Neal Mohan for YouTube: Why top tech giants are hiring Indian-origin CEOs in the US?

Google, Adobe, Microsoft, and IBM are some of the major tech giants with CEOs of Indian origin. Joining the league in the latest tech industry announcement is Neal Mohan who is set to succeed Susan Wojcicki as the new CEO of the online video-sharing platform - YouTube. Currently placed as the chief product officer, Mohan has been associated with Google, the parent company of YouTube since 2008.

He now stands in line with Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google LLC & Alphabet Inc; Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft; Shantanu Narayan, CEO of Adobe Systems and the likes of those heading tech giants in American corporations. A graduate of engineering from Stanford University, he exhibits striking resemblance with the other CEOS of major tech companies. Apart from their Indian origin, they all have received education in engineering and business management from top universities in the world.

People originally from India make up 1 per cent of the total US population and about 6 per cent of the Silicon Valley workforce. And yet they rule the US tech companies? To understand this trend, Midday Online spoke to tech experts Swastik Shrey and Ankita Dhakar on what it is about Indians that appeals to American technology giants.

Here are the top five reasons why top tech giants are hiring Indian-origin CEOs in the US:

High educational qualifications

With an obsession for technology, India is home to many engineers and computer wizards. Many Indian tech CEOs have studied at prestigious universities like the Indian Institute of Technology, present in various cities of India including Delhi, Mumbai, Kanpur, and more. The IITs are the Indian equivalent of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the US.

"Almost all Indian-origin executives have studied in IITs at some point. These universities have very low acceptance rates and admissions into the IITs is like Ivy League admissions on steroids", shares Ankitra Dhakar, the Managing Director at Security Lit. These universities not only train students with the best tech education but also equip them with global work ethics.

Neal Mohan graduated with a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from Stanford University in 1996. Later, he enrolled himself for a master's degree in General Management from Stanford University School of Business in 2005.

Similarly, Parag Agarwal holds a Ph.D. in Computer Science from Stanford University and a Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science and Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay (IIT Bombay). He joined Twitter in 2011 and rose through the ranks to become the company's Chief Technology Officer (CTO) by 2018. He became the CEO of Twitter from the period November 2021 to October 2022.

Going to top grad schools is how many Indians land the opportunity of heading tech giant corporations. The path is pre-defined and all it takes is to be persistent in studying science, technology, mathematics, and engineering.

Indians are a resilient breed

India is home to 1.4 billion people and is the second most populous country. In a few years, it is said to overtake China in terms of its population. Although India has made remarkable progress, poverty still remains a mammoth challenge for its citizens. Nearly a quarter of the population lives below the poverty line and survives on a minimum wage of INR 178 (as fixed by the Ministry of Labour and Employment).

"Indians face corruption, poor infrastructure, and limited opportunities. These factors condition them to be resilient, and combative thereby enabling them to overcome obstacles. As they grow, they evolve into avid problem solvers which is a key asset of any job role" reveals Swastik Shrey, a Mumbai-based technology enthusiast.

Neal Mohan established himself as a troubleshooter since he joined Google. To enable creators to monetise their content on YouTube, his team launched the ‘YouTube Partner Program' (YPP) at the beginning of February. It gives creators a way to earn money through their video content, build communities, and turn their creative passions into a business.

In creating a conducive workplace to empower employees, Sundar Pichai set another example. Pichai joined Google in 2015 when the big tech was being scrutinised over their workplace practices and the power they held. He overhauled the existing system and set a trend of workplace humility by becoming a calmer, kinder, and gentler leader in tech.

Indians account for the highest awardees of H1B Visa

American immigration system favours people with specialized skills. After Sundar Pichai graduated in electrical engineering from IIT Kharagpur, he went on an H1B Visa to work in the US. The H1B Visa allows American companies to employ foreign workers, many of whom belong to IT backgrounds. The US government awarded nearly 75 per cent of these visas to Indians in 2020. Comparatively, China fared poorly by receiving only 12 per cent of these visas.

The fact that Indians are equipped with the English language, gives them an edge over Chinese people whose official language is Mandarin. The popularity of the English language gives Indians a tremendous advantage in amplifying their communication in the US. Along with the ease of communication, comes the ease of doing business. The US also mirrors the thriving IT industry in India. Cities like Bengaluru, Chennai, and Hyderabad.

Indians are diligent workers

Dhakar is of the opinion that Indians are self-aware of the fast-changing pace of technology. "They know that today's gadgets might turn obsolete tomorrow. So, they are ingrained with the idea that they must passionately invent, innovate, and keep repeating the cycle."

On recreating the design interface of YouTube, Neal Mohan shared on his LinkedIn: "When YouTube first started, the viewer experience was pretty simple and limited to a desktop. Today we're innovating for complex and sophisticated interactions across every device. We started by addressing top visual elements on our platform: from buttons and video thumbnails to colour and light during playback. Hundreds of prototypes were created and tested with tens of thousands of users, and these data points were used to inform our design decisions."

Indians remain empathetic in the face of adversity

India has a huge pool of talent leaving the country for good. According to the United Nations, India has the highest number of migrants, with 17.5 million living abroad. Additionally, more Indians gave up their passports to become naturalised Americans in 2020.

Moving to a new country is a humbling experience. Riddhima Malviya, an IT employee working for Amazon recounts her experience of moving to the states. She faced the diverse challenges of being an Indian in a foreign land. This entailed learning about the work culture, inducting herself into the community, adjusting to the food habits, and fighting homesickness.

Dhakar adds that immigrants often have to be more adaptable and resourceful. "They also tend to be humbler because they know they have had to start from scratch in a new country. Thus, they get shaped to be humble, and accommodating and evolve as empathic beings. These traits fuel the leadership qualities that are needed to build an effective CEO."

Also Read: Scared of layoffs? Experts suggest working on your resume, not losing hope