Why in the News?Â
An opinion piece reflects on the rise of Indian origin CEOs in Fortune 500 firms and questions whether their success is due to Indian upbringing, organisational loyalty, or the enabling ecosystem of immigrant driven economies like the United States.
Indian Origin CEOs: The Numbers
- 11 Indian origin CEOs in Fortune 500 companies in 2025.
- Previously 13 in 2024 and 16 in 2023.
- 28 Indian origin CEOs in Forbes 2000 list.
- Examples include: Sundar Pichai, Satya Nadella, Shantanu Narayen, and Arvind Krishna
- However, this represents roughly 2 percent or less of total Fortune 500 leadership.
Immigrant Founders and CEOs in the U.S.
- Around 46 percent of Fortune 500 companies in 2025 were founded by immigrants or their children.
- Of the 14 new companies entering Fortune 500 in 2025, 10 were immigrant founded.
Diaspora Economic Impact
Data from Migration Policy Institute shows:
- 74 percent labour force participation among Indian immigrants in the U.S.
- Higher representation in management, business, science and arts roles.
- Median annual income of Indian immigrant households in 2023: $166,200
- Compared to $78,700 for all immigrant households and $77,600 for native households.
Remittances
- India received $135 billion in remittances last year.
- 27 percent came from Indians working in the U.S.
| [2019] In the context of India, which of the following factors is/are contributor/contributors to reducing the risk of a currency crisis?Â
1. The foreign currency earnings of India’s IT sector 2. Increasing the government expenditure 3. Remittances from Indians abroad Select the correct answer using the code given below. (a) 1 only (b) 1 and 3 only (c) 2 only (d) 1, 2 and 3 |
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