Indian-origin executives are occupying an increasingly prominent position at the top of the global technology industry, leading some of the world’s most influential companies as the sector enters a new era dominated by artificial intelligence, cloud computing and digital transformation.
Among the most prominent figures are Satya Nadella, chairman and chief executive of Microsoft, and Sundar Pichai, chief executive of Google and its parent company Alphabet. Both were born in India before building their careers in the United States and rising through the ranks of Silicon Valley.
Their influence extends beyond the two technology giants. Arvind Krishna, who was born in India and educated at IIT Kanpur, leads IBM, while Shantanu Narayen, an Indian-born technology executive, has led Adobe for more than 18 years.
Adobe’s leadership transition is also adding another Indian-origin executive to the top tier of global technology. The company has appointed Anil Chakravarthy, who was born in Bengaluru and educated at IIT and MIT, as its next president and chief executive. He is scheduled to take over in December, with Narayen moving to executive chairman.
The concentration of Indian-origin leadership at major technology companies has become particularly significant as artificial intelligence reshapes the industry. A 2026 TIME list of the 100 most influential people in AI included nine people of Indian origin, spanning corporate leadership, research, healthcare, public policy and AI development.
The phenomenon reflects a broader Indian presence in the global technology workforce. India has for decades produced large numbers of engineers and technology professionals, while its universities, particularly the Indian Institutes of Technology, have supplied talent to companies in the United States and other major technology markets.
At the same time, India’s own technology sector has expanded rapidly. Indian IT companies such as Tata Consultancy Services, Infosys and Wipro employ hundreds of thousands of professionals and increasingly focus on artificial intelligence, cloud computing and advanced digital services.
Wipro, for example, said this month that its AI initiatives had freed capacity equivalent to about 20,000 employees, while more than 100,000 of its workers had been trained in advanced AI skills.
India’s growing network of Global Capability Centres is also changing the country’s role in the technology economy. More than 2,100 such centres are operating in India, employing millions of skilled professionals, with a growing share involved in research, product development, artificial intelligence and innovation rather than traditional back-office functions.
The rise of Indian-origin executives, however, is not simply a story of corporate representation. It reflects the increasingly international nature of the technology industry, where talent can move across borders and leadership positions are no longer concentrated among executives from the countries where major technology companies were founded.
For India, the growing presence of its technology talent at the highest levels of global business offers a source of international influence. For the global technology industry, it highlights the importance of India’s large engineering workforce, entrepreneurial ecosystem and expanding role in artificial intelligence.
As the next generation of technology companies develops around AI, semiconductors, cloud infrastructure and digital platforms, Indian-origin professionals are positioned to remain among the influential figures shaping how those technologies are developed and deployed worldwide.
