Three giants. One month. Three leadership shocks.
Written on 25 September 2026, based on public reports at that time.
Look at the last few weeks in Indian business.
The chairman of India’s largest conglomerate went from seeking another term, to announcing his departure, to returning to the role, in a little over a month.
The chief executive of India’s largest private bank declined another term, soon after the chairman’s own sudden resignation, leaving directors in a hurried search.
The chief executive of a leading consumer goods company won shareholder approval for a second five year term in August, and resigned days later.
Try this test. From tomorrow, you are unavailable for ninety days. Not gone, just unreachable.
Who signs the cheques. Who calls the banker when the limit renewal is due. Who knows the price your biggest customer actually pays, and what was promised to him over dinner. Who does your key supplier trust enough to extend credit.
In most Indian businesses, the honest answer to every one of those is, me.
Why do capable promoters avoid this. It is not that they are busy. It is that succession is the first big decision in their career that asks them to become less important. Every instinct that built the business pushes the other way.
A practical way to start, without handing over anything you are not ready to.
Think of it as three handovers, not one. Ownership, management and relationships. They do not have to go to the same person, and they do not have to happen at the same time.
Start with relationships, because they take the longest. This quarter, take your number two to meet your banker, your three largest customers and your key supplier. Not as an announcement. Just as a presence. Let them see another face they can call.
Succession is not an event you plan for the end. It is a habit you start while you are still indispensable.
If you disappeared for ninety days, who would your banker call?
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