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Famous Indian Personalities who studied abroad: Studying abroad has been a long-standing dream for many ambitious individuals who want to broaden their horizons and get a perspective from the global stage. For many, the experience has not only been transformative but has also contributed as a stepping stone to achieving greater heights in various fields. This blog highlights some of the most famous personalities who pursued their dream of studying abroad, along with their academic journeys and illustrious careers.
Table of Contents
List of Famous Indian Personalities Who Studies Abroad
| Name | Designation | Education Institution (Abroad) |
| Sundar Pichai | CEO of Alphabet and Google | Stanford University, Wharton School |
| Shantanu Narayen | CEO of Adobe Inc. | Bowling Green State University, UC Berkeley |
| Indra Nooyi | Former CEO of PepsiCo, Board Member Amazon | Yale School of Management |
| Vinod Khosla | Founder, Khosla Ventures | Carnegie Mellon University, Stanford University |
| Raghuram Rajan | Former Governor of the Reserve Bank of India | MIT Sloan School of Management |
| Rakesh Gangwal | Co-founder of IndiGo | Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania |
| Samir Arora | Founder & CEO Sage Digital, Apple Inc. | Harvard Business School |
Education and Achievements of Famous Personalities Who Studied Abroad
From tech giants like Satya Nadella and Sundar Pichai to business moguls such as Indra Nooyi and Vikram Pandit, these individuals have made extraordinary contributions to their industries. Join us as we explore these famous personalities who studied abroad and found paths to success while also inspiring others! Let us know them in detail –
Satya Nadella
Designation: CEO of Microsoft
Birthplace: Hyderabad, India
Education:
- Bachelor’s in Electrical Engineering: Manipal Institute of Technology, Karnataka
- M.S. in Computer Science: University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee
- MBA: University of Chicago
Awards and Recognition:
- 2018: Time 100 Honoree
- 2019: Financial Times Person of the Year, Fortune magazine Businessperson of the Year
- 2020: Global Indian Business Icon at CNBC-TV18’s India Business Leader Awards
Career Journey: Satya Nadella began his career at Sun Microsystems before joining Microsoft in 1992. He quickly rose through the ranks, leading projects such as the company’s move to cloud computing and the development of the Bing search engine. Nadella became the CEO of Microsoft in 2014, steering the company towards new innovations and tremendous growth. Under his leadership, Microsoft has focused on cloud computing, Artificial Intelligence, and expanding its product portfolio.
Indra Nooyi
Designation: Former CEO of PepsiCo, Board Member Amazon
Birthplace: Chennai, India
Education:
- Bachelor’s in Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics: Madras Christian College
- Master’s in Public and Private Management: Yale School of Management
Awards and Recognition:
- 2007: Padma Bhushan by the Government of India
- 2014: Forbes List of The World’s 100 Most Powerful Women (rank 13)
- 2015-2017: Ranked 2nd on Fortune and Forbes lists of Most Powerful Women in Business
- 2018: Named one of the “Best CEOs In The World” by CEOWORLD magazine
Career Journey: Indra Nooyi joined PepsiCo in 1994 and was named CFO in 2001. She became the company’s CEO in 2006, serving until 2018. Nooyi’s insights helped in diversifying PepsiCo’s product offerings and focusing on healthier options.
Also Read – 20 Bollywood Stars Who Studied Abroad: Harvard, Oxford
Sundar Pichai
Designation: CEO of Alphabet and Google
Birthplace: Madurai, India
Education:
- Bachelor’s in Metallurgy: IIT Kharagpur
- M.S. in Materials Science and Engineering: Stanford University
- MBA: Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania
Awards and Recognition:
- 2016: ET Global Indian Award
- 2019: USIBC Global Leadership Awards
Career Journey: Sundar Pichai joined Google in 2004, initially working on the Google Toolbar and then leading the development of Google Chrome. His successful projects led to his rapid growth within the company, becoming the CEO of Google in 2015 and the CEO of Alphabet, Google’s parent company, in 2019. Pichai was extremely driven in advancing Google’s technology and business strategy, including its push into AI and hardware.
Shantanu Narayen
Designation: CEO of Adobe Inc.
Birthplace: Hyderabad, India
Education:
- Bachelor’s in Electronics and Communication Engineering: Osmania University, Hyderabad
- M.S. in Computer Science: Bowling Green State University, Ohio
- MBA: Haas School of Business, University of California, Berkeley
Awards and Recognition:
- 2011: Honorary Doctorate from Bowling Green State University
- 2011: Member of President Obama’s Management Advisory Board
- 2018: Global Indian of the Year by The Economic Times of India
- 2019: Padma Shri by the Government of India
Career Journey: Shantanu Narayen joined Adobe in 1998 as a senior vice president of worldwide product development and later became the COO in 2005. In 2007, he was appointed CEO of Adobe. Under his leadership, Adobe transitioned from traditional software products to a cloud-based subscription model, contributing to the company’s growth and market value.
Also Read – 50 Inspiring & Great Personalities of India and the World!
Kumar Mangalam Birla
Designation: Chairman of Aditya Birla Group
Birthplace: Kolkata, India
Education:
- B.Com from the University of Mumbai
- MBA from London Business School
Awards and Recognition:
- 2023: Padma Bhushan by the Government of India
- 2004: Named “Young Global Leader” by World Economic Forum (Davos)
- 2012: Awarded “Entrepreneur of the Year” by Forbes India Leadership Award (FILA)
Career Journey: Kumar Mangalam Birla took over as the chairman of Aditya Birla Group in 1995, transforming it into a global conglomerate with diverse sectors such as fashion, metals, cement, media, textiles and telecommunications. His strategic vision and leadership have contributed to the group’s expansion at a global level.
Also Read – Ananya Birla: The Musical Journey of an Entrepreneur!
Raghuram Rajan
Designation: Former Governor of the Reserve Bank of India, Professor at Booth School of Business
Birthplace: Bhopal, India
Education:
- Btech in Electrical Engineering by IIT Delhi
- Post Graduate Diploma in Management: IIT Ahmedabad
- PhD in Management: MIT Sloan School of Management
Awards and Recognition:
- 2010: NASSCOM named him Global Indian at its 7th annual global leadership award
- 2019: “Yashwantrao Chavan National Award 2018”
- 2023: Awarded an honorary doctorate by the London School of Economics.
Career Journey: Raghuram Rajan served as the 23rd Governor of the Reserve Bank of India, where he implemented some major reforms to stabilize and strengthen the Indian economy. He is also a distinguished academic, holding the title of Katherine Dusak Miller Distinguished Service Professor of Finance at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.
Also Read – Where did the most famous Indians study abroad?
Shashi Tharoor
Designation: Politician, Author, and Former Diplomat
Birthplace: London, UK, however, his nationality is Indian.
Education:
- Bachelors from St. Stephen’s College, Delhi
- MA, MALD, PhD: Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University
Awards and Recognition:
- 1976: Rajika Kripalani Young Journalist Award for the Best Indian Journalist under 30
- 2004: Pravasi Bharatiya Samman, India’s highest honour for non-resident Indians (accepted 2007[115])
- 2009: Zakir Hussain Memorial “Pride of India” Award
- 2019: Sahitya Akademi Award for his book, An Era of Darkness: The British Empire in India
Career Journey: Shashi Tharoor has had a different career as an Indian author, politician and diplomat. He has also served as an Under-Secretary-General at the United Nations and is an important member of the Indian Parliament. He is also known for his eloquent speeches and writings on various social and political issues. He has authored books like – Inglorious Empire: What the British Did to India, Why I Am A Hindu, The Paradoxical Prime Minister, etc.
Other Famous Personalities who have studied Abroad
| Name | Birthplace | Designation | Education |
| Vinod Khosla | Pune, India | Founder, Khosla Ventures | 1. BTech in Electrical Engineering: IIT Delhi 2. Master’s in Biomedical Engineering: Carnegie Mellon University 3. MBA: Stanford Graduate School of Business |
| Thomas Kurian | Kerala, India | CEO of Google Cloud | 1. Electrical Engineering and Computer Science: Princeton University 2. MBA: Stanford University Graduate School of Business |
| Rakesh Gangwal | Kolkata, India | Co-founder of IndiGo | 1. Bachelor’s in Mechanical Engineering: Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur 2. MBA: Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania |
| Anshu Jain | Jaipur, India | Former Co-CEO of Deutsche Bank | 1. Bachelor’s in Economics: Shri Ram College of Commerce, University of Delhi 2. MBA in Finance: Isenberg School of Management, University of Massachusetts Amherst |
| Samir Arora | Delhi, India | Founder & CEO Sage Digital, Apple Inc. | 1. Bachelor’s in Electrical and Electronic Engineering: BITS Pilani 2. Executive Education: Harvard Business School 3. Sales and Marketing from the London Business School |
| Pradeep Sindhu | Mumbai, India | Co-Founder of Juniper Networks | 1. BTech in Electrical Engineering: Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur 2. M.S. in Electrical Engineering: University of Hawaii 3. PhD in Computer Science: Carnegie Mellon University |
FAQs
A few business tycoons who studied abroad are – Anand Mahindra (MBA, Harvard Business School; Chairman, Mahindra Group), Azim Premji (chairman of Wipro; engineering degree from Stanford University), Kumar Mangalam Birla (Chairman of the Aditya Birla Group; MBA from London Business School), etc
According to a report released in “The Hindu” the number of Indian students who went abroad was 7.50 lakh in 2022 and 4.44 lakh in 2021.
Successful Indians who studied abroad are – Jawaharlal Nehru, Mahatma Gandhi, Amartya Sen, Raghuram Rajan and many more
Relevant Blogs
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