15 Indian American Executives Named to TIME’s Inaugural Tech and Data List: Fifteen executives of Indian origin have been named to TIME magazine’s inaugural “Executives of the Year: Tech and Data” list, highlighting their leadership across artificial intelligence, technology, data, cybersecurity, digital innovation and other technology-driven industries.
The inaugural list recognizes 50 executives and is divided into three categories — Leaders, Innovators and Catalysts. According to India-West, all 15 Indian American executives featured on the list hold senior positions at major global companies, including Anthropic, OpenAI, Walmart, Bank of America, Delta Air Lines, Databricks, L’Oréal, CVS Health, Reddit and DocuSign.
Leaders
Rahul Patil, chief technology officer at Anthropic, oversees the technology supporting the company’s Claude AI platform. His responsibilities include improving reliability as demand for AI systems grows and addressing potential misuse of the technology.
Vijaye Raji, chief technology officer of Applications at OpenAI, leads technical teams working across data, experimentation and growth for products including ChatGPT and Codex. He also oversees technology supporting OpenAI’s advertising program.
Seemantini Godbole, executive vice president and chief information and AI officer at Lowe’s, has overseen the development of AI assistants for customers and store associates, with a focus on making home-improvement projects easier through technology.
Suresh Kumar, Walmart’s executive vice president, global chief technology officer and chief development officer, is working on AI systems that connect the retailer’s stores, warehouses and delivery operations. His work also includes AI-driven personalization for shoppers.
Hari Gopalkrishnan, chief technology and information officer at Bank of America, has overseen AI applications in areas including customer service, fraud prevention and software development. His portfolio includes the bank’s virtual assistant, Erica.
Amala Duggirala, executive vice president and chief digital and technology officer at Delta Air Lines, oversees the airline’s combined digital and technology organizations. Her work includes Delta Concierge, an AI assistant designed to anticipate travelers’ needs.
Firdaus Bhathena, executive vice president and chief technology and transformation officer at S&P Global, is responsible for bringing technology, data and AI together across the financial information company. He moved into the newly created position in March.
Innovators
Naveen Zutshi, chief information officer at Databricks, is focused on making enterprise data more accessible through AI. His work includes Genie, an AI agent designed to allow employees to query data, conduct research and automate tasks.
Charu Jain, senior vice president of merchandising and innovation at Alaska Airlines, led the technology integration following the airline’s acquisition of Hawaiian Airlines. The project involved moving millions of bookings and passenger records onto common systems during an 18-month effort.
Asmita Dubey, chief digital and marketing officer at L’Oréal Groupe, has incorporated AI into advertising and product discovery. She also led the expansion of CreAItech, the company’s generative-AI content engine.
Keyur Govande, chief technology officer at Depop, is using AI to improve the secondhand fashion marketplace. His work includes technology that can generate listing titles and descriptions from photographs of merchandise.
Ekta Chopra, chief technology and AI officer at e.l.f. Beauty, is leading efforts to deploy agentic AI across the company. Her work has included helping employees identify areas where AI agents can assist while retaining human involvement.
Catalysts
Tilak Mandadi, executive vice president, ventures, and chief experience and technology officer at CVS Health, has worked on integrating data across insurance, pharmacy and healthcare delivery. His work includes a digital platform connecting health records, insurance information and prescriptions.
Amit Puntambekar, chief technology officer at Reddit, is focused on the use of AI for personalization, discovery, search and moderation. His work also involves connecting users with communities based on their interests.
Sagnik Nandy, chief technology officer at DocuSign, has led the rollout of the company’s AI-powered Intelligent Agreement Management platform, which helps customers draft, organize, review and manage agreements.
Indian American Leadership in the Global Technology Economy
The representation of 15 executives of Indian origin on TIME’s inaugural list reflects the prominent roles that Indian American technology leaders occupy across major sectors of the U.S. and global economy.
Their responsibilities span artificial intelligence, cloud and enterprise technology, financial services, retail, aviation, healthcare, beauty, fashion marketplaces and digital platforms. The breadth of their roles also illustrates how AI and data technologies are increasingly being integrated into traditional business operations.
TIME said the inaugural Executives of the Year: Tech and Data list recognizes executives driving change across major business functions, with plans to expand the recognition into additional fields in the coming year
