With executive pay soaring in India, several CEOs have commanded compensation crossing ₹100 crore. Here’s a look at the top earners, their roles, and what drives their high compensation: India’s Highest-Paid CEOs in 2025
1. N. Chandrasekaran – Tata Sons
India’s highest-paid corporate executive in FY25, Natarajan Chandrasekaran, as Executive Chairman of Tata Sons, received ₹155.81 crore (≈ $19 million). His pay included ₹15.1 crore in salary and benefits, with a massive ₹140.7 crore commission tied to Tata Group’s profits.
2. Ravi Kumar S – Cognizant
The CEO of Cognizant reportedly tops India’s IT sector compensation charts, earning an estimated ₹186 crore in FY25—making him the highest-paid CEO in tech.
3. Vinay Prakash – Adani Enterprises
As CEO of Adani’s natural resources and sustainability vertical, Vinay Prakash received ₹89.37 crore in FY25. His leadership in integrating green practices is closely tied to this compensation.
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4. Nithin Kamath – Zerodha
Founder-CEO of Zerodha, Kamath earned ₹72 crore in FY25, credited to his role in democratizing investing and growing India’s retail trading ecosystem.
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5. Salil Parekh – Infosys
Salil Parekh, CEO of Infosys, saw his compensation rise by 22%, reaching ₹80.6 crore in FY25. Most of this came from stock options (~₹49.5 crore), with Rs 23 crore in bonus and Rs 7.4 crore base salary.
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6. S. N. Subrahmanyan – Larsen & Toubro
Chairman and CEO of L&T, S. N. Subrahmanyan received approximately ₹61.3 crore in FY25. His tenure was notable for scaling infrastructure and advocating long work hours—a stance that stirred controversy.
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7. C. Vijayakumar – HCL Technologies
As head of HCLTech, Vijayakumar earned around ₹84 crore during FY23–24, ranking as one of the highest-paid IT CEOs.
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Executive Pay Trends: What’s Fueling the Surge?
- Average CEO pay rose ~13% in FY25, with variable compensation making up ~60% of total package.
- Median CEO pay reached ₹10 crore, or about $2 million, as national pay disparity continues to grow.
- Stock options and performance commissions — not base salary — are becoming dominant components of pay packages across sectors.
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Broader Implications & Public Debate
- Public scrutiny of pay inequality intensified following revelations that L&T’s Subrahmanyan earns over 500x more than the average employee. His comment promoting 90-hour workweeks sparked widespread backlash.
- In the tech sector, employee discontent has surfaced as CEO pay soars—Infosys CEO Salil Parekh now earns nearly 752 times its median staff salary.
Final Thoughts
Executive pay in India reflects a mix of profit-linked variables, institutional performance incentives, and governance models. While top CEOs now command packages north of ₹100 crore, the growing gap between leadership and employee compensation continues to raise questions of equity and corporate responsibility.
