Roshni Nadar Malhotra, chairperson of HCLTech, has secured eighth place on Fortune's 2026 Most Powerful Women Asia list, making her the highest-ranked Indian on the annual ranking.
(Also read: Billionaire Shiv Nadar gifts 47% of HCL Corp and Vama Delhi shares to daughter Roshni)
According to Fortune, the list recognises 100 women from 14 markets across the Asia-Pacific region. DBS Group chief executive Tan Su Shan topped the ranking. Malhotra, who occupied seventh place in 2025, also features at No. 33 on Fortune's separate global Most Powerful Women list.
Who is Roshni Nadar Malhotra?
Malhotra is the daughter of HCL Group founder Shiv Nadar. She succeeded her father as chairperson of HCLTech in July 2020, becoming the first woman to head a listed Indian IT company.
According to HCLTech's official website, she studied communications at Northwestern University and later earned an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management. She also serves as a trustee of the Shiv Nadar Foundation and founded The Habitats Trust, which works on wildlife conservation.
As per Fortune, HCLTech has annual revenue of around $14.7 billion and is increasingly focusing on artificial intelligence. Its advanced AI business reached an annualised revenue figure of $620 million.
{{/usCountry}}As per Fortune, HCLTech has annual revenue of around $14.7 billion and is increasingly focusing on artificial intelligence. Its advanced AI business reached an annualised revenue figure of $620 million.
{{/usCountry}}In February 2026, a joint venture between HCL Group and Taiwanese electronics manufacturer Foxconn began construction of a $440 million semiconductor assembly and testing facility in Uttar Pradesh, according to Fortune and an official company statement.
The 2026 Hurun India Rich List named Malhotra India's wealthiest woman.
Who is Shiv Nadar?
Born in Tamil Nadu in 1945, Shiv Nadar studied electrical engineering at PSG College of Technology in Coimbatore. According to the Shiv Nadar Foundation, he began his career as a management trainee at DCM, where he met several future HCL co-founders.
Nadar co-founded HCL in 1976, helping transform a computer hardware venture into one of India's leading technology companies. Forbes estimated his real-time net worth at $27.3 billion as of October 11, 2026.
After stepping down as chairperson in 2020, he became chairman emeritus and strategic adviser to HCLTech.
(Also read: Indian billionaire reacts to man claiming he sold family gold to buy iPhone 18 Pro for wife: ‘Some people…’)
In March 2025, he transferred 47 per cent stakes in each of two HCL promoter companies, HCL Corporation and Vama Sundari Investments (Delhi), to his daughter as part of the family's succession planning, according to an HCLTech exchange filing reported by The Economic Times.