While making significant strides in various sectors, there are leaders in India who are standing out for their work worldwide. The “Global Indian Leaders 2023” list curated by World Brand Affairs has featured leaders from across the country who are known for their innovative, resilient, and persistent approach to functioning in their respective industries. These people are heading towards new heights and establishing standards for excellence. The list honors their outstanding efforts and accomplishments which have propelled their companies to unbound success. Their inclusion in the list highlights their exceptional abilities to navigate challenges, adapt to changing market trends, and consistently deliver groundbreaking results.
Gaurav Munjal, CEO of Unacademy
Gaurav Munjal is the co-founder and CEO of Unacademy, India’s largest online learning platform. With a vision to democratize education, Munjal pioneered Unacademy’s growth, transforming it into a leading ed-tech powerhouse. His innovative leadership has revolutionized accessible and quality education, empowering millions of learners across the globe.
Kunal Shah, Founder of CRED
Kunal Shah is the founder and CEO of CRED, a fintech startup revolutionizing credit card payments in India. As a serial entrepreneur, Shah previously founded FreeCharge, later acquired by Snapdeal. His innovative approach to creating rewarding credit experiences has helped CRED to redefine credit card usage while fostering financial literacy.
Ashish Hemrajani, Co-founder and CEO of BookMyShow
Ashish Hemrajani is the co-founder and CEO of BookMyShow, India’s leading online entertainment ticketing platform. Hemrajani’s unique idea revolutionized the way people book tickets for movies, events, and live performances. His ingenious leadership transformed BookMyShow into a cultural phenomenon, reshaping the access to entertainment industry across the country.
Fardin Sheikh, Managing Director at Wizence Group
Fardin Sheikh is a seasoned professional with over 25 years of exemplary leadership experience, earning him recognition as a Distinguished Digital Transformation Leader. His dynamic career spans across various roles, showcasing a remarkable blend of strategic vision, project management acumen, and a strong commitment to driving digital innovation.
Pariksha Rao, Founder of NuWe
Starting as a Clinical Nutritionist, Pariksha Rao has morphed into various roles with the intent to help demystify and democratize healthcare. From maternal well-being to fetal health and tailored nutrition for weaning kids to teens, her work has helped impact over 200,000 lives over nearly two decades of her career. She continues to amplify her impact with NuWe.
Poojaa Choprah, CEO and MD of Felix Impex
Poojaa Choprah, a visionary CEO & MD of Felix Impex Pvt Ltd., and founder of PNA ORIGINE, is renowned for strategic business acumen and market expansions. A trailblazer in entrepreneurship, her global fashion insights, artistic fervor as a Kathak dancer, and bespoke training expertise redefine success, weaving innovation and cultural fluency into her vibrant career.
Amandeep Kaur Khangura, Director of Tru Prime
Amandeep is a Canadian born entrepreneur who moved to India in 2011, and acquired Indian Citizenship to follow her passion to bring social empowerment in rural Punjab. During her time in Canada, Amandeep chaired HR & Finance for a $500M project. Currently, in India, she operates Majara Dairy Farm which has 2,600 livestock and is the largest dairy farm operator in Punjab and one of the largest in India.
Pt. Dr. Sanjeev Kumar Srivastava, Nadi and Vedic Celebrity Astrologer
Renowned globally as a luminary in Nadi and Vedic astrology, Pt. Dr. Sanjeev Kumar Srivastava is celebrated across 70+ nations for his remarkable precision in predictions & teaching Nadi Astrology. With an illustrious career spanning 27 years, his astonishing success rate of 95-97% and expertise in Nadi Nakshatra Sutras exemplify his command in the celestial arts.
Dr. Prachiti Punde, Director of Proluxe and Wellness & Studio
Dr. Prachiti Punde is a powerhouse in Integrated Medicine, Director of Proluxe Pvt Ltd, and Mrs. Universe Tolerance 2021. She transforms health and lifestyle with an exclusive GLAMOWELL multi-experience centre and revolutionizes wellness with patented tools and a unique mobile app. Along with being a spiritually blessed child, she is also an Anesthetist and mindskills Trainer with 15+ books published.
Sanju Pudyandil, Founder of Whitespace Brand Consulting
Sanju Pudyandil, a luminary in brand management and marketing, launched Whitespace Brand Consulting after honing his expertise at Ray+Keshavan, presently Super Union. Renowned for orchestrating transformative corporate revamps, he spearheaded impactful makeovers for illustrious brands like Canara Bank, Trident Hotels, J&K Bank, Punj Lloyd, CEAT Tyres, and Fair & Lovely, among others.
Stuti Galiya, Partner at Khaitan & Co.
Stuti, an esteemed Advocate and solicitor, serves as a Partner at Khaitan & Co., excelling in mergers & acquisitions, private equity, corporate laws, commercial contracts, and foreign investments. Recognized as the “Luxury Retail Lawyer of the Year 2023” by APAC Insider, her expertise in the luxury retail sector marks her as an ingenious leader in the Asia-Pacific legal domain.
Srividhya, Founder of HITECH Engineering Solutions (India)
Srividhya, founder of HITECH Engineering Solutions (India) holds a deeply rooted legacy in Construction since 1998. Her indomitable optimism defied industry challenges, establishing a prominent platform despite male-dominated norms. Under her guidance, the company thrives as a certified SSI unit with ISO 9001:2015, ISO 14001:2015 & OHSAS 4500: 2018 qualifications, renowned for cost-effective solutions nationwide and across Asia.
Debabrata Sarkar, CMD at MicroAlgae Solutions
Debabrata Sarkar is an agricultural innovator with 26+ years of global experience. Armed with a BCKVV agriculture degree and IIM Kolkata alumni status, he led strategic units for esteemed firms in Asia Pacific. He is currently serving as the CMD at MicroAlgae Solutions India Pvt Ltd, a subsidiary of AlgaEnergy Spain.
Mogilipuri Krishna Chaitanya, Director at Wonder View Media
As a Director at Wonder View Media Pvt Ltd, a CMPTL franchise specializing in IT services and Business Consulting, Mogilipuri Krishna Chaitanya facilitated substantial growth for his brother’s business. With over 9 years of experience, he continues to excel as a Software Engineer at Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) and has made significant contributions to tech giants like Apple, Google, and more.
Subhajit Banik, Founder of Birdlens Creation
Subhajit ventured into photography in 2007 as a model, cultivating expertise in lighting and creative framing. Winner of the Glamhunt competition by ABP group in 2010, he founded Birdlens Creation in 2015. Specializing in wedding photography, Subhajit crafts timeless, emotive images reflecting couples’ love and joy.
Dr Rahul Mirchandani, Chairman & Managing Director of Aries Agro Limited
Dr. Rahul Mirchandani, ranked among the 30 Most Innovative CEOs in India, has pioneered unique strategies to build 130+ Aries specialty crop nutrition brands. With a PhD in Management Studies, he teaches Marketing, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship across 50+ B-Schools. He plays key roles in CII’s agriculture council, and key governmental panels and was the National Chairman of CII’s Young Indians.
Vinay Kumar Singh, Executive Director and CEO of Thomson Digital and Q&I (India)
Vinay Kumar Singh is the Executive Director and CEO of Thomson Digital and Q&I, with over 30 years of industry expertise. He pioneered Thomson Digital in India and globally, founding associated companies and an education technology startup. Specializing in scientific and educational content, Vinay completed his Executive Training Programs at ISB Hyderabad.
Saurabh Gupta, Founder & CEO of Verismart.ai
A 3-time entrepreneur and angel investor in 9 deep tech firms, Saurabh Gupta is now leading Verismart.ai which pioneer in blockchain-based Ad-tech/Data Interoperability platform with over 520M+ users data pipeline while ensuring privacy compliance. He also acquired dolphinchat.ai., and has been a speaker at 50+ global conferences talking about Blockchain and data privacy.
Vikkas K Jha, Founder of Brand Kettle
Vikkas K Jha, an ace marketing professional turned visionary entrepreneur, founded Brand Kettle amidst the pandemic. With expertise in Commercial Fitouts, Retail Roll-Outs & experiential marketing, he expanded Brand Kettle’s services, integrating 30+ brands, within 3 years. He is also driving impactful social change via the Brand Kettle Foundation’s NGO initiatives.
Atharva Bahadur, CEO of Drishti Pures
Atharva Bahadur is the CEO of Drishti Pures in Lucknow. Under Atharva’s leadership, Drishti Pures, a pioneering endeavor, engages abandoned, differently-abled children in producing Cold Pressed Oil and processing pure spices, aiming to foster self-reliance among them. Currently housing 260 abandoned children, Drishti remains the largest institution of its kind globally.
Harsh Niwas, Manager Legal and Team Lead at Unitech Limited
Harsh Niwas is an international consultant having more than 12 years of experience in the Real Estate and Mining industries. His expertise lies in project management, legal strategy, and stakeholder communication, delivering successful outcomes and operational efficiency. Known for strong leadership, negotiation, and collaboration skills, he ensures compliance and value creation within teams and organizations.
Hussain Kalsekar, Founder and CEO of 366 DigitX
Renowned for fostering enduring relationships with corporate decision-makers, Hussain Kalsekar has steered 366 DigitX to unparalleled heights. His client-centric approach has garnered him accolades globally. Recognized as one of the top 100 smartest digital marketing leaders by the World Marketing Congress, he was also recently honored among the Top 50 Global High Flyers and awarded as the Leader in Digital Marketing for 2023.
