Academic qualifications of India's top business leaders

If you thought all of India’s business leaders were born with a silver spoon in their mouth, you are wrong. Even those who were heirs to established business empire, made it a point to equip themselves academically to tackle the challenges posed by the winds of change and uncertain future.

Ratan Tata completed his B.S. in architecture with structural engineering from Cornell University in 1962, and the Advanced Management Program from Harvard Business School in 1975. (Photo by Brian Harkin/Getty Images)

Mukesh Ambani completed his graduation with a bachelor`s degree in chemical engineering from the UDCT, now Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai. He later enrolled for an MBA from Stanford University but completed only one year of the two year programme, to help out his legendary father in business. (Photo by Larry Busacca/Getty Images for TIME)

Deepak Parekh is the Chairman of Housing Development Finance Corporation. A Chartered Accountant, Parekh began his career with Ernst & Young Management Consultancy Services in New York. After returning to India, he worked with Grindlays Bank and also Chase Manhattan Bank as its assistant representative for South Asia. Parekh joined HDFC in 1978. (AFP PHOTO / Noah SEELAM)

Kumar Mangalam Birla is the Chairman of the Aditya Birla Group. A chartered accountant by qualification, he also has an MBA from the London Business School. (Image: AFP)

Anand Mahindra is the Chairman and Managing Director of one of India’s largest enterprise, Mahindra & Mahindra. He graduated magna cum laude from Harvard College, Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1977 (he studied filmmaking at Harvard), and completed his MBA from Harvard Business School, Boston, Massachusetts in 1981. (Photo by Jonathan Leibson/Getty Images)

Telecom tycoon Sunil Bharti Mittal is the founder, chairman and Group CEO of Bharti Enterprises. He started his career at 18 after graduating from Panjab University in 1976 and founded Bharti. He is also an alumnus of Harvard Business School, USA. (AFP PHOTO/ SAJJAD HUSSAIN)

Anil Dhirubani Ambani group head Anil Ambani completed his Bachelors degree from University of Bombay (as it was known then), followed by Master of Business Administration degree from University of Pennsylvania Wharton School. (AFP PHOTO/Punit PARANJPE)

N. R. Narayana Murthy, Chairman Emeritus of Infosys earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Mysore in 1967 and a master’s degree in technology from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, in 1969.

Azim H Premji, Chairman, Wipro holds an electrical engineering degree from Stanford University, USA. (AFP PHOTO/ STR)

UB Group chairman Vijay Mallya studied at St. Xavier's College, Kolkata, and graduated with a Bachelors of Commerce degree. While in college, he was interning in his family businesses. After he graduated, he also interned at the American part of Hoechst in the United States. (Photo by Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/Getty Images for F1 Rocks in India with Vladivar)

Chanda Kochhar is currently the Managing Director (MD) of ICICI Bank and Chief Executive Officer (CEO). After graduating, she pursued Cost Accountancy ICWAI and also acquired the Masters Degree in Management Studies from Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies, Mumbai

Kiran Majumdar Shaw is the Chairman & Managing Director of Biocon Limited a biotechnology company based in Bangalore. She completed her BSc Zoology Honours course from Mount Carmel College, Bangalore University and later did her post-graduation in Malting and Brewing from Ballarat College, Melbourne University.

Naina Lal Kidwai is the Group General Manager and Country Head of HSBC India.She is a chartered accountant by profession, later earned a Bachelors degree in Economics from University of Delhi and an MBA from Harvard Business School. She was the first Indian woman to graduate from Harvard Business School.

Sulajja Firodia Motwani, an MBA from Carnegie Mellon University, USA, Sulajja started her career at BARRA international, a leading investment analytic firm in California. She worked there for four years before joining Kinetic. She is now the Joint Managing Director of Kinetic Engineering Ltd and Director, Kinetic Motors.

Swati Piramal who followed up her MBBS with a Master's in Public Health from Harvard University, is now Director, Strategic Alliances and Communications, Piramal Healthcare.