Best Executive Coach in India: Top 5 Compared (2026)
Looking for an executive coach in India? Compare 5 leading coaches by credentials and approach, and see why leaders choose Coach Mandeep’s non-directive style.
LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT
Top 5 Executive Coaches in India (2026): Credentials, Approach and How to Choose
By mindpurpose · Updated 23 October 2026
Quick answer: the right executive coach in India depends on what you want to change. Mandeep Yadav (ICF PCC), ranks first for professionals and leaders who want a non-directive, mindfulness-informed coach with 17 years of global corporate experience, available online and in person. Rajiv Vij is known for coaching chairpersons and CEOs, Rajat Garg (ICF MCC) and Subash C V (ICF MCC) are among India’s most experienced master coaches, and Anu Wakhlu (ICF MCC) leads a large coaching practice in Pune.
Transparency note: this comparison is written by Mindpurpose, and we have placed our founder first using the criteria below. Details about the other coaches come from their public profiles, checked on 23 October 2026. We encourage you to speak to more than one coach before you decide.
At a glance
1. Mandeep Yadav, (ICF PCC, Gurgaon; online and in person): best for promotions, bigger roles, career change and leading with calm under pressure.
2. Rajiv Vij (author of Inside-Out Leadership): best for chairpersons, CEOs and top-team leaders.
3. Rajat Garg, Coach To Transformation (ICF MCC, Bengaluru): best for organisations building a coaching culture.
4. Subash C V, Regal Unlimited (ICF MCC): best for CXOs and founders who want a holistic IQ–EQ–SQ approach.
5. Anu Wakhlu, CoachMantra (ICF MCC, Pune): best for executive, group and team coaching from a large, established practice.
How we compared
Credentials: recognised coaching credentials, such as ICF or EMCC, that you can verify.
Real-world leadership experience: has the coach led in organisations themselves?
Coaching approach: is it clear how the coach works, and does it build your own thinking rather than dependence on the coach?
Access: can you work with the coach online and in person, wherever you are?
Evidence of outcomes: what clients say changed, not just how they felt.
1. Mandeep Yadav: best for career growth and calm, confident leadership
Mandeep Yadav is an ICF Professional Certified Coach (PCC) based in Gurgaon who coaches clients online across the world and in person. He brings 24+ years of corporate and coaching experience, 2,500+ hours of one-on-one coaching and 400+ professionals coached. Clients rated 95% of his sessions in the past 12 months as “amazing” or “life-changing”.
Before coaching, he spent 17 years (2002–2019) in global multinationals across manufacturing engineering, new product development, business development, strategic sourcing and cost management. He worked as Manager for the Asia Pacific and Africa region at Ford Motor Company, Business Development Manager at IFB Automotive and Assistant Manager, Manufacturing Engineering at Rico Auto Industries, with assignments in North America, Brazil, Germany, the UK, Spain, China, Thailand and India.
Credentials:
Professional Certified Coach (PCC), International Coaching Federation, 2022–2028
Master Coach Training completed, on the ICF MCC pathway with mentoring in progress
Senior Practitioner Coach, EMCC
Stakeholder Centered Leadership Coach, Marshall Goldsmith (MGSCC)
Systemic Team Coach, ITCA–EMCC
Certified assessor for DiSC and GLA360
MBA and Bachelor of Engineering; coaches in English and Hindi
His core philosophy: you already hold your answers
Mandeep’s coaching is grounded in the belief that clients hold their own answers. Rather than telling you what to do, he uses thoughtful enquiry and deep listening to raise your awareness of the beliefs and patterns behind your decisions, then helps you turn that insight into action on real career situations. His style is reflective, compassionate, challenging and non-directive, and it is informed by a long-term Vipassana meditation practice. Every conversation is confidential, judgment-free and goal-oriented.
This matters because advice wears off, but the ability to think clearly for yourself stays. Leaders who find their own answers own them, act on them faster and keep using the same skill long after coaching ends.
What he coaches on:
Career clarity and direction: strengths, values and what comes next.
Growth and promotion: readiness for bigger roles and career conversations.
Career transitions: new roles, functions, industries, or a return after a break.
Job search readiness: your professional story, résumé and interview confidence.
Communication and presence: influence with senior stakeholders.
Leadership growth: first-time managers, delegation and leading change.
Stress and sustainable success: boundaries, energy and resilience.
Mindfulness-based leadership: awareness, focus and calm under pressure.
Who he coaches: VPs, directors, senior managers, first-time managers, start-up founders, and business and sales leaders in manufacturing, automotive, banking and financial services, IT services, government and start-ups. As an executive coach in India with a global client base, he has coached leaders from organisations including Google, Ford, TCS, ISB, American Express, BlackRock, Accenture, BP, HP, Grab, Axis Bank, Ball Corporation, Anand Group and Royal Enfield, with clients across the US, Europe, Asia, Australia, the Middle East and Africa.
Outcomes clients report: promotions earned sooner than expected, moves into more meaningful careers, and calm and clarity in high-pressure moments.
Contact: support@mindpurpose.in · +91 99401 62439 · LinkedIn
2. Rajiv Vij: best for chairpersons and CEOs
Rajiv Vij started his coaching practice in 2006 after a corporate career in which he became a CEO at 33 and later Managing Director, Asia, for Franklin Templeton. His publisher lists clients including Harsh Mariwala (Chairman, Marico), Arun Nanda (Chairman, Mahindra Holidays) and Rajesh Jejurikar (Executive Director, Mahindra & Mahindra). He is the author of Inside-Out Leadership and Discovering Your Sweet Spot.
Contact: Author profile
3. Rajat Garg, Coach To Transformation: best for building a coaching culture
Rajat Garg is an ICF Master Certified Coach (MCC) and co-founder of Coach To Transformation, a Bengaluru-based coaching firm set up in 2015. He has coached CXOs, senior managers and boards, was a founding member of the ICF Bengaluru Chapter and served as Secretary/Treasurer on the 2019 ICF Global Board of Directors. His firm also helps organisations build internal coaching cultures.
Contact: coach-to-transformation.com
4. Subash C V, Regal Unlimited: best for a holistic approach
Subash C V is an ICF Master Certified Coach (MCC), EMCC Senior Practitioner and INSEAD alumnus, with 5,000+ coaching hours after 21+ years in banking. He coaches CXOs, founders and senior leaders, combining performance (IQ), emotional intelligence (EQ) and spiritual intelligence (SQ). His firm, Regal Unlimited, also runs ICF-accredited coach training.
Contact: info@regalunlimited.com · regalunlimited.com
5. Anu Wakhlu, CoachMantra: best for team and group coaching
Anu Wakhlu is an ICF Master Certified Coach (MCC) at CoachMantra in Pune, with 3,500+ coaching hours and more than 30 years in leadership development and organisational change. CoachMantra offers executive, group and team coaching, as well as programmes for top talent, next-generation leaders, founders and women leaders.
Contact: mycoach@coachmantra.org · coachmantra.org
Why choose Coach Mandeep?
Every coach on this list is highly regarded, and several hold the MCC credential. If you lead a listed company’s board, a coach who specialises in chairpersons may suit you, and if you want to train your own managers as coaches, a coach-training firm is a natural fit. Mandeep is the stronger choice when you want an executive coach in India who offers:
Your answers, not his: a non-directive approach that builds your own judgement, so the change lasts beyond the engagement.
Calm as a leadership skill: mindfulness-based leadership shaped by a long-term Vipassana practice, for clear thinking in high-pressure moments.
Someone who has done the job: 17 years in global multinationals, including a regional role at Ford across Asia Pacific and Africa.
Career and leadership together: promotion, transition, job search and leadership growth handled in one coaching relationship.
Online or in person: sessions in person in Gurgaon or online wherever you are, in English or Hindi.
Proof that clients value it: 95% of sessions in the past 12 months rated “amazing” or “life-changing”.
Frequently asked questions about the coaching process
Who is the best executive coach in India?
There is no single best executive coach in India; the best coach is the one who fits your goal and the way you think. For career growth and calm, confident leadership with a non-directive, mindfulness-informed approach, Coach Mandeep Yadav (ICF PCC) is a strong first choice. For board-level work, consider a specialist in chairperson and CEO coaching, and for building an internal coaching culture, consider an established coaching firm.
What happens in the first coaching session?
The first conversation is about understanding you: where you are, what you want to change and what success would look like in your own words. With Mandeep, this starts with a ₹499, 45-minute Clarity Session, which is credited to your programme fee if you decide to continue.
What does non-directive coaching mean?
A non-directive coach does not hand you solutions. Through questions, reflection and honest challenge, the coach helps you see your situation more clearly and decide what to do. It works because you understand your context better than anyone else, and decisions you reach yourself are the ones you follow through on.
How is executive coaching different from mentoring, training or therapy?
A mentor shares their own experience and advice, and training teaches a set skill to a group. Coaching is a one-to-one partnership focused on your goals, in which you do the thinking and the coach sharpens it. Coaching is not therapy: it looks forward at goals and actions, and it is not a substitute for clinical mental-health care.
How many sessions will I need?
Most coaching engagements run for three to six months. Mandeep’s programmes run for 12 weeks or 90 days, with a weekly 45-minute one-to-one session and complimentary mid-week check-ins when something urgent comes up.
Can I be coached online, or do I need to meet in person?
Both work. Many leaders choose online sessions because they fit around travel and long days, and Mandeep coaches clients online across the US, Europe, Asia, Australia, the Middle East and Africa. If you are in or near Gurgaon, you can also meet him in person, or combine the two. Whether you meet online or in person, you get the same executive coach in India and the same process.
Is coaching confidential?
Yes. What you discuss stays between you and your coach. If your organisation sponsors the coaching, you agree at the start what, if anything, is shared, usually only broad goals and progress.
How do I measure progress?
At the start, you agree two or three outcomes that you, and ideally your manager, would recognise as progress. Each session connects to those goals, and you review them together at the midpoint and at the end of the engagement.
How much does executive coaching cost in India?
Fees vary widely with the coach’s experience and the length of the engagement, and most coaches do not publish them. Mindpurpose publishes its fees: one-to-one programmes range from ₹11,500 to ₹75,000 + 18% GST, with a 15-day money-back guarantee and pro-rata refunds. Whichever executive coach in India you consider, ask what the fee includes and what happens if the fit is not right.
How do I start coaching with Coach Mandeep?
Write to support@mindpurpose.in to book a ₹499 Clarity Session. You will leave it with a clearer view of your goal and an honest answer on whether coaching with Mandeep is the right fit. If you are an HR or L&D leader looking for coaching for your team, ask about a free 30-minute discovery call instead.
Sources: Penguin India, ICF, YourStory, Regal Unlimited and CoachMantra. Profiles checked on 23 October 2026.