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Muslim businessmen and entrepreneurs have played a key role in India's economic development and in changing its global image. Muslim entrepreneurs are in different businesses, but their presence is big in medicine, leather, fashion, and software. Here is a list of the top ten Muslim Business leaders of India.

Azim Premji

Azim Premji is the founder of Wipro, a software giant and one of the pioneers who made India a software power to reckon with in the world. Today, Premji is a leading philanthropist and education reformer. He was born on 24 July 1945 in Mumbai. He studied engineering at Stanford University. He lost his father at the age of 21 and had to take charge of Wipro. Back then, Wipro produced vegetable oil, but Premji transformed it into a global IT and software services company. His visionary leadership made Wipro one of the leading technology companies in India.

Azim Premji is known for his great contribution in the field of social service and education. He founded the Azim Premji Foundation in 2001, which works to improve the quality of primary education in remote areas of India. He has donated billions of rupees in social service so far and is among the world's largest donors.

For his extraordinary contributions, the Government of India honoured him with Padma Bhushan (2005) and Padma Vibhushan (2011). Azim Premji is not only a successful businessman but also an inspiration for simplicity, honesty, and social responsibility.

Shahnaz Husain

Sahnaz Husain is a famous beauty expert and entrepreneur who is credited with revolutionizing the world of herbal and Ayurvedic beauty products. She was born on 5 November 1944 in Allahabad in a well-to-do family. She got married at the age of 15 and became a mother at the age of 16. Despite this, she studied aesthetics in countries like Iran, London, Paris, and America.

In 1971, she started a small herbal clinic from her home in Delhi. At that time, she adopted pure natural and Ayurvedic treatments instead of chemical products. The saffron-containing skin-lightening product prepared by her became very popular in the international market. Her company, Shahnaz Husain Group, has a presence in more than 100 countries and sells more than 380 herbal beauty and healthcare products.

She was awarded the Padma Shri in 2006. She has been invited to give talks at prestigious places like Harvard, Oxford, and the London School of Economics, LSE. Shahnaz Hussain not only established Indian Ayurveda on the global platform but also became a source of inspiration for women.

Hakeem Abdul Hameed

Hakeem Abdul Hameed not only revived the Unani system of medicine but also gave it global recognition. His father, Hakeem Hafiz Abdul Majeed, founded ‘Hamdard’ in a street of Delhi in 1906. It was a small Unani dispensary set up to alleviate the sufferings of people suffering from disease and provide them with effective and affordable medicines available to the masses.

He was 14 when his father passed away. Hakeem Abdul Hameed took over the reins of Hamdard and infused modern thinking into it. He brought about an industrial revolution by combining traditional Unani medicine with scientific methods. With new machines, labs, and medical tests, he transformed Hamdard into a leading pharmaceutical institution.

His vision resulted in Hamdard being declared a Waqf in 1948, making service and philanthropy its core principles. He received many honours, including Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan, and the Avicenna Award.

Hakeem Abdul Hameed's life is an inspiration—a symbol of innovation, service, and dedication. His legacy lives on in every aspect of Hamdard.

Yusuf Khwaja Hamied

Dr. Yusuf Khwaja Hamied is a renowned scientist-entrepreneur and chairman of the pharmaceutical company Cipla. He was born in 1936 in Lithuania and grew up in India. He was educated in chemistry at Cambridge University (UK), where he did his PhD in organic chemistry. Dr. Hamied played an important role in saving millions of lives in India and around the world, especially by providing affordable medicines for diseases like HIV/AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis. He revolutionized the pharmaceutical world through patent-free generic medicines.

One of his greatest achievements is making triple therapy drugs for HIV patients affordable. While Cipla’s anti-HIV drug sells for one dollar per day, the multinationals made a profit of $ 10,000 by selling the same at exorbitant prices. This made treatment accessible in many developing countries, including Africa.

The Government of India honoured Dr. Hameed with the Padma Bhushan in 2005. Apart from this, he has also received many international awards, including several honors given by health agencies of America and Europe. He is not only a successful industrialist but also a true servant of humanity.

Tausif Mirza

Tausif Mirza has taken the Indian leather industry to new heights. As the Managing Director of Mirza International Ltd, he has transformed not just a company but an entire industry. His visionary leadership and innovative approach have firmly placed India on the global leather and footwear map.

Under Tausif Mirza, Mirza International has become one of India’s largest leather exporters. Partnerships with international brands like Steve Madden, Marks & Spencer, Kenneth Cole, and Tommy Hilfiger are testimonies to its credentials. The recent tie-up with the US-based Marc Fisher Company and expansion plans with European brands reflect his global outlook.

Through his brands like 'Off The Hook', 'Oaktrak', and 'Thomas Crick', he has created an Indian identity in the premium segment of fashion footwear. With a design studio in Milton Keynes, UK, and a young team, he follows quality, innovation, and global expansion as his mantra.

Mohammad Mainal

The inspiring story of Himalayan Drugs Company (now Himalaya Wellness Company) began in 1930 with Mohammad Mainal. He was a visionary scientist and nature lover who dreamed of showcasing India's traditional Ayurvedic medicine to the world by combining it with modern science.

Mohammad Mainal laid the foundation of the company in Dehradun when he developed the first successful product based on the properties of a medicinal plant called Rauwolfia serpentina. He aimed to validate Ayurveda from a scientific point of view and make it compatible with the modern world. This thinking resulted in the launch of 'Liv 52' in 1955, which remains Himalayan Wellness' most famous and trusted hepato-protective product.

His son Miraj Mainal laid the foundation for the company's global expansion by setting up a manufacturing unit in Bengaluru in 1975. Today, Himalaya Wellness Company employs 10,000+ people and has a presence in 106 countries and an annual turnover of over ₹37.6 billion.

Yusuf Ali M.A.

Yusuf Ali M.A., Chairman and Managing Director of Lulu Group, is one of the most influential Indian entrepreneurs in the world today. His leadership, vision, and strategic acumen have been pivotal in establishing Lulu Group as a global retail giant. Headquartered in Abu Dhabi, the Group today operates a wide range of shopping malls and hypermarkets in many parts of the world, including the Gulf countries, catering to the needs of multi-cultural consumers with excellence.

Lulu Group currently spans 46 countries, employing over 70,000 people. The Group has a presence in the UAE, India, the US, the UK, Europe, Africa, and several countries in Asia, with an annual global turnover of over US$8 billion.

Not just business success, Yusuf Ali is also a pioneer in social responsibility and philanthropy. He has led several significant initiatives in the areas of education, health, and disaster relief. He is a former Vice President of the Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry and has also been elected to its Board of Directors four times.

Dr. Habil F. Khorakiwala

Dr. Habib F. Khorakiwala is the founder of Wockhardt, India’s largest healthcare company. In 1967, he laid the foundation of India’s first research-based global healthcare company, which today is a leader in pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, APIs, and super-speciality hospitals.

From setting up a plant in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Maharashtra, to acquiring pharmaceutical companies in the US and Europe, he took bold decisions at every step. Wockhardt is today the only company in the world to have six antibiotic discoveries granted QIDP status by the USFDA — a revolutionary step in the fight against “superbugs”.

Under his leadership, Wockhardt made innovations like India’s first recombinant vaccine ‘Biovac-B’, and the automated insulin pen ‘Vosulin’. Having completed a Master's from Purdue University and the Advanced Management Program from Harvard Business School, he was the first non-American to be awarded an honorary doctorate by Purdue.

He is inspiring today's generation through the book 'Odyssey of Courage' and 'Wockhardt School of Courage'. Fulfilling his social responsibility, he founded the 'Wockhardt Foundation', which reflects his commitment towards humanity.

Azhar Iqbal

Azhar Iqbal, who came from a backward district like Kishanganj in Bihar and made his way to the IIT-Delhi, is today the co-founder of India's leading media app InShorts.  InShorts claims to provide unbiased, easy-to-understand news in 60 words. This unique idea today gave birth to a company with 10 million+ users, 500+ employees, and a valuation of $550 million.

Azhar believes that the world is simple to understand, but we unnecessarily complicate things. With this thought in mind, he started with a Facebook page in 2013, where he used to post news in 60 words. Instead of research or a survey, he directly launched an MVP (Minimum Viable Product) and learned from user feedback.

Along with friends from IIT, he converted News in Shorts into an app and learned the nuances of business by joining Times Internet's startup accelerator. InShorts' model is based on a free news service with revenue generated from branded B2B advertising.

Today, Azhar is a judge on the Indian television show Shark Tank India. InShorts has become a symbol of the fast, simple, and smart thinking of a new India.

Irfan Razack

Irfan Razack, Chairman and Managing Director of Prestige Group, is an inspirational figure in India's real estate sector. Born and raised in Bangalore, Razack transformed Prestige Group, founded by his father, Razack Sattar, in 1986, from a small venture to India's leading real estate brand.

Over the past four decades, he has led several prestigious projects in the residential, commercial, retail, and hospitality sectors. His strategic thinking, deep market understanding, and emphasis on innovation have earned the company numerous awards and global recognition.

Razack's leadership is pragmatic, accessible, and inspiring. He fosters a positive work culture by building strong relationships with employees, customers, and partners.

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His social service, especially in the areas of education, health, and environment, is remarkable. He has received many prestigious awards, like FRICS, EY Entrepreneur of the Year 2022, Karnataka Rajyotsava Awards 2024, and ET Business Awards 2025.