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Meta's appointment of CRED founder Kunal Shah as the new head of WhatsApp has put the spotlight back on a remarkable trend: Indian-origin executives continue to lead some of the world's most influential companies.

From artificial intelligence and cloud computing to logistics, cybersecurity and digital media, leaders with roots in India now oversee businesses that collectively serve billions of people worldwide. Shah's move to WhatsApp, which has more than three billion users globally, is the latest addition to a growing list of Indian-origin executives occupying corner offices across the corporate world.

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Here's a look at 10 of the most influential names in 2026:

1. Satya Nadella — Microsoft

Born in Hyderabad, Nadella has led Microsoft since 2014 and is widely credited with transforming the company into a cloud and AI powerhouse. Under his leadership, Microsoft became one of the world's most valuable companies and a major force in artificial intelligence.

2. Sundar Pichai — Alphabet and Google

Pichai has been CEO of Google since 2015 and later took charge of parent company Alphabet. The Chennai-born executive oversees products used by billions, including Search, Android, Chrome, YouTube and Gemini AI.

3. Arvind Krishna — IBM

An IIT Kanpur graduate, Krishna became IBM CEO in 2020 after playing a key role in the company's cloud strategy and the landmark Red Hat acquisition.

4. Kunal Shah — WhatsApp

The newest entrant on the list, Shah takes over WhatsApp following Meta's $900 million investment in CRED. He is expected to drive the platform's next phase of growth across AI, subscriptions and business messaging.

5. Raj Subramaniam — FedEx

Originally from Kerala, Subramaniam became only the second CEO in FedEx's history when he succeeded founder Fred Smith in 2022.

6. Neal Mohan — YouTube

As CEO of YouTube, Mohan oversees the world's largest video platform, shaping the future of creators, streaming and digital advertising.

7. Nikesh Arora — Palo Alto Networks

The former Google executive has turned Palo Alto Networks into one of the most influential cybersecurity companies in the world, benefiting from soaring demand for digital security solutions.

8. Shailesh Jejurikar — Procter & Gamble

The Mumbai-born executive became CEO of consumer goods giant P&G in January 2026 after nearly four decades with the company.

9. Vimal Kapur — Honeywell

Kapur rose through Honeywell's ranks over more than 30 years before becoming CEO in 2023, overseeing the industrial giant's push into automation, aerospace and energy technologies.

10. Jayshree Ullal — Arista Networks

One of Silicon Valley's most respected leaders, Ullal has built Arista Networks into a key supplier of cloud networking technology used by hyperscale data centres worldwide.

Whether it's Microsoft's AI ambitions, Google's digital ecosystem or WhatsApp's future under Kunal Shah, Indian-origin leaders are increasingly helping shape the technologies and services used by billions of people every day.

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