Persistent Systems CEO Sandeep Kalra has become India’s highest-paid executive in FY26, receiving Rs 388.58 crore, as per Capitaline database and company annual reports. His remuneration surged 162 per cent year-on-year.

HCLTech’s C Vijaykumar came second with RS 171.93 crore, followed by Hero MotoCorp’s Pawan Munjal at Rs 122.31 crore.

Executives from the technology and automobile sectors occupied several places in the top 10. The figures represent total remuneration and may include salary, bonuses, commission, perquisites and stock-based benefits.

Here are the 10 highest-paid executives featured as per Capitaline.

1.     Sandeep Kalra, Persistent Systems-Rs 388.58 crore

Sandeep Kalra is the Executive Director and CEO of Persistent Systems and has more than 30 years of experience in the field of technology.

As per the company, Kalra has led its expansion across digital engineering, cloud, cybersecurity, data and analytics and enterprise AI. Persistent Systems crossed $1.6 billion in annual revenue under his management. Earlier, he held senior positions at HCL Technologies and HARMAN International.

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2.     C Vijayakumar, HCLTech-Rs 171.93 crore

HCLTech CEO and Managing Director C Vijayakumar received RS 171.93 crore, an increase of 85 percent.

Vijayakumar became CEO in October 2016 and Managing Director in July 2021. He joined HCL Commet as a senior engineer in 1994 and later held leadership roles across technology, operations and business. He has led HCLTech’s growth in digital services, cybersecurity, engineering, cloud, software products and AI.

3.     Pawan Munjal, Hero MotoCorp-Rs 122.31 crore

Hero MotoCorp Executive Chairman Pawan Munjal ranked is on the third rank with remuneration of Rs 122.31 crore, up 12 percent year-on year.

As per Hero MotoCorp, the firm serves more than 130 million customers across 53 countries and has surpassed 100 million units in cumulative sales. Mush has also headed its electric mobility push through VIDA and overseas ties with Harley-Davidson and Zero Motorcycles.

4.     SN Subrahmanyan, Larsen & Toubro-Rs 120.84 crore

Larsen & Toubro Chairman and Managing Director SN Subrahmanyam received Rs 120.84 crore in FY26, a rise of 58 percent. He joined L&T as a project engineer in 1984 and entered its board in 2011. He also played a crucial role in expanding the group’s infrastructure operations in India and abroad. Major projects related to L&T include Statue of Unity, the Ayodhya Ram Mandir and the bullet train project.

5.     Murali K Divi, Divi Laboratories-100.26 crore

Divi’s Laboratories founder and Managing Director Murali K Divi received Rs 100.26 crore, up 14 per cent from the previous year.

Divi is in charge of the company’s main technical and financial operations. Before establishing Divi’s Laboratories, he gained more than 15 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry and headed research and manufacturing teams globally. He also holds a doctorate in pharmaceutical sciences.

6.     Salil Parekh, Infosys-Rs 82.60 crore

Infosys CEO and Managing Director Salil Parekh received Rs 82.60 crore in FY26, an increase of 2 percent.

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Parekh has led Infosys since January 2018 and helped form its strategy across digital services, cloud and artificial intelligence. Before commencing his journey at Infosys, he spent 25 years in leadership roles at Capgemini and was earlier a partner at Ernst & Young’s consulting practice.

7.     Neeraj Knawar, Apollo Tyres-Rs 78.41 crore

Apollo Tyres Vice Chairman and Managing Director Neeraj Kanwar got TS 78.41 crore, up 96 percent year-on-year.

As per his LinkedIn profile, Kanwar joined Apollo Tyres in 1997 and became Managing Director in 2009. His tenure has included international acquisitions and the building of a manufacturing plant in Hungary. He is also focusing on technologies like AI, automation and Internet of Things.

8.     HM Bangur, Shree Cement-Rs 68.59 crore

Shree Cement’s HM Bangar received Rs 68.59 crore, showing an 8 percent increase.

A chemical engineer from IIT Bombay, Bangar imparts technical expertise to the company’s board. He served as president of the Cement Manufacturer’s Association between 2007 and 2009. He was also an executive member of FICCI.

9.     Ambarish Kenghe, Angel One-Rs 68.23 crore

Angel One Group CEO Ambarish Kenghe received Rs 68.23 crore, an increase of 10,710 percent, as per the Capitaline data. The amount comprises ESOPs worth Rs 55.53 crore.

Kenghe has earlier worked at Google and served as Chief Product Officer at Myntra. His earlier career also included roles at Bain & Company and Cisco Systems. He also holds four patents.

10.  Mohit Joshi, Tech Mahindra-Rs 67.58 crore

Tech Mahindra CEO and Managing Director Mohit Joshi received Rs 67.58 crore, up 25 percent.

Joshi joined Tech Mahindra in 2023 after working as president at Infosys. He has also led Infosys’s Mexico business and served as chairperson of EdgeVerve. He began his career in Banking with ABN AMRO and ANZ.

Executives from PB Fintech, Sun TV and Swiggy are excluded as their FY26 annual report has not been released. They were among the highest-paid executives in FY25.