India's Best CEOs 2018

Aditya Puri, Ex-MD, HDFC Bank - Photograph by Rachit Goswami

Updated : Dec 26, 2020

Best Yet to Come

The 70-year-old Aditya Puri, who spent over two-and-a-half decades as CEO & MD, banked on risk mitigation, technology and retail/rural outreach to create India's second-largest bank from scratch

Alluri Indra Kumar, Chairman and MD of Avanti Feeds - Photograph by Krishnendu Halder

Updated : Dec 25, 2020

The Caretaker

Alluri Indra Kumar ensured that prawn farmers were not impacted during the lockdown

Anil Rai Gupta, Chairman and Managing Director, Havells India - Photograph by Yasir Iqbal

Updated : Dec 25, 2020

Self-reliant CEO

Anil Rai Gupta of Havells is reaping the fruits of relying on own resources and an acquisition that is starting to pay off

Updated : Dec 25, 2020

Coach and Captain

Ashish Bharat Ram is putting the pedal to the metal at SRF as focus on chemicals and exports pays off

Updated : Dec 25, 2020

Raising the Bar

C Vijayakumar transformed HCL Tech with focus on products and digital services

Updated : Dec 25, 2020

Reinventing Businesses

How the pandemic has changed CEO's agenda for the future

Deepak C Mehta, Chairman and Managing Director of Deepak Nitrite - Photograph by Nandan Dave

Updated : Dec 25, 2020

The Chemical Man

Backed by aggressive product-expansion strategies and big investments, D.C. Mehta-led Deepak Nitrite is taking the global chemical industry by storm

Gurdeep Singh, Chairman and Managing Director, NTPC Ltd. - Photograph by Krishnendu Halder

Updated : Dec 25, 2020

Eye on the Future

Gurdeep Singh has proved his mettle as CMD of NTPC by steering the company from coal-based generation to green energy

HM Bangur, MD, Shree Cement - Photograph by Subir Halder

Updated : Dec 25, 2020

Cementing Gains

H.M Bangur keeps costs and debt under check to deliver a winner

Updated : Dec 25, 2020

How We Did It

Providing direction in uncertain times

K.V. Kamath, former Chairman, ICICI Bank - Photograph by Rachit Goswami

Updated : Dec 25, 2020

After using technology to transform Indian banking and steering Infosys past its biggest crisis, K.V. Kamath, former Chairman, ICICI Bank, helped multilateral lender New Development Bank scale up massively during his five-year stint

Kenichi Ayukawa, MD and CEO, Maruti Suzuki India - Photograph by Rachit Goswami

Updated : Dec 25, 2020

The CEO for All Seasons

In a tough year, with the odds stacked against him, Kenichi Ayukawa ensured Maruti Suzuki stayed on course and ahead of its peers

Mukesh Ambani, Chairman and Managing Director of Reliance Industries - Photograph by Bandeep Singh

Updated : Dec 25, 2020

Mercurial Transformer

Mukesh Ambani built three sector-dominating businesses under RIL and cleaned off the conglomerate's debts by raising Rs 2.89 lakh crore

Nikhil Nanda, Chairman and Managing Director of Escorts Group - Photograph by Vivan Mehra

Updated : Dec 25, 2020

Back From the Brink

From facing a potential collapse to becoming one of the best performing automotive firms in the country, Nikhil Nanda has scripted a remarkable turnaround story at Escorts

Premchand Godha, Chairman and MD, IPCA Laboratories - Photograph by Milind Shelte

Updated : Dec 25, 2020

The Pain Controller

Premchand Godha's strategy for IPCA has not changed, it's about being integrated and focusSING on profitability

Rajeev Jain, Managing Director and CEO, Bajaj Finance (BFL) - Photograph by Rachit Goswami

Updated : Dec 25, 2020

Quantum Leaper

Rajeev Jain focussed on product creation in retail and SME lending at Bajaj Finance, while engaging more with customers using data analytics

Rajesh Gopinathan, MD and CEO, TCS - Photograph by Mandar Deodhar

Updated : Dec 25, 2020

Universal Reinventor

Under Rajesh Gopinathan, TCS has integrated a wide cross-section of automation products to create the machine first delivery model

Sanjeev Kumar, Managing Director, Gujarat Gas - Photograph by Nandan Dev

Updated : Dec 25, 2020

Full Throttle

State PSU Gujarat Gas made the most out of pipeline network in its home state and rising demand from industrial consumers

Sanjiv Mehta, MD and Chairman , HUL - Photograph by Rachit Goswami

Updated : Dec 25, 2020

The Empowerer

Sanjiv Mehta delegated responsibility and relied on quick market feedback and cost control in order to thrive in the marketplace

Suresh Narayanan, Chairman and Managing Director, Nestle India - Photograph by Yasir Iqbal

Updated : Dec 25, 2020

Growth Architect

From a fuddy-duddy, old fashioned multinational to a young, agile and innovative food major - Suresh Narayanan has ensured a turnaround for Nestle India