Who will be Nvidia's next CEO? 3 Indian-origin tech leaders in the spotlight

Nvidia has reportedly begun the search for a permanent chief executive following the departure of long-time leader Jensen Huang, with three Indian-origin executives emerging among the potential contenders for the top position at the US-based chipmaker.

Sanjay Mehrotra, Nikesh Arora and Thomas Kurian are among the names being discussed for the role, according to India Today. The company’s board is reportedly considering both internal and external candidates as it prepares for a major leadership transition.

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Nvidia has appointed Chief Financial Officer Colette Kress as interim CEO while the search for a permanent successor continues. The next chief executive will be responsible for steering the company through the rapidly expanding artificial intelligence (AI) market, increasing competition, geopolitical tensions and export restrictions.

Who are the three Indian-origin executives?

Sanjay Mehrotra, CEO of Micron Technology, brings extensive experience in the semiconductor industry. He has led Micron since 2017 and previously co-founded SanDisk in 1988, later serving as its chief executive. His experience in memory chips and the growing demand for AI infrastructure could make him a notable name in the succession discussion.

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Nikesh Arora, CEO of cybersecurity company Palo Alto Networks, is another potential contender. According to media reports cited in the India Today article, his name has been floated for the position. Arora previously held senior leadership roles at SoftBank and Google. His experience managing large technology businesses could be relevant, although his professional background is more closely associated with cybersecurity and technology management than semiconductor manufacturing.

Thomas Kurian, CEO of Google Cloud, is also reportedly being considered. He oversees cloud infrastructure, enterprise software and AI services, giving him experience in managing large-scale technology operations and relationships with major corporate customers.

Other contenders in the race

Several other prominent technology executives have also emerged in reports about Nvidia’s succession plans. These include Colette Kress and Nvidia vice-president Ian Buck, alongside Arm CEO Rene Haas, AMD chief Lisa Su, former Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger, Marvell Technology CEO Matt Murphy and Apple hardware chief Johny Srouji.

Former Apple CEO Tim Cook has also been mentioned among the potential candidates.

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Challenges for Nvidia’s next CEO

The next leader will inherit a company central to the global AI boom. Nvidia’s graphics processing units and software ecosystem have made it a major supplier of computing power for AI development.

The new CEO will need to sustain growth, strengthen relationships with customers and technology partners, and navigate regulatory scrutiny and international trade restrictions.