Hurun India's Rich List 2024, Richest Professional Managers: India has experienced an unparalleled increase in wealth creation, with a new billionaire emerging every five days, as reported by the Hurun India Rich List 2024. The country's billionaire count has surpassed 300 for the first time, hitting a record 334, a 29% rise over the previous year, with India's ultra-wealthy population increasing by 220 people, bringing the total to 1,539 persons and a net worth of above ₹1,000 crore, making it the first time the list has reached 1,500 entries, based on the same report. Aside from entrepreneurs, India has also demonstrated its ability to produce exceptional professional managers who have significantly contributed to the growth of major corporations, resulting in wealth accumulation and an increase in net worth. The wealthiest Indian or Indian-origin professional managers, who joined the companies after their founding, have significantly contributed to their growth and benefitted from stock options, thereby accumulating wealth and increasing their net worth. Leading the list is the President and CEO of Arista Networks, Jayshree Ullal, with an estimated net worth of ₹32,100 crore (approximately $3.9 billion). Under her leadership, Arista Networks transformed from a startup to a multibillion-dollar enterprise, particularly after its successful IPO in 2014. Since taking the helm in 2014 and successfully steering Microsoft through a transformative phase, emphasising cloud computing and AI technologies, the Indian-origin CEO of Microsoft, Satya Nadella, ranks third with a net worth of ₹8,000 crore. His leadership has not only increased the company's market value but also expanded its global influence. Following Nadella, Ignatius Navil Noronha, CEO of Avenue Supermart—which operates the popular DMart retain chain—is the only professional manager from India in the list. Ranking fourth with a net worth of Rs 6,900 crore, under Noronha's leadership, DMart has expanded its footprint across India, making it a dominant player in the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) market. Notably, Sundar Pichai, the CEO of Alphabet Inc. (Google's parent company), with a net worth of ₹5,400 crore, Shantanu Narayen, the CEO of Adobe Inc., with a net worth of ₹4,700 crore, and Indra Nooyi, the former CEO of PepsiCo, with a net worth of ₹3,900 crore, have also featured on the list, ranking seventh, eighth, and ninth, respectively. Top 10 Richest Indian/Indian-origin Professional Managers in 2024: Here are the top 10 richest Indian professional managers, highlighting their wealth, designation, and company affiliations. Rank Name Wealth (INR Cr) Designation Company 1 Jayshree Ullal 32,100 President and CEO Arista Networks 2 Nikesh Arora 9,300 Chairman and CEO Palo Alto Networks 3 Satya Nadella 8,000 CEO Microsoft 4 Ignatius Navil Noronha 6,900 CEO Avenue Supermarts 5 Thomas Kurian 5,500 CEO Google Cloud 5 Ajaypal Singh Banga 5,500 President World Bank 7 Sundar Pichai 5,400 CEO Alphabet Inc. (Google) 8 Shantanu Narayen 4,700 Chairman, President, and CEO Adobe 9 Indra K Nooyi 3,900 former CEO PepsiCo 10 Sanjay Mehrotra 2,700 President and CEO Micron Technology Source: Hurun Rich List 2024
