Ex-AWS Top Exec Puneet Chandok To Head Microsoft India, South Asia Operations

Chandok will assume the operational responsibilities from Anant Maheshwari, effective September 1.

Chandok's appointment comes at a time of continued market expansion for Microsoft as one of the leaders in cloud technology.

Source : Microsoft

Microsoft on Tuesday announced Puneet Chandok’s appointment as the Corporate Vice President of Microsoft India and South Asia. Chandok will assume the operational responsibilities from Anant Maheshwari, effective September 1. Chandok will lead the India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka markets. Supported by a strong leadership team, he will oversee the integration of Microsoft’s businesses across South Asia, further boosting the company’s presence in the region, while deepening its focus on key industries through a customer-centric approach with generative artificial intelligence (AI) at its core.

“We are delighted to announce that Puneet will be joining Microsoft India. Puneet has a strong track record of building and growing technology businesses and leveraging technology to deliver impact and change. As we embrace an AI-led future, Puneet’s leadership will play a vital role in ensuring Microsoft’s ongoing success in South Asia, and I extend my thanks to Anant Maheshwari for setting us on a growth path," Ahmed Mazhari, President of Microsoft Asia, said in a statement.

Chandok's appointment comes at a time of continued market expansion for Microsoft as one of the leaders in cloud technology and digital innovation. With the largest partner ecosystem globally, including a 17,000-strong network in India generating high cloud revenue, and new investments in local infrastructure including the intent to establish a new data centre in Hyderabad, Microsoft’s growth aligns with India’s emergence as a global innovation hub. Microsoft remains deeply committed to serving the market with transformative digital technology, to power India’s economic progress and its inclusive growth agenda.

“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," Chandok said, commenting on his appointment.

Chandok's previous stint was with Amazon Web Services (AWS), where he led the company’s India and South Asia business, working closely with enterprises, digital businesses, startups, and SMBs to help them reduce technical debt, bring in agility, and innovate. Prior to this, Puneet was a Partner at McKinsey in India and Asia, and also held senior regional and global roles in IBM. Puneet holds a master’s in business administration (MBA) from the Indian Institute of Management Calcutta, a bachelor’s degree in commerce, and diplomas in Computer Programming, Networking, and High-level Computer Systems.