Harvard University is more than an institution, this Ivy League university is a dream for many. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, this university is at the top of the list of Ivy leagues and is one of the most difficult institutions to get into with an acceptance rate of 4 per cent. Harvard is one of the oldest and most prestigious institutions in the world with graduates who have excelled in various walks of life and have carved their name history as the most influential people.
From world leaders and billionaires to renowned artists, this university has been the home to thousands of bright minds. Here’s a list of Indians who made the cut and proudly call themselves Harvard alumni:
Rahul Bajaj, ex-chairman of Bajaj Group
The Padma Bhushan awardee and the ex-chairman of Bajaj Group, Rahul Bajaj was a Harvard alumnus. He was a billionaire businessman who took over Bajaj in 1965 and in his span of five decades, he has held important positions in the company for years. After completing his graduation from St. Stephen’s College, New Delhi he went to the United States to pursue MBA at Harvard Business School, which is the top business school in the world. According to a Deccan Herald report, Bajaj led the turnover of the group’s flagship company, Bajaj Auto from Rs 7.5 crore to Rs 12,000 crore, with the company’s scooter Bajaj Chetak being the main growth driver. At the time of his death in 2022, Rahul Bajaj had a net worth of $8.2 billion, according to Forbes.
Ratan Tata, ex-Chairman of Tata Sons
Ratan Tata has been a leading figure in the world of business. He was the former chairman of Tata Sons. He is an industrialist and philanthropist. Born in a family of businessmen, Tata always aimed for taking forward his family legacy. He has attended two Ivy Leagues, he completed his graduation from Cornell University College of Architecture with a degree in architecture. Thereafter he enrolled in an Advanced Management Programme at Harvard Business School. Tata Group has a market value of $26.4 billion and is the leading player in the market as per Business Today. Ratan Tata was awarded Padma Vibhushan and Padma Bhushan. He is best known for his charitable causes as he donated around 60–65% of his income to charity.
Kapil Sibal, Advocate and Congress Politician
From courtrooms to Parliament, Kapil Sibal has been an influential figure in both avenues. He is a renowned senior advocate and has represented several high-profile cases at the Supreme Court. He is a member of the Parliament in Rajya Sabha and was associated with the Congress. He attended Harvard Law School to pursue his LLM degree after finishing his Bachelor’s from ST. Stephen’s, New Delhi.
Anand Mahindra, Chairman of Mahindra Group
Anand Mahindra is a business scion and is the chairman of Mahindra Group. According to Forbes, he has a net worth of $2.3 billion. He joined MUSCO in 1981 and has held several significant positions to date. He pursued filmmaking and architecture from Harvard University and went on to get a degree in MBA from Harvard making him one of the most prominent Harvard alumni.
P. Chidambaram, Former Finance Minister of India
P. Chidambaram, is one of the leading politicians of the country and has served as the Parliament’s standing committee on home affairs. After completing his Bachelor’s from Madras law college and he went on to do masters from Harvard Business School.
Subramanian Swamy, Former Union Minister
Subramanian Swamy is a renowned Indian politician, who is also an economist and statistician. He served as the nominated member of parliament, Rajya Sabha. After completing his Masters from ISI, he completed his PhD from Harvard University on a full Rockefeller scholarship where he worked on Economic Growth and Income Distribution in a Developing Nation.
