held prominent roles in leading committees of industry bodies such as FIMI, ASSOCHAM, FICCI, and CII, where he advocated for responsible and sustainable mining practices. His contributions have been recognized on prestigious platforms, including receiving the Global Business Excellence Award at the World PetroCoal Congress in 2017. Before joining the Adani Group in 2001, he worked with the Aditya Birla Group for eight years.
In recent years, the landscape of CEO salary in India has seen significant changes, with average compensation rising sharply and reflecting the growing importance of leadership in driving company success.
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C Vijayakumar (HCL Technologies)
C Vijayakumar, the CEO of HCLTech, has recently been recognized as one of the highest paid CEO in India. He is widely known as CVK, Born on 13 October 1967, in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, he graduated with a degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from P.S.G. College of Technology and began his career at HCLTech in 1994 as a senior technical engineer. Throughout his nearly three-decade tenure, he has held various significant positions, including Chief Operating Officer and President of the Infrastructure Services Division, before being appointed CEO in October 2016.
Under Vijayakumar’s leadership, HCL Tech has experienced remarkable growth and innovation, particularly in areas like artificial intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), and cybersecurity. His strategic vision has positioned the company as one of the fastest-growing entities in the tech industry. In recognition of his contributions, he has received several accolades, including Business Today’s ‘Best CEO of the Year’ and a spot on HfS’s list of Top 10 Disruptive CEOs.
In addition to his corporate role, Vijayakumar is actively involved in global business forums and serves as a board member of the US-India Business Council. He is also recognized for his commitment to environmental, social, and governance (ESG) principles. With the rise of competitive markets, the CEO salary in India has reached new heights
Arnob Roy (Tejas Networks)
Arnob Roy is a well-known name in the telecommunications industry, serving as the Co-Founder, Executive Director, and Chief Operating Officer of Tejas Networks, an Indian technology company specializing in optical communication equipment. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Electronics and Communication Engineering from the IIT, Kharagpur, and a Master’s degree in Computer Science from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Arnob co-founded Tejas Networks in 2000 with the vision of creating a global product company from India. Under his leadership, the company has achieved remarkable success, including becoming the first deep-tech product company in India to go public in 2017. Tejas Networks has established itself as a leader in optical access and aggregation solutions, boasting a substantial market share in India and deploying network elements across 75 countries.
In addition to his corporate achievements, Arnob is dedicated to fostering research partnerships with premier institutions like IIT KGP, contributing to advancements in telecommunications technology.
Sandeep Kalra (Persistent Systems)
Sandeep Kalra is the Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director of Persistent Systems, a leading player in the digital transformation space. With a robust background in the software services industry, Sandeep has been instrumental in steering Persistent Systems from a niche technology provider to a comprehensive digital transformation partner, earning recognition as one of the highest paid CEO in India.
Before assuming his current role, Sandeep held various leadership positions, including Senior Vice President and General Manager at HARMAN International, where he focused on next-generation solutions across cloud, analytics, and mobility. He also served in multiple roles at HCL Technologies, contributing significantly to their operations in healthcare and emerging markets. Sandeep is an alumnus of the Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta, and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering.
Salil S Parekh (Infosys)
Salil S. Parekh has been the Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Infosys since 2 January 2018. With nearly three decades of experience in the IT services industry, Parekh has a strong reputation for digital transformation and executing successful business turnarounds. He graduated with a BTech in Aeronautical Engineering from the IIT Bombay and holds a Master of Engineering degree in Computer Science.
Before Infosys, Parekh had been working in various leadership positions at Capgemini for 25 years. He contributed to the growth and turnaround of the company by overseeing application services and cloud infrastructure. He also worked as a Partner at Ernst & Young, where he played a key role in scaling the firm’s operations in India.
His strategic vision has been recognized through multiple accolades, including being named “Best IT CEO” by Fortune India in 2022 and receiving the Forbes India Leadership Award for Best CEO in the Private Sector.
Sundeep Sikka (Nippon Life India Asset Management)
Sundeep Sikka is the Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of Nippon Life India Asset Management (NAM India), bringing over 28 years of extensive experience in the financial services industry, particularly in asset management. He joined NAM India in 2003, under his leadership, NAM India became the first asset management company in India to go public in 2017 and has since managed over USD 60 billion in assets across various funds.
Sikka has held significant positions within the industry, including Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the Association of Mutual Funds in India (AMFI) and roles with regulatory bodies such as the Reserve Bank of India and FICCI. His strategic vision led to the successful acquisition of Goldman Sachs Asset Management’s mutual fund business in 2016 and a joint venture with Nippon Life Insurance, which became the primary shareholder in 2019. An alumnus of Harvard Business School and Pune University, Sikka is recognized as one of the highest paid CEO in India.
S Khosla – Crompton Greaves Consumer Electricals
Shantanu Khosla is a prominent figure in the consumer electrical industry, currently serving as the Managing Director of Crompton Greaves Consumer Electricals Limited, a leading Indian company known for its innovative electrical products and solutions. With a career spanning over two decades, Khosla has a rich background in managing and driving growth in consumer-focused businesses. Before joining Crompton in 2022, he held the position of Managing Director at Procter & Gamble India, where he was instrumental in enhancing brand presence and market share across various product categories.
SN Subrahmanyan – Larsen & Toubro (L&T)
S. N. Subrahmanyan, commonly known as SNS, is the Chairman and Managing Director of Larsen & Toubro (L&T), one of the largest infrastructure and engineering companies in the world. Born on 16 March 1960, in Chennai, India, he graduated with a degree in Civil Engineering from the National Institute of Technology, Kurukshetra, and later earned an MBA from Symbiosis Institute of Business Management. SNS joined L&T in 1984 as a project planning engineer and has since risen through the ranks, holding various leadership positions, including Deputy Managing Director and President before taking on his current role in July 2017.
He also serves as Vice Chairman of L&T Technology Services and LTI Mindtree, as well as Chairman of L&T Metro Rail (Hyderabad). In addition to his corporate responsibilities, he was appointed Chairman of the National Safety Council in 2021, where he advocates for workplace safety.
Conclusion: The Broader Implications
The trend of escalating CEO salary in India has become a focal point of discussion, as top executives increasingly command compensation packages that reflect their pivotal roles in corporate growth and innovation.
The Top 10 CEO Salary in India not only highlights individual achievements but also reflects the increasing alignment of Indian executive pay scales with global standards. These highest paid CEO in India have driven strategic innovation, significantly influencing their companies’ financial and operational performance. Their contributions are a testament to the critical role CEOs play in shaping the trajectory of India’s economic landscape.
