Alphabet’s $4.2 Trillion Valuation Puts Pichai On Top, Nadella Slips To Second On Hurun List
Sundar Pichai tops the HSBC Hurun Global Indians List 2026 as Alphabet overtakes Microsoft at USD 4.2 trillion. AI-driven or AI-integrated firms account for 71 percent of the list’s value.
Sundar Pichai tops the HSBC Hurun Global Indians List 2026 as Alphabet overtakes Microsoft at USD 4.2 trillion. | AFP-Photo
Mumbai: Sundar Pichai has topped the HSBC Hurun Global Indians List 2026 after Alphabet overtook Microsoft with a valuation of USD 4.2 trillion. Microsoft’s Satya Nadella ranked second, followed by Micron Technology’s Sanjay Mehrotra.
The list covers 236 leaders of Indian origin at 200 companies headquartered outside India. Hurun put their combined value at USD 15 trillion, up 53 percent from the inaugural 2024 edition. The companies employ nearly 5.3 million people worldwide.
The companies generated USD 2.5 trillion in revenue and USD 416 billion in net profit.
Alphabet pulls ahead
Alphabet’s valuation rose 98 percent since the previous edition, while Microsoft’s fell 17 percent. Micron posted the biggest gain among the top five, climbing 1,174 percent to USD 1.4 trillion as demand for memory chips used in AI systems grew.
YouTube’s Neal Mohan and Google Cloud’s Thomas Kurian rounded out the top five. The five companies accounted for about 61 percent of the list’s combined value.
AI shapes rankings
Artificial intelligence appeared as a separate industry for the first time, with 18 companies worth a combined USD 227 billion. Across all industries, Hurun classified 103 companies as AI-driven or AI-integrated. They accounted for 71 percent of the list’s total value.
Cursor, valued at USD 60 billion, was the highest-ranked start-up. AI companies occupied seven of the top 10 start-up spots, and all 10 were headquartered in the US.
US leads, India educates
The US accounted for 177 entrants, followed by the UAE and the UK with 15 each. San Francisco led among cities with 40 entrants, while California alone accounted for 91.
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About 58 percent of the leaders completed their undergraduate studies in India. IIT Delhi led with 15 entrants, followed by the University of Mumbai with 12 and IIT Madras with 11.
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The number of women rose to 16 from 12 in 2024. Their companies were valued at about USD 699 billion. Arista Networks’ Jayshree V. Ullal led the group, followed by Vertex Pharmaceuticals’ Reshma Kewalramani and US Bancorp’s Gunjan Kedia.
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