Successful Indians Who Have Studied Abroad – As of the recent decade, Indian pioneers have skyrocketed in technology, business, medicine, design, and science. The world is becoming increasingly competitive, but some of the biggest names you see in Forbes or The Economist will belong to an Indian entrepreneur. This article will discuss some of the most successful Indians who have studied abroad and their hard work which led them to the summit. 

1. Satya Nadella: CEO of Microsoft 

After starting his further academic journey at the Manipal Institute of Technology, where he received a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, Satya Nadella studied abroad in the US and did his MBA at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. Now, Nadella’s name appears annually in the Baron’s World’s 30 Best CEO list. He was also named Financial Times’s Person of the Year in 2019; Nadella has revolutionized both Microsoft and the digital world simultaneously. 

2. Shashi Tharoor: Politician and Author

Tharoor completed a bachelor’s degree at the University of Delhi. At the age of 22, he received his PhD from Tuft’s University from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, being the youngest person ever to receive such an accolade from the school. Following his academic career, Shashi Tharoor was a United Nations diplomat for 23 years and then joined the Indian National Congress as a member of the Lok Sabha political party. He was then appointed as the union minister of the state. He also wrote a plethora of fiction and nonfiction novels, a famous one being ‘The Great Indian Novel’. Tharoor is also known famously for his intellectual personality and excellent English vocabulary skills!

3. Ratan Naval Tata: Former Chairman of Tata Sons & Philanthropist 

Tata earned a B.S. in architecture from Cornell University (New York) and thereafter studied at Harvard Business School, enrolled in an advanced management program. After graduation, he returned to India and worked for Tata Group for many years. He was then named chairperson of the Tata Group in 1999. Upon his leadership, the Tata Group expanded exponentially and now has a business value of $23 billion. He is also one of the largest philanthropists in the world, donating around 60-65% of his income to charity and investing in many startups. 

4. Indra Nooyi: Former CEO of PepsiCo 

Nooyi studied at Yale University School of Management and earned her MBA before becoming a top female American CEO. In 1994, she joined Pepsico as senior vice president of corporate strategy and development. She was then named president of the company and assumed the title of CEO in 2006. She was one of only 11 female chief executive officers of Fortune 500 companies and won several high-level business management awards, such as the Padma Bhushan. Nooyi is known for her incredible strategic thinking and leadership skills, which propelled PepsiCo’s revenue to $63.5 billion in 2017!

5. Dr Manmohan Singh: Former Prime Minister of India 

After studying at Panjab University in Chandigarh, Singh attended the University of Cambridge in Great Britain. He then earned a doctorate in economics from Oxford University. After his studies, he returned to India and was an extremely important economic and financial advisor to prime ministers and members of parliament at the time. He was then named finance minister of India while the nation was on the verge of a financial crisis, making reforms that sparked an economic boom and recovery in India! In 2009, he assumed the post of prime minister of India and focused on improving the nation and its foreign relations with other countries. 

6. Meera Sanyal: Former CEO of the Royal Bank of Scotland and Politician

In 1982, Sanyal graduated from Sydenham College, Bombay, and earned an MBA from INSEAD, France. Following this, she attended an advanced business management program at Harvard Business School and joined the banking sector of India. She then became the CEO of ABN AMRO Bank of India. As recognition of her leadership and brilliant work, she received many accolades, such as the Indian Businesswoman of the Year award (2005), featured in the Forbes India Women Power list (2010), and many more. Upon retiring from the financial sector, she became associated with the AAP political party of India and advocated for various social issues. 

7. Anil Ambani: Chairman of Reliance Group 

Anil Ambani received his MBA from the University of Pennsylvania after studying at Kishinchand Chellaram College in Bombay. He then returned to India and worked with his father, Dhirubhai Ambani. Upon his father’s passing, he and his brother Mukesh Ambani took control of the reliance group, splitting the assets. Anil Ambani, therefore, took over the company’s telecommunications, power, and financial services. He has received 2 Businessmen of the Year awards and CEO of the Year 2004, among many others. Upon his leadership, the reliance group grew immensely. 

8. Sundar Pichai: CEO of Google 

Growing up with a flair for technology and engineering, Pichai studied at the renowned Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) and was then awarded a scholarship to study at Stanford University, majoring in engineering and materials science. Following this, he received an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and joined Google in 2004. He became directly involved in the development of Google Chrome and implemented changes that led to immense growth. In 2015, he was named CEO of Google! He received the Padma Bhushan and became a revolutionary pioneer. 

9. Arnab Goswami: Journalist and Managing Director of Republic Media Network 

Goswami earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Delhi University and then obtained his master’s degree in social anthropology from Oxford University. His career took off when he entered television journalism and worked with various large news channels. Later on, he founded his channel called Republic TV, where he anchored with his distinctive approaches and gained popularity nationwide and globally. Goswami is known for his confrontational style when debating and has been praised and criticised for his assertiveness. He has also won many journalism awards, including the ENBA award for best news anchor. 

10. Amartya Sen: Economist 

Sen was first educated at Presidency College in Calcutta and went on to study at Trinity College, Cambridge. He then received a B.A., M.A., and P.H.D in economics. Sen went on to teach economics at several institutes and universities, such as the University of Jadavpur, the University of Oxford, and Harvard University, where he taught economics and philosophy. Throughout his life, Sen devoted his work to social economics, welfare, individual rights, poverty and justice, and theoretical work on inequality. He was an activist and advocate with a specific interest in famine, which influenced the development of practical solutions for preventing food shortages. His brilliant work led to his winning a Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences in 1998.

11. Urjit Patel: Economist 

As an undergraduate, Patel completed his bachelor of arts in economics degree from Delhi University and went on to study economics at Yale University. He earned a PhD from Yale University with a focus on the Indian economy. During his doctorate, Patel worked as a consultant at the International Monetary Fund and then was appointed to the prime minister’s economic advisory council in India. In 2013, he joined the Reserve Bank of India (ROI) and is recognised for his expertise in economic knowledge and practices. Patel’s journey reflects excellence in both economics and governance. 

12. Vinod Khosla: Entrepreneur and Venture Capitalist 

Khosla received his bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT Dehli) and then earned an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business. Then he went on to join Sun Microsystems and transitioned into venture capital. In 2004, he founded Khosla Ventures; the company invests in many startups and companies across many industries, having a high-risk- high-reward approach. In addition to his entrepreneurship, Khosla is an advocate for clean energy and is a prominent figure in venture capital. 

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