Senior leaders seek faster growth as executive mobility rises: Page Executive India

Page Executive India’s latest report, based on insights from more than 1,200 C-level executives and senior leaders, finds high leadership mobility, rising expectations for career progression, and growing pressure on organisations to develop and retain top talent.

Page Executive India, part of Michael Page India, has released its Executive Compensation & Talent Trends Report, highlighting significant shifts in India’s senior leadership landscape. The report indicates that executives are increasingly seeking faster career progression, wider responsibilities and opportunities to create greater business impact.

According to the findings, 94% of senior leaders are open to new opportunities, while 41% do not expect to remain in their current role for more than a year. The data points to a leadership market where organisations are not necessarily struggling to access senior talent, but are facing challenges in keeping pace with executives’ expectations around career growth, rewards and capability development.

The report draws on insights from more than 1,200 C-level executives and senior leaders in India, highlighting the growing need for organisations to strengthen leadership development and establish structured career pathways.

Jon Goldstein, Managing Partner, Page Executive India, said: “India’s executive market is not constrained by a lack of talent, but by the pace at which organisations can develop and retain it. Senior leaders today are looking for faster progression, greater impact, and clearer alignment between performance and reward. Organisations that can match that ambition with structured development, transparent frameworks and strong senior leadership capability will have a clear competitive advantage.”

AI adoption expands across executive roles

Artificial intelligence is also becoming increasingly embedded in the responsibilities of senior executives. The report states that 75% of executives are actively using AI in their roles, with the same proportion reporting improved productivity. Meanwhile, 72% say AI has improved the quality of their work.

The findings suggest that the focus among organisations is gradually shifting from simply adopting AI tools to integrating the technology into operating models, decision-making processes and team performance. This places greater emphasis on leadership capabilities that can translate AI investments into measurable business outcomes.

Nilay Khandelwal, Senior Managing Director, Michael Page India and Singapore, added, “From an executive perspective, the conversation around AI is moving from adoption to accountability. Leaders are increasingly seeing the impact AI can have on productivity and quality of work, but that also raises a more fundamental question: do organisations have the right capabilities in place to capture that value? As roles evolve and new skills become important, the ability to identify, develop and retain the talent that can work effectively alongside AI will become an increasingly important leadership priority.”

Career growth gains importance alongside compensation

While compensation continues to influence senior executives’ employment decisions, the report indicates that financial rewards alone may not be sufficient to retain leadership talent. About 65% of executives surveyed are satisfied with their remuneration, while 87% identify pay as a key contributor to job satisfaction.

At the same time, senior leaders are placing greater emphasis on career progression and promotion opportunities, access to high-impact projects, faster professional development and broader organisational exposure. The findings point towards a shift from compensation-led attraction towards a more comprehensive, growth-oriented approach to leadership retention.

Transparency must translate into alignment

The report also examines executive compensation structures, with 72% of senior leaders describing compensation frameworks as transparent. However, organisations may need to go beyond transparency by establishing clearer connections between performance, business outcomes and rewards.

With variable compensation playing an increasingly important role in executive remuneration, greater clarity around how pay is determined could become critical to strengthening trust and engagement among senior leadership teams.

Skills-based hiring faces an execution gap

Skills-based hiring is gaining traction among Indian organisations as companies seek to widen talent pools and reduce potential bias in recruitment. However, the report identifies a gap between organisations’ stated intent and their hiring practices.

Only a minority of organisations currently place skills ahead of traditional career backgrounds, while many continue to give significant weight to academic qualifications and professional pedigree. This could limit access to a broader pool of leadership talent, particularly as organisations seek capabilities aligned with emerging business requirements.

The report concludes that India’s executive talent market is becoming increasingly dynamic, characterised by faster decision cycles, greater career mobility and rising expectations among senior leaders. Organisations that combine competitive rewards with clear career pathways, accelerated development and meaningful leadership opportunities could be better positioned to attract and retain senior talent.