By Hemant SharmaRich CEOs? In India? Yes, that’s not a new thing, we have always seen CEOs being rich and some of the highest-paying professionals in the country. See, since a CEO is the one looking largely over the managing tasks of a company or business, it is understandable that they get paid highly for that, no two ways about that. And that’s precisely what makes them rich. So, if you recently find yourself kinda intrigued about who the richest or highest-paid CEOs are in India right now, then just keep on reading this post and you’ll find that out. How? Oh, yes, we’re here actually talking about the top 10 richest CEOs in India as of 2025. That’s precisely how! So, here we go.
1. Ravi Kumar Singisetti – ₹186 Crore (Cognizant)
If you aren’t updated with the latest info yet, well, just know that the highest-paid CEO in India now is Ravi Kumar Singisetti. Though, how high or rich we’re talking about? Well, for those who don’t know yet, he is the CEO of Cognizant and is making ₹186 crores this year! Not all cash or take-home money though, you see, most of this, like, about ₹169 crore comes from stock rewards. Surely, he started working in 2023 and now is trying to fix a whole lot of things with the company Cognizant, and we surely be seeing the results of that really soon.
2. C Vijayakumar – ₹84.16 Crore (HCL Technologies)
Next? Oh, well, C Vijayakumar is one person who has been with HCL Technologies for a long time now, like ever since 1994, so surely, this CEO position suits him really well. So much so that he is now making 84.16 crore in salary as MD and CEO. To be honest, that’s a mix of salary, bonuses, and stock options. Just saying! He is the one who’s focusing on more new stuff, like utilizing the power of AI and growing into other sectors, and that’s precisely what makes HCL one of India’s biggest IT firms.
3. Thierry Delaporte – ₹82.4 Crore (Former Wipro CEO)
Yes, we know, even though Thierry Delaporte is not Wipro’s CEO anymore, he still received a huge last paycheck. How huge? Oh, well, in his last year, he got 82.4 crore rupees, which is just HUGE! Like, when he took over in 2020, he kinda levelled up Wipro’s digital services with new offerings, no two ways about that. Sure, just like every CEO out there, he had to face some problems in his early CEO days, you know, but still, he kinda became a successful example of how a CEO should act.
4. Nithin Kamath – ₹72 Crore (Zerodha)
He had to be one of the most successful and famous CEOs out there, and yes, for those who don’t know him, he is the one who built Zerodha. Since this post is about the richest CEOs, well, for now, just know that this year, he earned ₹72 crores! But unlike other CEOs, he doesn’t take a big salary. He actually gets his share from the profits of the company, so that’s that.
5. Salil Parekh – ₹66.25 Crore (Infosys)
Then, yes, Salil Parekh has been heading Infosys and helping the company grow even more, and? Well, his paycheck? That’s a big ₹66.25 crore! You know, like, a large chunk of money came from performance incentives indicating he is compensated to keep Infosys strong, but how? He is one of the few key people who want to see the company grow in newer areas, and that’s kinda what he is known for.
6. Sandeep Kalra – ₹61.7 Crore (Persistent Systems)
Sure, we get it that Sandeep Kalra may not be known to everyone, but he has been doing major things in the Persistent System. And that is precisely why he made about ₹61.7 crore last year, which is a big number if you think about it for a sec. Like, since 2020, when he was appointed as the CEO, the growth of the Persistent System has been kinda insane, especially in its cloud and data analytics segments.
7. Rajiv Bajaj – ₹53.8 Crore (Bajaj Auto)
Who do we have on number seven of this richest CEOs’ list? Oh, well, now’s the time to introduce Rajiv Bajaj, the one who has taken Bajaj Auto to the next level, and his ₹53.8 crore paycheck shows it. Sure enough, as of 2025, Bajaj Auto is growing pretty fast, to be honest, and especially if we take a look at their growth in the EV segment, that’s just pure gold right there. That’s it? Nah! You see, their bikes, like the Pulsar and Dominar, are selling like crazy too, so that’s that.
8. Srinivas Pallia – ₹50 Crore (Wipro)
Are you aware of the fact that Srinivas Pallia just became the CEO of Wipro in April 2024, but he’s already making ₹50 crore? How and why? First of all, he has been with the company for more than 30 years, so he was one of the few key people for the company already, and looking at how well he has done in the past, they decided to award him with this position. And sure enough, he has already shown why he deserves this position because the company is already on a growth trajectory.
9. Satish Pai – ₹37.1 Crore (Hindalco Industries)
Coming in at number nine, well, for those who don’t know yet, well, Satish Pai is the CEO of Hindalco Industries. As a matter of fact, well yes, this year he earned ₹37.1 crore, and that’s precisely why you’re seeing his name on this list today. Why? That’s just because he’s good at leadership, that’s all.
10. CP Gurnani – ₹30 Crore (Former Tech Mahindra CEO)
Yes, yes, we know that CP Gurnani stepped down as tech Mahindra CEO in December 2023 but he is still earning a decent sum of money. Before he stepped down, he kinda used to make about 30 crore rupees at his level. Though he is no longer the CEO, he still gets stock options and long-term benefits, so that’s that.
Conclusion
There you have it. If we talk about the richest and highest-paid CEOs in the country, these ten would certainly make it to this list, or any list going over the same topic in 2025. We just let you know about these people briefly, now it is upon you to get to know a little more about their life story.