In the fast-paced world of global technology, where new ideas build empires and strong leaders change the course of history, Roshni Nadar Malhotra’s story stands out. She is the Chairperson of HCL Technologies, India’s third-largest IT services company, and at 44 years old, she is the richest woman in India and the first Indian to make it into the top 10 wealthiest women in the world. Roshni’s rise to a net worth of ₹2.84 lakh crore (about US$40 billion, according to earlier estimates for 2025) isn’t just a story of inherited wealth. It’s also a story of visionary leadership, a strong commitment to giving back, and a quiet change in how men and women work together in Indian businesses.
Roshni was born in New Delhi in 1981 or 1982 and grew up in the shadow of one of India’s most famous business families. Her parents were Shiv Nadar, the founder of HCL Group and India’s third-richest person, and Kiran Nadar, a philanthropist. She was their only child and grew up with a lot of privilege, intelligence, and a sense of purpose. She grew up in the busy capital and went to the well-known Vasant Valley School, where she first became interested in storytelling and communication. This foundation would later lead her to a job that combined creativity with business strategy.
A mix of arts and ambition: school and the beginning of a career
Roshni’s education took her to different parts of the world, which shows how she thinks about the world. She got her Bachelor of Arts in Communication from Northwestern University in the United States, with a focus on Radio/TV/Film. This was a nod to her early interest in making media. She wasn’t put off by the glitz and glamour of Hollywood. Instead, she went to the prestigious Kellogg School of Management to get her Master of Business Administration (MBA). There, she learned how to be a strategic leader. Kellogg gave her the Schaffner Award in 2023 for her contributions to society, which showed how her education and her business philosophy of making a difference were connected.
Before taking over the family business, Roshni worked as a producer for different media companies, where she learned how to make content and manage projects. This short time taught her how to be creatively strong, which would be very useful in the strict rules of tech companies. She joined HCL Technologies, the main company in the HCL Group, in 2009 when she was just 27 years old. HCL is a multinational IT services and consulting company worth more than $48 billion.
Moving Up the Ladder: HCL Leadership
Roshni’s rise to HCL was very fast. In less than a year, she was promoted to Executive Director and CEO of HCL Corporation, the holding company that runs the group’s many businesses. This quick rise wasn’t a fluke; it was because she had a new way of looking at innovation, sustainability, and growth that put employees first. She became the first woman to lead a publicly traded IT company in India when she took over as Chairperson of HCL Technologies in July 2020. This was a historic moment that broke down barriers in a male-dominated field.
Under her leadership, HCL has grown in AI, cloud computing, and digital engineering, focusing on “responsible AI” that adds to jobs instead of taking them away. Her strategic skills have helped the company’s market capitalization grow. Roshni is a leader in more than just the boardroom. She is the chair of HCL’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Board Committee, which makes sure that sustainability is at the heart of everything the company does. She shows her support for protecting the environment through projects like “The Habitats” trust, which she started to protect India’s biodiversity and native species and help ecosystems stay healthy as cities grow quickly.
In 2025, Shiv Nadar gave her 47% of his stake in HCL Technologies, making her the biggest shareholder and sending her family’s wealth—and her own wealth—through the roof. This succession not only protected the Nadar legacy, but it also made Roshni a global force. HCL’s value reached ₹3,81,700 crore on the Hurun India 2025 Women Leaders List, where she was the top-ranked woman.
Giving: Making Connections Outside of Business
Roshni’s impact goes beyond making money; it’s based on giving back. She is a trustee of the Shiv Nadar Foundation, which has more than $1.2 billion worth of projects. She is in charge of programs that change education, the arts, and rural development. She is in charge of the VidyaGyan Leadership Academy, which is a flagship program that gives underprivileged rural youth in Uttar Pradesh world-class education and leadership training. This program gives young people the tools they need to make a difference.
Her charitable work goes back to 2005, when she and her father gave ₹4 crore to the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund. NDTV named her Young Philanthropist of the Year in 2014, and the World Summit on Innovation & Entrepreneurship gave her the “World’s Most Innovative People Award” in 2015 for her work in the field. Vogue India named her Philanthropist of the Year in 2017 for her all-around approach to doing good in the world. She is a board member of The Nature Conservancy and the Dean’s Advisory Council for MIT’s School of Engineering. This gives her more power to speak out about climate change and innovation.
A Personal Touch: Family, Hobbies, and Legacy
Roshni has been married to Shikhar Malhotra since 2010. He is the Vice Chairman of HCL Healthcare and a Babson College graduate. His entrepreneurial spirit matches hers. The couple lives in a luxurious ₹115 crore mansion in Delhi’s Friends Colony East, which is a peaceful oasis in the middle of the city’s chaos. They have two sons. But Roshni stays grounded. She is a trained classical musician whose music helps her escape from boardroom fights.
She has received a lot of praise from around the world. In 2023 and 2024, she was ranked 60th on Forbes’ list of the World’s 100 Most Powerful Women and 72nd on Fortune’s list of the Most Powerful Women. In 2024, she received the Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur from France. She was the third richest person in India on the M3M Hurun India Rich List 2025, behind Mukesh Ambani and Gautam Adani. This was the first time a woman had ever been in the top three billionaires in India. The Hurun list put her fifth among the richest women in the world, which is a first for India.
A Light for the Future
Roshni Nadar Malhotra’s story is more than just a biography of a billionaire; it’s a guide to how to become powerful. In a time when women leaders are changing what it means to be successful, she is the perfect example of how to combine tech skills, caring for the environment, and social justice. Roshni keeps inspiring people by showing that true wealth is not just in ledgers but also in legacies that last. Her foundation helps thousands of people, and HCL is pushing the boundaries of AI and sustainability.
The Hurun report says that her rise is a sign of “the intergenerational surge of tech-driven wealth” and a step forward for gender equality in India’s elite circles. As of October 2025, Roshni Nadar Malhotra is not only the head of HCL, but also the leader of a movement. India is buzzing about her milestone, with X posts calling her a “symbol of progress” and economic analyses calling her a “trailblazer.” Under her watchful eye, the future looks better—and fairer—than ever.
