What makes Indian origin CEOs rise to the top of Fortune 500 companies

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At the most recent count, 60 of the CEOs of Fortune 500 companies are of Indian origin. So what is it that makes Indians better leaders of global companies? Is it something as fundamental as education and managerial skills, or are there more abstract factors like upbringing and value systems in play? Or the more mundane attributes like a willingness to relocate and the will to adapt swiftly to new environments?

In an exclusive conversation with CNBC-TV18’s Shereen Bhan, Piyush Gupta, CEO of DBS Group; Prem Watsa, Chairman of Fairfax Fin Holdings; and Shobana Kamineni, Executive VC at Apollo Hospitals spoke at length about India’s progress and growth on the global stage.

First up, Watsa said, “We, as Indians, have a huge advantage because we come from a democracy where values are good and that is the big plus. We all have grown up in India and when you leave, it is such a big advantage that you develop qualities that you never thought you had or you haven’t had.”

Meanwhile, Gupta said that many of the successful Indians are from a middle-class background. “The hunger, adaptability and tenacity are distinctive in my experience,” he said.

According to Kamineni, Indians have a huge ability to take risks and entrepreneurial drive. “The next revolution that comes from India will not be export of services, will not just the IT; purely driven, but will be healthcare intelligence, data and IT-driven,” she said.