Indian-Origin Leaders Rise: Srinivas Gopalan and Rahul Goyal Named CEOs of US Giants Amid H-1B Visa Fee Surge

Two significant US firms have promoted executives of Indian descent to their top leadership positions at a time when the country is embroiled in intense controversy over President Donald Trump's decision to charge a $100,000 fee for new H-1B visa applications.

Molson Coors Beverage Company has announced Rahul Goyal as its incoming CEO, beginning October 1, 2025, while T-Mobile has picked Srinivas “Srini” Gopalan as its next CEO, effective November 1, 2025. In view of growing immigration policy conflicts, their promotion is being closely monitored, underscoring the growing impact of Indian-origin executives in influencing multinational firms in spite of legal and political obstacles.

Who is Srinivas Gopalan?

T-Mobile announced that on November 1, current COO Srini Gopalan will take over as CEO in place of Mike Sievert. Sievert will take up a new position as the company's vice chairman. Gopalan started his career with Unilever India before moving on to Accenture.

He attended Delhi Public School, RK Puram, and the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Ahmedabad. Prior to joining T-Mobile as COO in March 2025, he had executive positions at Vodafone, Bharti Airtel, and Capital One and most recently was CEO of Deutsche Telekom Germany.

Known for spearheading digital transformation, 5G expansion, and customer satisfaction, his leadership represents a well-thought-out succession for T-Mobile.

Who is Rahul Goyal?

On October 1, one of the biggest brewing firms in the world, Molson Coors Beverage Company, named Rahul Goyal as its new CEO, replacing Gavin Hattersley.

Since joining the company in 2001, Goyal has advanced through the ranks of senior positions, most recently as Chief Strategy Officer, Global CIO, and CFO in India. He graduated from the University of Mysore with a bachelor's degree in engineering and the University of Denver's Daniels College of Business with a master's degree in business.

Goyal, who is based in Chicago, Illinois, is well-positioned to guide the business through changing consumer patterns and growing trade barriers in the US market thanks to his extensive tenure and experience in global strategy and operations.

Why Goyal and Gopalan’s Appointments Creating Waves in US?

These consultations are scheduled at a time when professionals and businesses that depend on highly skilled migration are uneasy over the Trump administration's contentious $100,000 cost for new H-1B visa applications. Indian IT workers, who comprise the majority of H-1B grantees, are uncertain despite the White House's clarification that the cost only applies to new applications.

In addition to Sundar Pichai, Satya Nadella, and Arvind Krishna, Indian-origin professionals have become essential to US firms, as evidenced by the ascent of executives like Gopalan and Goyal. The hiring of Rahul Goyal and Srinivas Gopalan not only highlights the influence of people of Indian ancestry on a worldwide scale, but it also conveys corporate America's diversity and resiliency.

Promoting executives with foreign expertise is becoming more and more viewed as a competitive advantage as US businesses adjust to geopolitical and legislative shifts. Their ascent illustrates the ongoing narrative of how, despite increasingly stringent immigration laws, skilled immigration has revolutionised the leadership of leading American companies.