Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai topped the HSBC Hurun Global Indians List 2026. Companies led by global Indians reached a $15 trillion value, up 53% since 2024. Anas Rahman Junaid said, "Founding a company shows ambition, but being chosen to lead one shows the world's trust." Software remains the largest industry.

Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai has topped the HSBC Hurun Global Indians List 2026, as companies led by global Indian reach $15 trillion value this year, up 53% since the inaugural 2024 list. Here's a look at the top five names on the list...

Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai has topped the HSBC Hurun Global Indians List 2026, which tracks leaders of Indian origin, irrespective of passport, who have founded or lead the world's most valuable companies headquartered outside India.

Companies were ranked by value, defined as market capitalisation for listed companies and Hurun Research valuations for unlisted companies, with a cut-off date of 25 June 2026. The list recognises 236 CEOs, MDs, Chairpersons and Founders across 200 companies, all headquartered outside India.

According to Anas Rahman Junaid, Founder and Chief Researcher at Hurun India, the most striking finding of this year's list is that 125 of the 236 Global Indians did not found their companies. "They were selected by global boards to lead some of the world's most valuable businesses, from Google and Microsoft to Novartis and Chanel. Founding a company shows ambition, but being chosen to lead one shows the world's trust," he added.

HSBC Hurun Global Indians List 2026: Key highlights

Companies led by "Global Indians" are worth $15 trillion this year, up 53% since the inaugural 2024 list, employ 5.3 million people, and generate $2.5 trillion in revenue, the report added.

The list features 236 individuals leading 200 companies and includes 89 new global Indian names this year, including Shailesh Jejurikar of Procter & Gamble at the 6th spot place and Kunal Shah of WhatsApp at 14th position.

Further, the entry cut-off more than doubled from $1.2 billion to $2.5 billion -- the top five alone are worth $9.1 trillion, comprising around 61% of the list; while the top 10 account for $10.5 trillion, close to 70% of the total value of the list.

Average age of the entrants is 55 years, with the 23-year-old co-founders of Mercor, Adarsh Hiremath and Surya Midha, being the youngest; and 79-year-old Romesh Wadhwani of SymphonyAI, the oldest.

Among industries, software and services is the largest industry with 53 companies, followed by financial services with 31 and healthcare with 21.

Meanwhile, artificial intelligence entered the list as an industry for the first time with 18 companies worth $227 billion, making it the fourth-largest industry by number of companies.

Top 5 Global Indians: Sundar Pichai leads list

According to the report, Alphabet's Sundar Pichai leads the HSBC Hurun Global Indians List 2026 as the company is valued at $4.2 trillion. He is followed by Microsoft Chairman and CEO Satya Nadella Micron Technology's Chairman, CEO and President Sanjay Mehrotra, YouTube's Neal Mohan, and Google Cloud's Thomas Kurian.

The top 5 combined are worth $9.1 trillion, while three of the companies on the list are Software and Services. Of the five, Micron recorded the sharpest rise in the top 5, with its value up 1,174% since the 2024 list.

Sundar Pichai, CEO of Alphabet, ranks first on the HSBC Hurun Global Indians List 2026. Under his leadership, the company has continued to drive innovation across search, cloud and artificial intelligence, strengthening its position as a global technology leader. The parent of Google is valued at $4.2 trillion.

Satya Nadella, Chairman & CEO of Microsoft, ranks second. He has reoriented Microsoft around cloud computing and artificial intelligence, embedding both across the company's software and enterprise portfolio. His tenure is closely associated with a cultural shift towards openness, partnership and continuous learning. Under his leadership, the company has re-established itself as one of the world's most influential technology platforms. The company is valued at $2.6 trillion.

Sanjay Mehrotra, Chairman, President & CEO of Micron Technology, ranks third. A semiconductor industry veteran, he has placed Micron Technology at the centre of the global memory supply chain at a moment of exceptional demand for high-performance computing. His emphasis on advanced manufacturing and disciplined capacity investment has strengthened the company's competitive position. Micron has become one of the defining beneficiaries of the worldwide build-out of artificial intelligence. The company is valued at $1.4 trillion.

Neal Mohan, CEO of YouTube, ranks fourth. He has concentrated on deepening the platform's relationship with creators while broadening the ways in which their content can be monetised. Under his direction, YouTube has extended its reach across living-room viewing, short-form video and subscription services. The platform remains among the most powerful forces shaping global digital media.

Thomas Kurian, CEO of Google Cloud, ranks fifth. He has rebuilt the division's enterprise approach and sharpened its focus on data analytics and artificial intelligence infrastructure. His leadership has helped the business secure large, long-term commitments from regulated industries and public institutions. Google Cloud now stands firmly among the leading providers in its field.