New Delhi, July 10 — In a significant milestone for Indian-origin professionals on the global stage, Sabih Khan, originally from Moradabad, has been promoted as the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Apple Inc., one of the world’s most valuable tech companies. His appointment places him among a distinguished group of India-born executives who lead some of the biggest corporations across the globe.
Khan will officially take over the reins from Jeff Williams later this month, while continuing to report to Apple CEO Tim Cook. Having been part of Apple for over three decades, Khan became Senior Vice President of Operations in 2019 and has been a key figure in Apple’s global supply chain and operational strategy.
With this elevation, Khan now shares the spotlight with renowned India-born leaders like Satya Nadella (Chairman and CEO of Microsoft), Sundar Pichai (CEO of Google and Alphabet), and Shantanu Narayen (Chairman and CEO of Adobe). These leaders represent a growing trend of Indian-origin executives helming multinational giants across technology, pharmaceuticals, fashion, and consumer goods.
Arvind Krishna, the Chairman and CEO of IBM, Vasant Narasimhan of Novartis, and Reshma Kewalramani, CEO of Vertex Pharmaceuticals, are also part of this influential club.
In the tech space, Sanjay Mehrotra, President and CEO of Micron Technology, and Anirudh Devgan, CEO of Cadence Design Systems, are other prominent names. Fashion industry leader Leena Nair, currently the Global CEO of Chanel, adds to the diverse portfolio of industries represented by Indian-origin leaders.
Former CEOs like Indra Nooyi, who led PepsiCo for over a decade until 2018, and Harish Manwani, the first global COO of Unilever, have also been pivotal in paving the way for future leaders from India.
In other recent developments, Sanjiv Kataria, who held the distinction of being the first Indian CEO of Bata, stepped down from his role last month. Similarly, Laxman Narasimhan, who previously served as CEO of Starbucks and earlier of Reckitt Benckiser, also exited his role in the past year.
Sabih Khan’s rise to the top echelons of Apple reflects not only his decades of contribution but also underscores the growing global impact of Indian-origin professionals in driving innovation, leadership, and strategic excellence at the world’s most iconic companies.
