2026 Leadership Power List: CEOs And Founders You Must Know

As India heads into 2026, a new generation of CEOs, MDs and founders is reshaping leadership across industries. From hospitality and beauty to AI, fitness, and manufacturing, these leaders are building high-impact businesses driven by clarity, purpose, and execution. The 2026 Leadership Power List spotlights the names you must know—leaders defining India’s next phase of growth.

Tarun Gulati, Managing Director, Himalayan Hotels

Tarun Gulati represents the new wave of culturally rooted Indian entrepreneurs redefining hospitality. In 2025, he steered Himalayan Hotels to its most successful phase, completing a decade-long transformation that has seen the brand grow 25× in revenue and launched 2 new award winning properties ONENESS & VILEEN in 2025 as an addition to the group's existing properties GANGA KINARE & HOLYWATER. Known for his operational depth and emphasis on meaningful guest experiences, Gulati blends strategic discipline with a strong storytelling-driven brand approach. His ability to revive a previously struggling asset and convert it into a thriving business makes him one of the standout growth-leaders in India’s hotel industry today.

Viveka Bhandari, COO, PVNA Group

Viveka is a dynamic leader with deep expertise in the automotive sector and currently serving as COO of PVNA Group. With global academic credentials from Wellesley College, she brings a sharp strategic mindset and a strong focus on purposeful leadership. Her diverse experience across Strategy, Sustainability, Executive Leadership and Communications, giving her a holistic view of business transformation. Under her guidance, PVNA Group has strengthened operations, improved productivity, and embedded a culture of accountability while driving sustainable, innovation-led growth across the organisation.

Zainab Shaikh, Founder, Luxiora Cosmetics

Zainab Shaikh, Founder & Creative Director of Luxiora Cosmetics, represents a new generation of Indian beauty leaders driven by science, clarity, and purpose. With 13 years of experience in clinical research and pharmaceutical operations, she brings rare technical depth to an industry often led by trend over truth. Identifying a long-standing gap between luxury and skin safety for Indian consumers, Zainab built Luxiora as a skincare-first beauty brand rooted in science-led formulations, inclusivity, and performance. Recognised for her leadership and operational excellence, she is shaping Luxiora with a global vision—proving that Indian beauty, when built right, can lead on the world stage.

Anil Bang, Co-Founder of Babylon, Babylon 2.0, and Resign

Anil Bang, Co-Founder of Babylon, Babylon 2.0, and Resign, is a visionary hospitality entrepreneur known for turning ambitious concepts into iconic, market-leading destinations. With a sharp command over communication, marketing, and PR, he creates experiences that resonate strongly with today’s discerning audiences. His flagship project, Babylon 2.0, a one-lakh-square-foot experiential landmark, reflects a seamless blend of scale, storytelling, and guest-centric design. Anil attributes the success of these ventures to the unwavering collaboration and support of his partners Nishant, Sushil, Harish, Shiva, and Neeraj, along with the extended leadership team. He firmly believes that exceptional hospitality is built on collective vision, strategic execution, and shared passion.

Rahull Raghuvanshii is the Managing Director of Jetts Fitness India

Rahull Raghuvanshii is the Managing Director of Jetts Fitness India, leading the global 24×7 fitness brand’s India foray alongside co-founders Nishant Singh and Ashish Malik. With over nine years of experience across international fitness platforms, Rahull blends deep industry insight with sharp entrepreneurial acumen. A commerce graduate, certified by the American Council on Exercise, he began his journey by scaling multiple premium fitness clubs across Delhi NCR. Known for building high-performance cultures rooted in ethics, innovation, and community, Rahull is driving Jetts’ vision of flexible, technology-led, member-first fitness, focused on long-term impact, not short-term gains.

Abdus Samad is the Founder of Sam & Marshall

Abdus Samad is the Founder of Sam & Marshall, one of India’s fastest-growing mass-premium lifestyle brands. He laid the foundation of the company in 2019, beginning with eyewear and scaling it into a design-led, story-driven label with a strong national following. Built without external funding, Sam & Marshall has grown 43x in six years, reflecting Samad’s focus on sustainable growth, direct consumer relationships, and cultural relevance. Under his leadership, the brand has earned major industry recognitions, including awards from the Economic Times and India Fashion Forum. Samad is recognised for building brands that balance design, integrity, and long-term vision.

Atul Arya, Founder & CEO- blackstraw.ai

Atul Arya is the Founder and CEO of Blackstraw.ai, a global data and AI services firm helping Fortune 500 enterprises turn complex data into measurable business outcomes. With deep expertise across AI, analytics, and digital transformation, he has advised leading organizations in retail, CPG, manufacturing, and logistics. A hands-on entrepreneur and strategist, Atul is known for building scalable, high-impact solutions that bridge business vision with advanced technology. Beyond work, he is passionate about mentoring future leaders and shaping practical, responsible AI adoption at scale.

Alok Nigam, Managing Director of Brother International India

Alok Nigam, Managing Director of Brother International India, is among the business leaders shaping India’s future through innovation-led growth and customer-centric strategy. As Brother India’s first Indian Managing Director, he has been instrumental in strengthening the brand’s presence across printing and labelling solutions, catering to SOHO, SMB, and enterprise segments. With over 25 years of experience, Alok has driven digital transformation, cost-efficient technologies, and sustainable practices, aligning with India’s evolving business ecosystem. His leadership reflects a strong commitment to productivity, reliability, and empowering Indian businesses through advanced yet accessible technology solutions.

Shabbir Rajkotwala, Managing Director of United Group

Shabbir Rajkotwala is the Managing Director of United Group, a diversified Indian enterprise he co-founded in 1994, comprising the brands Unitile, UniAcoustic, U-Flex, and Forza. With over three decades of experience in the building materials industry, he has led Unitile’s long-term growth, operational scale, and market positioning, building it into India’s No. 1 raised access flooring brand. Under his leadership, the organisation has consistently strengthened its manufacturing, technical, and execution capabilities to serve the evolving needs of contemporary workplaces, data centres, and large commercial infrastructure projects. Known for his structured, hands-on leadership approach, Mr. Rajkotwala drives the group’s strategic direction and innovation agenda, including the establishment of India’s leading integrated acoustic manufacturing facility through UniAcoustic, reinforcing the group’s focus on quality excellence, sustainability practices, and future-ready infrastructure solutions.

Namita Kothari, Founder – Akoirah by Augmont

Namita Kothari is the force behind Akoirah by Augmont, a Mumbai-based lab-grown diamond jewellery brand redefining how India approaches modern luxury. A decisive, design-led entrepreneur with strong consumer insight, she identified a trust deficit in the lab-grown diamond market and partnered with Augmont which is India’s leading gold platform to launch Akoirah with a ₹100 crore backing in 2023. Known for her hands-on leadership, precision in design, and emphasis on transparency, Namita is reshaping jewellery consumption in India by moving it beyond traditional investment buying toward everyday, design-led luxury, positioning Akoirah as one of India’s most credible and future-ready jewellery brands.

What sets these leaders apart is their ability to scale with intent and build brands that last. With innovation, accountability, and long-term vision at the core, they are not just responding to change—they’re leading it. As 2026 unfolds, their influence will shape the future of Indian enterprise.

Whether you’re an entrepreneur seeking inspiration, a professional aiming to grow your leadership capabilities, or a stakeholder tracking the direction of industry power dynamics, this list offers a lens into the people who are not just responding to change—but actively driving it.