Illustrious Alumni of Top B-Schools in India
Iconic MBA Alumni Who Inspire Millions
Leaders like Dr. Raghuram Rajan, Ajay Banga, Avani Davda, Chetan Bhagat, Deep Kalra, Indra Nooyi, Chanda Kochhar, and Prasoon Joshi are just a few examples of illustrious MBA graduates who have reached remarkable heights in their careers. Through hard work, dedication, and unwavering values, these national and international icons have excelled across diverse fields—finance, entrepreneurship, literature, branding, and global leadership.
Their achievements demonstrate how an MBA from a top Indian B-school can shape one’s thinking, sharpen managerial capabilities, and open doors to extraordinary success.
Why Lakhs of Students Compete for MBA Entrance Exams
Every year, lakhs of aspirants prepare rigorously for competitive exams like CAT, XAT, CMAT, MAT, NMAT by GMAC, and others to secure admission into India’s most prestigious MBA institutes. With the Indian economy expanding and government initiatives such as Make in India and Start-up India boosting entrepreneurship and industry growth, there has never been a better time to pursue an MBA.
An MBA not only offers strong career prospects but also equips students to thrive in leadership roles across sectors—making it one of the most sought-after postgraduate programs in India.
MBA Alumni Who Have Joined the Super CEOs Club
Across industries, a long list of highly successful CEOs and Managing Directors proudly hold an MBA degree—proving why the MBA is often regarded as a prized qualification for leadership roles. These distinguished leaders demonstrate how management education builds strategic thinking, sharp decision-making, and the confidence required to lead global organizations.
| B-school | Alumni | Designation |
|---|---|---|
| IIM Ahmedabad | Dr Raghuram Rajan | RBI Governor & Global Authority on Financial Markets |
| IIM Ahmedabad | Ajay Banga | President & CEO Master Card worldwide |
| IIM Ahmedabad | Deep Kalra | CEO MakeMyTrip.com |
| IIM Ahmedabad | Chetan Bhagat | Best selling author |
| IIM Calcutta | Indra Nooyi | Chairman & CEO of PepsiCo Worldwide |
| XLRI Jamshedpur | Rakesh Kapoor | CEO Reckitt Benckiser |
| FMS Delhi | Harit Nagpal | MD & CEO Tata Sky |
| MDI Gurgaon | Sanjay Verma | CEO Asia Pacific Cushman & Wakefield |
| IMT Ghaziabad | Prasoon Joshi | Adman & National Award Winning Lyricist & Author |
| NMIMS Mumbai | Avani Davda | Former CEO Tata Starbucks |
| JBIMS Mumbai | Chanda Kocchar | CEO ICICI Bank |
Illustrious Alumni of India’s Top B-Schools
It’s not just IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore, IIM Calcutta, or IIM Lucknow whose alumni have earned global recognition. Many other top university-affiliated and private B-schools in India have also produced leaders who have excelled across industries worldwide.
The remarkable careers of these past and present alumni highlight the powerful career opportunities an MBA from India’s premier business schools can unlock. (Designations may have changed over time.)
IIM Ahmedabad: Notable Alumni (Past & Present)
1. Late C.K. Prahalad (PGP 1966)
Renowned Management Thought Leader
2. John C. Camillus (PGP 1968)
Donald R. Beall Professor of Strategic Management, Katz Graduate School of Business, University of Pittsburgh (USA)
3. Marti G. Subrahmanyam (PGP 1969)
Charles E. Merrill Professor of Finance, Economics & International Business, NYU Stern School of Business
4. Beheruz Nariman Sethna (PGP 1973)
President & Professor of Business, University of West Georgia
5. Srikant M. Datar (PGP 1978)
Arthur Lowes Dickinson Professor; Dean, Harvard Business School
6. Pradeep Chintagunta (PGP 1986)
Professor, Stanford University
7. Dr. Raghuram Rajan (PGP 1987)
Eric J. Gleacher Distinguished Service Professor of Finance, University of Chicago Booth School of Business;
Former Governor, Reserve Bank of India
8. Kiran Karnik (PGP 1968)
Innovative and Strategic Thinker; Former President, NASSCOM
9. Mallika V. Sarabhai (PGP 1974)
Director, Darpana Academy, Ahmedabad
10. Vijay Mahajan (PGP 1980)
Founder & Chairman, BASIX Group
11. Ashok Alexander (PGP 1978)
Former India Country Director, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
12. M.P. Vasimalai (PGP 1993)
Executive Director, DHAN Foundation, Madurai
13. Sanjeev Bikhchandani (PGP 1989)
Founder & Vice Chairman, Naukri.com, Info Edge
14. Deep Kalra (PGP 1992)
Founder & CEO, MakeMyTrip.com
15. Roopa Kudva (PGP 1986)
Former MD & CEO, CRISIL;
Currently: MD, Omidyar Network India
16. Rahul Agarwal (PGP 1996)
MD & CEO, Lenovo India
17. Sudhir Sitapati (PGP 1999)
CEO & MD, Godrej Consumer Products Ltd
18. Tulsi Naidu (PGP 1996)
CEO, Zurich Insurance UK
19. Sucharita Mukherjee (PGP 2001)
Founder & CEO, IFMR Trust
20. Yashish Dahiya (PGP 1996)
Co-founder & Group CEO, PolicyBazaar
21. Kartikeya Misra (PGP 2004)
Collector & District Magistrate, East Godavari, Andhra Pradesh
22. Rohan Chand Thakur (PGP 2006)
Deputy Commissioner, Shimla, Himachal Pradesh
IIM Bangalore: Notable Past and Present Alumni
1. Aswath Damodaran (PGP 1979)
Kerschner Family Chairperson in Finance Education & Professor of Finance, NYU Stern School of Business
2. Gopal Krishna Nayak (PGP 1988)
Director, IIIT Bhubaneswar
3. Raghavendra Rau
Sir Evelyn de Rothschild Professor of Finance, Judge Business School, University of Cambridge
4. Nila Madhab Panda
Award-winning Filmmaker and Director
5. Damodar Mall (PGP 1986)
CEO, Reliance Retail
6. Deepak Ohri
CEO, Lebua Hotels & Resorts
7. Malavika Harita (PGP 1982)
Former CEO, Saatchi & Saatchi Focus
8. Sameer Suneja (PGP 1994)
Global CEO, Perfetti Van Melle
9. Shashi Sinha (PGP 1981)
CEO, IPG India
10. Dr. K. Radhakrishnan (PGP 1976)
Former Chairman, ISRO
11. Hasmukh Adhia (PGPPM 2002)
Former Finance Secretary, Government of India
12. Ravi Neelakantan (PGP 1982)
IFS Officer & Diplomat
IIM Calcutta: Notable Past and Present Alumni
1. Sunil Alagh
Former MD & CEO, Britannia Industries
2. Ajit Balakrishnan
Founder & CEO, Rediff.com
3. Ashish Chauhan
MD & CEO, Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE)
4. Pranay Chulet
Co-founder & CEO, Quikr
5. Sunil Duggal
Former CEO, Dabur
6. Sabyasachi Hajara
Former CMD, Shipping Corporation of India
7. Deepak Mohoni
Stock Market Analyst; Coined the term “Sensex”
8. T. V. Narendran
Global CEO & MD, Tata Steel
9. Indra Nooyi
Former Chairman & CEO, PepsiCo
10. Sudhakar Ram
Founder & CEO, Mastek
11. Nishi Vasudeva
Former CMD, Hindustan Petroleum;
First woman to head a Navratna PSU
12. Gopal Vittal
CEO, Bharti Airtel (India)
IIM Lucknow: Notable Past and Present Alumni
1. Shanmughan Manjunath
IOC Manager; Known for his stand against corruption
2. Deepak Garg
Founder & CEO, Rivigo
3. Gayatri Iyer
Playback Singer
4. Gaurav Agarwal
UPSC Civil Services Exam 2013 – AIR 1
FMS Delhi: Notable past and present alumni
- Ajay Shukla: MD-Asia Pacific Region, Tata McGraw Hill Education Pvt. Ltd.
- Alok Bhardwaj: Sr. Vice President-Sales & Marketing, Canon India Pvt. Ltd.
- Arun Rishi: Vice President-Middle East & Africa, Kempinski Hotels
- Bal Krishan Batra: Executive Director, IDBI Bank Ltd.
- Brij Uberoi: Executive Vice President-HR, Rallis India Ltd.
- Dalip Singh: Joint Secretary, Ministry of Steel
- Geetu Gidwani Verma: Executive Director-Foods, Hindustan Lever
- Girish Sharma: Chief Commissioner of Income Tax, Income Tax Department
- Harit Nagpal: Managing Director, Tata Sky Ltd.
- K.L. Dhingra: Chairman & Managing Director, ITI Ltd.
- Laluntluangi Tochhawng: Chief Controller of Accounts, Central Board of Direct Taxes
- Pankaj Agarwal: Director-Sales, Reckitt-Benckiser (India) Ltd.
- R.M. Malla: Chairman-Cum-Managing Director, IDBI Bank Ltd.
- R. Mukundan: Managing Director, Tata Chemicals Ltd.
- R.S. Butola: Chairman-Cum-Managing Director, Indian Oil Corporation Ltd.
- Tejendra Mohan Bhasin: Chairman & Managing Director, Indian Bank
- Vinod Kumar Nagar: Executive Director, Syndicate Bank
- Yogi Sriram: Executive Vice President, Larsen & Toubro Limited
When we aspire to make India usher in the era of double digit growth, move on the path of Make in India, it may not come from a few developed urban pockets. It is the task of the MBAs to develop the less developed areas and bring uniformity in the development, as MBAs have the right skills.
IIM Ahmedabad alumnus Santosh Desai, CEO, Future Brands, says, “The wonderful thing about the MBA is that one will not just be the manager, but also a creator. I think the most important future challenge would be how you are going to transcend the act of managers. In management institute, you are given the freedom to think and to face the challenges. It will be new because all the things are in you but nothing compels you to think independently as does the good MBA course.”
MBA Graduates: Driving India’s Next Phase of Growth
As India aims for double-digit economic growth and accelerates initiatives like Make in India, development cannot be limited to a few urban centers. True progress requires inclusive growth across towns, districts, and emerging regions.
This is where MBA graduates play a crucial role. With their strategic thinking, analytical ability, and leadership skills, MBAs are uniquely equipped to uplift underdeveloped areas, create sustainable business ecosystems, and ensure balanced economic expansion.
Leadership Insight from IIM Ahmedabad Alumnus Santosh Desai
Santosh Desai, CEO of Future Brands and an alumnus of IIM Ahmedabad, beautifully captures the transformative power of an MBA:
“The wonderful thing about the MBA is that one will not just be the manager, but also a creator. The most important future challenge is how you transcend the act of managing. In a management institute, you are given the freedom to think and to face challenges. It is new because everything is within you, but nothing compels you to think independently the way a good MBA course does.”
His perspective highlights how an MBA does more than prepare managers — it shapes creators, innovators, and leaders who can influence the future of businesses and communities.
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