Top 10 Most Admired Entrepreneurs in India
India's most admired entrepreneurs:
The leadership, diligence, foresight and wisdom that a great entrepreneur demonstrates can help shape a company's -- even a nation's -- destiny. Indian corporate history is replete with business icons who have changed the way the world looks at India, and helped shape a new future for the nation.
But before we move on further, here is a caveat: This list of India's corporate giants is by no means complete. Nor have these Indian business icons been ranked. Their pictures have been arranged in random order. Also, stalwarts like JRD Tata, Dhirubhai Ambani, G D Birla and others who are not amongst us today have not been mentioned in the slide show.
Here's a list of some of India's most admired entrepreneurs. Do share your thoughts with us on the message board below.
Ratan Tata
Ratan Naval Tata has been in the news for the past few days due to the unseemly controversy over the Nano car plant in Singur, West Bengal.The 70-year-old is the chairman of the Tata Group, which is one of India's largest conglomerates.
A bachelor, Tata is one of the most admired businessmen not just in India but the world over. He has been at the helm of the Tata empire since 1991.
Image: Ratan Tata, chairman of one of India's largest conglomerates, the Tata Group.
N R Narayana Murthy Nagavara Ramarao Narayana Murthy is the co-founder, non-executive chairman and chief mentor of India's best known software firm, Infosys Technologies Ltd.
Murthy is a globally known and highly regarded entrepreneur.
Image: N R Narayana Murthy, chief mentor and non-executive chairman of Infosys Technologies.
Azim Premji Azim Premji is the chairman Wipro, India's second largest software firm after Tata Consultancy Services.
Premji is credited with transforming Wipro, his family's vegetable oil business, into one of the world's foremost software company.
Although one of the richest Indians, he flies economy class and is happiest when hiking, reading or discussing the foundation he has set up to promote primary education.
Image: Wipro chairman Azim Premji.
Forbes the world's fifth richest man and his net worth is estimated at $43 billion.
The Indian billionaire and his younger brother parted ways after the death of their father, Dhirubhai, the patriarch of the Reliance empire.
Mukesh is currently building a $2-billion home on Mumbai's Altamount Road.
Image: Reliance Industries chairman and managing director Mukesh Ambani.
The chairman of the Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group, Anil has a vast range of companies under his umbrella: Reliance Communications, Reliance Capital, Reliance Mutual Funds, Reliance Energy, etc.
He is married to former Bollywood actress Tina Munim.
Image: Anil Ambani, Chairman of Reliance Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group.
Sunil Bharti Mittal Bharti Group chairman & managing director Sunil Bharti Mittal is one of India's greatest success stories. In just a period of 10 years, he has built India's largest cellular services company.
His net worth is estimated at close to $12 billion.
Image: Bharti Telecommunications chairman Sunil Bharti Mittal.
An alumnus of Harvard Business School, Bajaj is an outspoken and fearless entrepreneur. His two sons, Rajiv Bajaj and Sanjiv, are now handling the Bajaj businesses, under his guidance.
Image: Bajaj Auto chairman Rahul Bajaj.
The 53-year-old businessman has taken his company to unprecedented heights. He is married to Anuradha Mahindra, who edits three niche magazines.
Image: Anand Mahindra, vice chairman and managing director of India's leading farm equipment and automobile maker Mahindra and Mahindra.
An IIT-Madras alumnus, Gopalakrishnan is a very soft-spoken and shy person. His net worth is estimated to be around $1.4 billion. ]Image: Infosys Technologies CEO S 'Kris' Gopalakrishnan.
Even when India was still a closed economy, he managed to take his group to great heights. When India embraced economic reforms, he changed the way his group did business to face the challenges of changing times and needs. Godrej is also involved in philanthropy.
Image: Godrej Group chairman Adi Godrej.
Lakshmi N MittalLakshmi Niwas Mittal is the chief executive officer of the world's largest steel company, Arcelor Mittal. He is also said to be the richest Indian in the world with a net worth of $45 billion.
Although he resides in London, UK, Mittal still holds an Indian passport. He is also making big ticket investments in India.
Image: Arcelor Mittal CEO Lakshmi Mittal.
Kumar Mangalam Birla Forty one-year-old Kumar Mangalam Birla is among the world's youngest billionaires with a net worth of $10 billion. He is the chairman of the Aditya Birla Group.
The group has giant companies like Grasim, Hindalco, Aditya Birla Nuvo, Idea Cellular and UltraTech Cement in its fold.
Image: Aditya Birla Group chairman Kumar Mangalam Birla.
Sabeer Bhatia Sabeer Bhatia co-founded Hotmail, one of the first e-mail services on the Internet, along with Jack Smith.
Later he sold it to software giant Microsoft for $400 million.
Image: Hotmail founder Sabeer Bhatia.
Uday Kota Uday Kotak is managing director of Kotak Mahindra Bank.
His wealth is estimated to be at around $2.3 billion.
Image: Kotak Mahindra chairman Uday Kotak.
Tulsi TantiTulsi Tanti is the chairman of Suzlon Energy, a wind power major.
Years ago when as a textile businessman, Tanti was facing huge and ever-rising power costs, he chanced upon a solution in the 'wind.' He commissioned a wind energy solution for his company a decade back. Convinced about the economics of the deal, he later decided to venture full-steam into the business.
A commerce graduate and a diploma holder in mechanical engineering, Tanti, has built an empire in the wind energy business.
Suzlon Energy is the sixth largest wind energy company in the world and the largest in Asia.
Image: Tulsi Tanti, chairman, Suzlon.
Malvinder SinghMalvinder Mohan Singh is the elder son of the iconic Parvinder Singh who turned Ranbaxy from a middling Indian company into a growing multinational giant.
He is the grandson of the founder of Ranbaxy Laboratories.
In June, 2008, Malvinder stunned the nation by marking the largest ever deal in Indian pharmaceuticals industry. Japanese drug firm Daiichi Sankyo acquired a majority stake of more than 50 per cent in domestic major Ranbaxy. Under the deal structure that would create the 15th biggest drugmaker globally, the Japanese firm would acquire the entire 34.82 per cent stake in the Gurgaon-based firm from its current promoters Malvinder Singh and family.
Image: Ranbaxy Laboratories CEO Malvinder Singh.
Rajiv Bajaj Rajiv Bajaj is the managing director of Bajaj Auto.
The Pune-based Bajaj Auto is one of India's largest two- and three-wheeler manufacturer.
Image: Bajaj Auto managing director Rajiv Bajaj.
Jeh WadiaJeh Wadiais the managing director of Go Air. The 34-year-old is the youngest son of entrepreneur Nusli Wadia. Jeh's brother Ness is the managing director of Bombay Dyeing.
Image: Wadia Group chairman Jeh Wadia.
Gautam SinghaniaGautam Singhania is the managing director of the Raymond Group.
Raymond is one of India's largest clothing firm.
Image: Raymond Limited chairman Gautam.
Yash Birla Yash Birla is the chairman of the Yash Birla Group.
The group is a part of the Birla legacy, one of India's oldest, largest and most reputed business groups. The Yash Birla Group is acting as a catalyst to India's economic growth. A conglomerate of 14 companies, the group has interest in auto-components & engineering; power solutions; textiles; lifestyle; and infrastructure & real estate
Image: Industrialist Yash Birla.
Kishore Biyani Kishore Biyani is the chief executive officer of Future Group. He is the pioneer of the retail boom in India.
His Big Bazaar chain of departmental stores is the fastest growing in India.
Image: Future Group CEO Kishore Biyani.
Jignesh Shah Jignesh Shah is the vice chairman Multi Commodity Exchange of India (MCX).
He is also the chairman and group CEO of Financial Technologies India Ltd. Image: MCX CEO Jignesh Shah
Naveen Jindal Thirty eight-year-old Naveen Jindal is a Member of Parliament and an entrepreneur with interests in the steel and power sectors. He handles the Jindal Group.
The group's operations are spread over Haryana, Mahatashtra, Madhya Pradesha and Chhattisgarh.
Image: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh presents the FICCI annual award to Navin Jindal of Jindal Steel and Power Ltd.
Brijmohan Lal Munjal The Munjals-led Hero Honda Motors Ltd is the world's largest manufacturer of motorcycles. Brijmohan Lal Munjal is the chairman of the company, while his son, Pawan, is managing director and CEO of the auto major.
Image: Hero Honda Motors Ltd chairman Brijmohan Lall (R) and managing director and chief executive officer of HHML, Pawan Munjal
