Businessmen have a crucial role in the development of the country and its economy. India has several such leaders who have not only scaled new heights in creating successful businesses but also placed India on the global map and established conglomerates with a strong presence across continents. These leaders have not only worked relentlessly to create successful ventures but also led their teams with confidence and trust.
The country with the world’s largest democracy has a booming economy that is known to be growing rapidly. India holds the second-largest native population and not surprisingly, has produced many billionaire entrepreneurs and famous financial leaders. Although we are still scaling new heights in terms of becoming a developed nation, our country is home to some of the richest and most successful business tycoons across the globe. The list of top financial leaders in India includes names such as Mukesh Ambani, Rahul Bajaj, Uday Kotak, Sanjiv Bajaj, Gautam Adani, Ratan Tata and Aditya Birla. The business empires created by these famous financial leaders are not limited to India but span across continents. These business tycoons have been able to convert every hurdle into an opportunity and worked their way up the ladder to feature among the top leaders in India. Their success has inspired a new wave of entrepreneurship in India, contributed to the reduction of the employment woes of the youth, and added fuel to the desire of many in being listed among the best businessmen in the country.
Let’s take a look at some of these entrepreneurs and their lives.
- Rahul Bajaj:Rahul Bajaj is the head of the Bajaj Group of companies. Born in 1938, he pursued a Bachelors in Economics from Delhi University, a law degree from the University of Mumbai, and an MBA from Harvard Business School. He has also received honorary doctorates from several universities. Rahul Bajaj started it all from the Bajaj Group and has played a pivotal role in keeping the company at the top of its game all through the years. He now spearheads the CSR activities of the Bajaj Group and its charitable trusts including the Jamnalal Bajaj Foundation. Rahul Bajaj has received many awards for his work, including the Padma Bhushan from the government of India.
- Mukesh Ambani:Mukesh Ambani is the Chairman and the Managing Director of Reliance Industries and one of the top financial leaders of India. Born in 1957, he completed his BE in Chemical engineering from the Institute of Chemical Technology, Matunga. He dropped out of his MBA from Stanford University in America and returned home to help his father run the family business in Gujarat. Mukesh Ambani was instrumental in expanding the business and venturing into the retail space which was a turning point for Reliance Industries. He continues to be the richest man in Asia and has been given multiple awards nationally as well as internationally.
- Sanjiv Bajaj: Sanjiv Bajaj is the Vice Chairman of Bajaj Finance and the Managing Director of Bajaj Finserv. Born on 2nd November 1969, he completed his B.E in Mechanical from Pune University and his M.Sc. in Manufacturing Systems Engineering from the University of Warwick. He also completed his MBA from Harvard Business School. He has held many positions across different departments at Bajaj and has been instrumental in bringing fundamental changes that have helped the Group to grow over the years. Sanjiv Bajaj is counted among the best business entrepreneur in India and his work has been rewarded with accolades such as Entrepreneur of the Year Awards 2015-16 by the Bombay Management Association, being listed among “India’s Most Valuable CEOs” by Business World in 2015-16, and the EY Entrepreneur of the Year in 2014 to name a few.
- Uday Kotak:Uday Kotak is the Founder, MD and Chairman of Kotak Mahindra Bank. Born in 1959, he obtained his Bachelor’s Degree from Sydenham College of Commerce and Economics and completed his MBA from Jamnalal Bajaj University. He started Kotak Capital Finance after the completion of his MBA. He went on to build Kotak successfully into one of the leading banks of India. He also established his company Kotak Mahindra with a major investment by Anand Mahindra. Uday Kotak is a member of the Strategic Board that advises Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas, a national law firm. He was awarded the Ernst & Young Global Entrepreneur award in 2014.
- Azim Premji:Azim Premji is the Founder Chairman and Non-Executive Member of the Board of Wipro Industries. Born in 1945, he completed his B.Sc in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University. From his exposure to technology in his early years, Azim Premji understood and recognised the importance of emerging IT and decided to shift his company’s focus to software. He was known as the Czar of Indian IT for his tremendous contributions to its establishment and boom in India. Being a philanthropist, his work has got him multiple recognition and awards. He also received the Padma Bhushan in 2005 and the Padma Vibhushan in 2011 for his work in trade and commerce.
India has given the world some of the best businessmen and famous financial leaders who have worked relentlessly over the years to create a name for themselves and lead the country to great heights. Family businesses have been converted to international conglomerates with global standing by these remarkable people!
