Microsoft appoints Puneet Chandok as Corporate Vice President for India and South Asia

Microsoft revealed the appointment of Puneet Chandok as the Corporate Vice President of Microsoft India and South Asia on Tuesday. Effective September 1, 2023, Puneet Chandok will take over the operational responsibilities from the outgoing Anant Maheshwari.

Chandok, supported by a robust leadership team, is set to lead the integration of Microsoft's businesses across South Asia, which includes countries like Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. His appointment is expected to strengthen Microsoft's presence in the region further and deepen the company's focus on key industries through a customer-centric approach driven by generative AI technologies.

Ahmed Mazhari, President of Microsoft Asia, expressed his delight in welcoming Chandok to the Microsoft India team. He praised Chandok's impressive track record in building and growing technology businesses and his proficiency in leveraging technology to drive impactful change. With an AI-led future on the horizon, Mazhari believes Chandok's leadership will be instrumental in ensuring Microsoft's ongoing success in South Asia. He also took the opportunity to extend his appreciation to Anant Maheshwari for the growth trajectory he set for the company.

Chandok, speaking about his appointment said, “I am inspired by Microsoft’s mission to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. As India expands its own digital public infrastructure, I believe that this mission is more relevant here than ever before, and I am thrilled to be joining the One Microsoft team to make this mission a reality.”

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Anant Maheshwari, the outgoing Corporate Vice President, spoke about the privilege he felt in being a part of Microsoft India's remarkable growth over the past seven years. “It has been a privilege to participate in Microsoft India’s remarkable growth over the last seven years. I am filled with gratitude for an exceptionally talented team with a strong set of leaders driving this momentum. The Microsoft India team has created a strong foundation of trust and entrepreneurial business models,” he said.

Chandok's appointment comes at a time when Microsoft is experiencing continued market expansion, particularly in cloud technology and digital innovation. Microsoft holds the largest partner ecosystem globally, with a network of 17,000 partners in India contributing significantly to high cloud revenues. Moreover, with recent investments in local infrastructure, including plans for a new data centre in Hyderabad, Microsoft's growth aligns seamlessly with India's emergence as a global innovation hub. The company is deeply committed to serving the Indian market with transformative digital technology to drive economic progress and inclusive growth.

Prior to joining Microsoft, Chandok led the India and South Asia business for Amazon Web Services (AWS). In that role, he worked closely with enterprises, digital businesses, startups, and SMBs to enhance their agility, reduce technical debt, and foster innovation. Chandok also brings with him a wealth of experience from his previous roles at McKinsey and IBM, where he held senior regional and global positions. Chandok holds a master's in business administration (MBA) from the prestigious Indian Institute of Management Calcutta, in addition to a bachelor's degree in commerce and several diplomas in computer programming, networking, and high-level computer systems.

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