Mukesh Ambani, the Chairman and Managing Director of Reliance Industries Limited (RIL), has secured the top position among Indians and second globally in the Brand Guardianship Index 2024 by Brand Finance. He outpaced global corporate leaders like Microsoft's Satya Nadella, Google's Sundar Pichai, Apple's Tim Cook, and Tesla's Elon Musk. Ambani also surpassed notable Indian figures like Tata Sons Chairman N. Chandrasekaran (ranked fifth, up from eighth in the 2023 ranking) and Anish Shah (ranked sixth) of Mahindra Group, among others.

Brand Finance's survey awarded Mukesh Ambani a Brand Guardianship Index (BGI) score of 80.3, placing him just below Huateng Ma of Tencent with a score of 81.6. The BGI is a global acknowledgment of CEOs who contribute to sustainable business growth by balancing the interests of all stakeholders, including employees, investors, and the broader society. In the 2023 ranking, Ambani held the second global position, but in the 2024 ranking, he secured the top spot among 'Diversified' conglomerates. Brand Finance employs a balanced scorecard to assess CEOs' ability to act as stewards of their company's brand and long-term value.

According to Brand Finance's survey, the Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) factors have emerged as the most significant influence on CEO reputation. The Brand Guardianship Index acknowledges CEOs who effectively balance commercial success, long-term brand development, and personal reputation management. Being recognized as a 'sustainability champion' contributes to 14% of the variation in reputation scores, surpassing factors like perceived trustworthiness (12.5%), possessing a 'strong strategy and vision,' and global recognition. The Brand Guardianship Index assesses Perception factors, reflecting current perceptions, Performance factors indicating tangible results, and Promotion factors supporting future perceptions and performance.