Precisely 1,436 Indian nationals are on the boards of 3,691 companies based abroad, including companies that have subsidiaries here, reflecting the growing clout of Indians in the global corporate world.

Vijay Mallya, who is fighting to rescue his Kingfisher Airlines, is on boards of 36 overseas companies/ organisations, and several of them are his own acquisitions and foreign subsidiaries of his own companies. He is also on the board of Bayer Cropscience, a company with a foreign base, according to Prime Database.

In all, 14,931 Indians grace the boards of companies, at home or abroad.

The rapid acquisition of companies abroad has led to several Indian promoters also coming on board of those companies.

Shailesh Haribhakti, managing partner and CEO of the Haribhakti group, said, “It’s confidence in and recognition of Indians that is working for us, as our corporate governance is becoming the best in class. Many of us are getting screened for the job; diversity is also seen as a positive on foreign boards.”

Several Indians are on board of foreign companies that have no Indian subsidiary and are global giants in their respective fields.

Ratan Tata is on the boards of two foreign companies, Alcoa and Fiat Turin. He is also on the board of Jaguar.

Nasser Mukhtar Munjee, former managing director of IDFC and current chairman of Development Credit Bank, is on the boards of US-based General Chemical Industrial Products and EMSAF-auritius.