Key Takeaways:
- Roshni Nadar Malhotra Ranks Eighth in Asia
- AI and Technology Drive Business Leadership
- Women Are Shaping Asia’s Corporate Landscape
The Roshni Nadar Malhotra Fortune 2026 ranking places the HCLTech chairperson eighth among Asia’s most powerful women, recognising her influence in the regional business landscape. Tan Su Shan, chief executive officer of DBS Group, topped the annual ranking, which recognises 100 women shaping businesses across 14 markets in Asia-Pacific.
The ranking highlights leadership across technology, banking, manufacturing, retail and other industries. The assessment considers five factors: business scale and performance, innovation, influence, career trajectory and overall impact. The 2026 edition features 24 newcomers, reflecting changes in the region’s corporate leadership landscape.
Tan Su Shan became DBS Group’s first female CEO in 2025, succeeding Piyush Gupta, who led the Singapore-based banking group for 15 years. Her appointment marked a significant milestone for women in financial services. In July 2026, DBS crossed a market capitalisation of S$200 billion, becoming the first Singaporean company to reach that milestone.
Technology emerged as the most represented sector on the list, with 16 women leaders, followed by banking with 14. The sectoral distribution reflects the influence of women executives in industries driving technological innovation, financial growth and business transformation across Asia.
Roshni Nadar Malhotra Fortune 2026 ranking and HCLTech leadership
The Roshni Nadar Malhotra Fortune 2026 ranking recognises her leadership as chairperson of HCLTech, one of India’s major information technology services companies. Her appointment marked a significant step in her leadership journey as she assumed responsibility for guiding the company’s strategic direction and long-term growth.
Under her leadership, HCLTech has continued to expand its technology capabilities, with artificial intelligence becoming an increasingly important part of its business strategy. The company reported revenue of US14.7billion,whileadvancedartificialintelligencecontributedUS620 million, according to figures cited in the 2026 ranking.
HCLTech is also strengthening its focus on integrating AI into enterprise operations and technology services. As businesses increasingly adopt AI-driven solutions, the company’s investments in this area reflect the changing demands of the global technology market.
The company has also recorded notable progress in boardroom representation, with women accounting for 50% of its board. This level of representation highlights the presence of women in corporate governance at a major technology enterprise, where leadership positions have historically been male-dominated.
Beyond her corporate responsibilities, Nadar Malhotra is involved in philanthropy and conservation. She serves as a trustee of the Shiv Nadar Foundation and founded The Habitats Trust, an organisation focused on protecting natural habitats and wildlife. She was also named India’s richest woman in the 2026 Hurun India Rich List, further underlining her prominence in the country’s business landscape.
Six other Indian women feature on the list
Nadar Malhotra is joined by six other Indian business leaders in Fortune’s 2026 ranking, reflecting the presence of Indian women across technology, insurance, consumer goods, financial services and healthcare.
Arundhati Chakraborty of Accenture secured the 39th position, followed by Vibha Padalkar of HDFC Life at 42nd. Priya Nair of Hindustan Unilever ranked 52nd, while Vishakha Mulye of Aditya Birla Capital placed 70th. Preetha Reddy of Apollo Hospitals ranked 79th, and Arundhati Bhattacharya of Salesforce secured the 81st position.
The top ten includes executives and entrepreneurs from several major Asian markets. Grace Wang, chairwoman and CEO of Luxshare Precision Industry, ranked second, followed by Zhou Qunfei, founder and chairwoman of Lens Technology, in third place. Meng Wanzhou of Huawei secured fourth, while Bonnie Y. Chan of Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing ranked fifth.
Malina Ngai of AS Watson placed sixth, followed by Wang Fengying of Xpeng Motors in seventh. After Nadar Malhotra in eighth, Mitsuko Tottori of JAL Group ranked ninth, while Joey Wat of Yum China completed the top ten.
The 2026 ranking highlights the growing influence of women in Asia’s corporate leadership, particularly in technology and financial services. Nadar Malhotra’s position among the top ten brings attention to Indian leadership in the regional business landscape and underscores the role of women executives in steering major enterprises through technological change and evolving market demands.
