Top Business Leaders of India

“I used to think that running an organization was equivalent to conducting a symphony orchestra. But I don't think that's quite it; it's more like jazz. There is more improvisation,” said Warren Bennis.

Are good leaders made or born? The question has remained unanswered for centuries. A leader is one who can make people willingly work towards the achievement of a goal. There is a huge gap between a leader and a boss. A boss is one who has the authority to get work done through his subordinates and the leader is one who influences his team to work for him. Leadership differs in that it makes the followers want to achieve high goals, rather than simply bossing people around.

What makes a person leader?

Before we proceed further, we must understand what 'leadership' is? Leadership is a process by which a person influences others to accomplish an objective and direct the organisation in a way that makes it more cohesive and coherent. A leader succeeds in many areas; he possesses qualities like trust, confidence and effective communication.

The basis of good leadership is honourable character and selfless service to your organisation. In your employees' eyes, your leadership is everything you do that affects the organisation's objectives and their well-being.

Attributes of a good leader

• Being a professional who possesses traits like honesty, competence, commitment, confidence, integrity, positive attitude, courage, straightforwardness, foresightedness and sense of humour.
• Knowing oneself, one’s job, one’s responsibilities and one’s organisation and understand human nature.
• Being active, doing as directed, delegating responsibilities, motivating people and communicating well.

Top 10 Business Leaders in India (Forbes' 2014)

10 Indian features in the Forbes' "30 under 30" list that profiles "ultra impressive up-and-comers" calling them the young people of today. They are nation's pride and bright future of tomorrow.

1. Mukesh Ambani - He is the wealthiest man in India and the 39th richest man in the world today with net worth of US$ 21 billion (as in June 2015). He is the owner and managing director of Reliance Industries, which is mainly involved in petrochemicals, oil, energy, natural resources and telecommunications to name a few.
2. Dilip Shanghvi - He owns India's largest pharmaceuticals company called Sun Pharmaceutical Industries. His net worth was US$ 17.1 billion in June 2015.
3. Azim Premji - The third largest outsourcing company in India, Wipro, belongs to Azim Premji. In June 2015, his net worth was US$ 16.2 billion.
4. Pallonji Mistry - He is an Irish citizen but owns an Indian construction major – the Shapoorji Pallonji Group. The net worth of Pallonji Mistry was valued at around US$ 15.5 billion in June 2015.
5. Lakshmi Mittal - The ‘Man of Steel' Lakshmi Mittal is the owner of the world's largest steel producer ArcelorMittal. In June 2015, his net worth amounted to US$ 14 billion.
6. Hinduja Brothers - Four Hinduja brothers of the Hinduja Group are collectively known as Hinduja Brothers. The Hinduja Group is a multinational conglomerate. Some of the major subsidiaries of the Hinduja Group are Ashok Leyland, IndusInd Bank and Gulf Oil Corporation. The net worth of the Hinduja Brothers stood at US$ 13.6 billion in June 2015.
7. Shiv Nadar - The Indian technology major, the HCL Group belongs to him and he is the co-founder of the same. HCL Technologies is the flagship company of the HCL Group. The net worth of Shiv Nadar was US$ 13.2 billion in June 2015.
8. Family Godrej – The 117-year-old Godrej Group is owned by the Godrej Family. The group is a consumer care major in India. In 2014, the net worth of Family Godrej was valued at US$ 11.6 billion.
9. Kumar Birla - He is the CEO of the 158-year-old Aditya Birla Group. It's involved in fertilisers, chemicals, financial services, apparel and telecom businesses to name a few. In June 2015, the net worth of Kumar Birla amounted to US$ 8.2 billion.
10. Sunil Mittal - In terms of the number of subscribers, the fourth largest telecommunications company Bharti Airtel belongs to Sunil Mittal. His net worth was US$ 7.4 billion in June 2015.

Top 10 Upcoming Business Leaders in (Forbes' 2014)

India's future economic major players or India's top 10 upcoming business leaders according to Forbes are as follows:

1. Gautam Adani - He is the owner of the 27-year-old Adani Group, which is an Indian port major. His net worth shot up by US$ 3.8 billion when the value of the shares of his companies witnessed a steep rise last year. His net worth in 2014 was US$ 7.2 billion dollars.
2. Kalanithi Maran – He is the owner of once Asia's most profitable media network Sun TV Network. Kalanithi Maran's net worth in 2014 was US$ 2.3 billion.
3. Rakesh Jhunjhunwala - He is a savvy trader and investor managing his own money through Rare Enterprises. The India Today magazine described him as India's “pin-up boy of current bull run”. His net worth in 2014 was US$ 1.9 billion.
4. Ranjan Pai - The head of Manipal Education and Medical Group, which has number of medical colleges abroad. His net worth in 2014 stood at US$ 1.8 billion.
5. Glenn Saldanha - He owns 48% stakes in Glenmark Pharmaceuticals. His net worth amounted to US$ 1.7 billion in 2014.
6. Jitendra Virwani - A real estate player Jitendra Virwani owns the Dynasty Developers construction company. In 2014, his net worth was valued at around US$ 1.6 billion.
7. Nirav Modi - He owns diamond jewellery business and has some of India's richest people as his clients. Modi's net worth stood at US$ 1.5 billion in 2014.
8. Vikas Oberoi - Real estate developer Vikas Oberoi runs his company named Oberoi Realty. His net worth was valued at US$ 1.2 billion in 2014.
9. Rajesh Mehta - He owns Rajesh Exports and is India's largest gold manufacturer and exporter. Rajesh Mehta's net worth was US$ 1.1 billion in 2014.
10. Sameer Gehlaut - Another property magnate Sameer Gehlaut owns the real estate company Indiabulls Group. In 2014, the net worth of Sameer Gehlaut amounted to US$ 1 billion.

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Last Updated on June 16, 2015