From N Chandrasekaran to Campbell Wilson: A look at some of India Inc’s biggest names who are walking out in 2026

2026 may be remembered as the year some of its most recognisable boardroom faces began walking out.

From Tata Sons and HDFC Bank to Godrej Consumer Products, Air India, Eternal and Biocon, a string of high-profile exits has reshaped leadership at some of India's most prominent companies.

The churn has not been confined to traditional businesses either. At Meta and Uber, two of the most influential technology executives in India have moved on — both to OpenAI, underlining a second, more intriguing trend: the growing pull of AI on corporate talent.


Taken together, the departures suggest that India Inc is entering a period of leadership transition, with long-serving executives making way for successors even as companies rethink strategy, governance and the skills needed for their next phase of growth.

N Chandrasekaran | Tata Sons

N Chandrasekaran is stepping down as chairman of Tata Sons after almost a decade at the helm.

Chandrasekaran informed the board in August that he would not seek another term after his current tenure ends on February 20, 2027.

Also Read: N Chandrasekaran resigns as chairman of Tata Sons before AGM

Chandrasekaran joined TCS in 1987 and spent four decades within the group. He rose to become TCS CEO in 2009 before taking charge of Tata Sons in 2017, succeeding Cyrus Mistry.

His exit is particularly significant because Tata Sons sits at the centre of a sprawling conglomerate spanning technology, automobiles, steel, aviation, consumer products and financial services.

It also comes at a moment when the group is navigating another major transition, the integration and turnaround of Air India, where Tata has committed billions of dollars to rebuilding the airline.

Sashidhar Jagdishan | HDFC Bank

Sashidhar Jagdishan's exit represents one of the year's most consequential leadership resets. Jagdishan decided not to seek a third term as managing director and CEO of HDFC Bank. His current tenure ends on October 26.

Jagdishan's journey is unusual even by Indian banking standards. He joined HDFC Bank nearly three decades ago as a finance manager and gradually rose through the ranks before becoming CEO in 2020.

Also Read: HDFC Bank CEO Sashidhar Jagdishan set to retire: Finance manager 'Sashi' who rose to corner office

His defining challenge was also one of India's biggest corporate transactions, the 2023 merger of HDFC Bank with mortgage lender HDFC Ltd.

The enlarged institution emerged as one of the world's biggest financial-services businesses, but the integration has not been without challenges. Growth, margins and shareholder returns have come under pressure, while the bank has faced heightened scrutiny over governance and execution

Atanu Chakraborty | HDFC Bank

Before Jagdishan announced his departure, Atanu Chakraborty had already delivered one of the year's biggest corporate stories.

The former economic affairs secretary resigned as HDFC's part-time chairman in March, citing concerns over “certain happenings and practices” that he said were not in line with his personal values and ethics.

Also Read: HDFC Bank chair quits, cites conflict over 'values and ethics'

The abrupt resignation briefly wiped billions of dollars from HDFC's market value and raised questions about governance at India's largest private-sector lender.

The bank subsequently commissioned external law firms to review the concerns raised by Chakraborty. The review later said his statements and their implications were not substantiated.

Sudhir Sitapati | Godrej Consumer Products

Sudhir Sitapati resigned as managing director and CEO of Godrej Consumer Products on August 11, bringing his nearly five-year tenure at the FMCG company to an immediate end.

What made the departure especially striking was its timing as shareholders had approved his reappointment for another five years just days earlier.

Also Read: Godrej Consumer Products appoints Aasif Malbari as CEO, replacing Sudhir Sitapati

Sitapati had joined GCPL after a long career at Hindustan Unilever and had been tasked with sharpening the company's growth strategy across India and international markets.

His sudden departure sent GCPL shares plunging more than 11% in a single session, the stock's worst fall in more than six years, as investors worried about execution and the company's long-term strategy.

Campbell Wilson | Air India

Campbell Wilson arrived at Air India with perhaps the most difficult corporate brief in Indian aviation to rebuild a once-iconic national carrier after its return to the Tata Group.

The New Zealand-born executive, a veteran of Singapore Airlines and founder of its low-cost carrier Scoot, became Air India's CEO in 2022 after Tata Sons acquired the airline for $2.4 billion.

Also Read: Air India CEO Campbell Wilson resigns after Ahmedabad crash, airspace closure trouble Tata-owned carrier

He was tasked with transforming an airline known for ageing aircraft, operational problems and poor service into a global carrier.

Under Wilson, Air India placed orders for more than 500 aircraft, embarked on a major technology overhaul and completed the merger with Vistara.

But his tenure was overshadowed by mounting challenges, including the fatal crash of an Air India Boeing 787 in Ahmedabad in June 2025 that killed 260 people, as well as persistent financial and operational pressures.

Wilson announced his resignation in April 2026, before his term was due to end. He will remain CEO until a successor is appointed.

Sandhya Devanathan | Meta

Sandhya Devanathan, Meta's vice president and head of India and Southeast Asia, left the technology giant after more than a decade and is joining OpenAI.

She joined Meta in 2016 and held a series of leadership roles across ecommerce and gaming in Asia-Pacific before becoming its India and Southeast Asia chief.

Also Read: Meta's Sandhya Devanathan exits after decade-long stint, to join OpenAI

At OpenAI, she will be based in Singapore as vice president for Southeast Asia and Australia, reporting to Asia-Pacific managing director Kiran Mani. Her remit includes consumer growth, enterprise adoption, partnerships, regulatory engagement and operations.

She is one of two senior India corporate leaders to move to OpenAI this year, suggesting that AI companies are becoming credible destinations for executives who have spent years building some of the world's largest consumer and technology businesses.

Prabhjeet Singh | Uber

Prabhjeet Singh offers the other half of that AI story.

After more than a decade at Uber, Singh stepped down as president of Uber India and South Asia and is joining OpenAI as its first managing director for India.

Also Read: Uber India head Prabhjeet Singh quits, to join as OpenAI MD

Singh spent 11 years building Uber's India business and helped turn the country into one of the ride-hailing company's most important global markets.

In his farewell message, Singh highlighted the scale of the operation he was leaving behind, including more than 2 million earners on the platform in a recent month.

His new mandate is equally ambitious: consumer growth, enterprise adoption, partnerships, regulatory engagement and the development of India's wider AI ecosystem.

Nandita Sinha | Myntra

Sinha stepped down as CEO of Myntra after more than four years at the helm, ending a long career within the Flipkart ecosystem. She subsequently moved to Swiggy, where she took over as CEO of Instamart from August 3.

Sinha had joined Myntra in 2022 after earlier roles at Flipkart and had spent years in India's ecommerce ecosystem.

Also Read: Myntra CEO Nandita Sinha to step down, Sharon Pais likely replacement

Her move is less about an executive leaving the sector than about the increasing circulation of senior talent between India's biggest consumer internet companies.


The big names show some are leaving after long careers, some moving sideways into new businesses. Some are stepping away from operating roles while retaining strategic influence. And some are being pulled towards a new corporate frontier where AI, rather than banking, FMCG, ecommerce or mobility, could become the next great executive talent magnet.

The result is a boardroom in motion — and for India's biggest companies, the question is no longer merely who is leaving.