1 / 8Corporate India has long been known for breaking records — whether in market capitalisation or topline growth. But it’s equally generous when it comes to rewarding its top leaders. Executives who take bold bets, steer strong teams, and deliver consistent growth have been handsomely compensated, often with stock-linked incentives pushing pay packages into the stratosphere. Let’s a look at the top seven CEOs who earn the most among listed companies in India.
2 / 8No 1. Sandeep Kalra | Company: Persistent Systems | Salary: ₹ 148.09 Crore | Sandeep Kalra, Executive Director and CEO of Persistent Systems took home nearly ₹150 crore in FY25—the highest among listed Indian companies that have disclosed their annual reports so far. His compensation was propelled by a stellar stock rally, with shares rising 75% in 2024, following a 91% surge in 2023, as he led the company past the $1 billion revenue milestone.
3 / 8No 2. Dr Pawan Munjal | Company: Hero MotoCorp | Salary: ₹109.41 crore | Pawan Munjal, Chairman and Managing Director of Hero MotoCorp, continues to be the highest-paid executive in the automotive sector. His total remuneration for FY25 stood unchanged at ₹109.41 crore, the same as in FY24.
4 / 8No 3. Rajeev Jain | Company: Bajaj Finance | Salary: ₹102.10 crore | Rajeev Jain, who transitioned from Managing Director to Executive Vice Chairman at Bajaj Finance, took home ₹102 crore in FY25—marking the second consecutive year his remuneration crossed the ₹100-crore mark.
5 / 8No 4. Dr Murali K Divi | Company: Divi’s Laboratories | Salary: Divi’s Laboratories | Salary: ₹88.15 Crore | Murali K. Divi, Managing Director of Hyderabad-based Divi’s Laboratories, emerged as the highest-paid executive in India’s pharmaceutical sector in FY25, with a total remuneration of ₹88.2 crore—largely driven by profit-linked incentives. His compensation rose 37.6% compared to FY24.
6 / 8No 5. Salil Parekh Company: Infosys | Salary: ₹ 80.62 crore | Salil Parekh, the longest-serving non-founder CEO at Infosys, took home ₹80.62 crore in FY25—a 21.7% increase over the previous year. A significant portion of his compensation, nearly ₹50 crore, came from the perquisite value of stock options exercised during the year. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)
7 / 8No 6. SN Subrahmanyan | Company: Larsen & Toubro | Salary: ₹76.25 Crore | SN Subrahmanyan, chairman and managing director of Larsen & Toubro (L&T)—who sparked public outrage earlier this year for advocating a 90-hour work week—saw his remuneration rise nearly 50% in FY25 to ₹76.25 crore. The sharp increase was primarily driven by stock options exercised during the year,
8 / 8No 7. Vinay Prakash | Company: Adani Enterprises | Salary: ₹69.34 crore | Vinay Prakash, CEO of Adani Natural Resources and Executive Director at Adani Enterprises, earned a remuneration of ₹69.34 crore in FY25—up 54.3% from the previous year. Interestingly, a major portion of his compensation—₹65.34 crore—came from perquisites, allowances, and other benefits.
