Rising Compensation for India's CXOs: Deloitte Report Highlights Trends

A recent Deloitte report has demonstrated a 5% year-on-year increase in median compensation for non-promoter CEOs in India, reaching Rs 10.5 crore in FY26. This marks the slowest growth since the COVID-19 pandemic, attributed to evolving structures around incentives and the enhanced role of Chief Digital Officers.

Despite ongoing underperformance of the domestic equity markets for the past 12-18 months, remuneration strategies have matured, avoiding abrupt adjustments in response to market volatility and geopolitical risks, as per Anandorup Ghose, Partner at Deloitte India.

The report highlights significant pay increases for CFOs due to heightened attrition and an emphasis on capital efficiency. Additionally, the report observes a shift in remuneration strategies, with a move away from stock-linked plans towards varied long-term incentives and performance-based rewards.