Microsoft has appointed Puneet Chandok as the new Corporate Vice President to lead operations in India and South Asia, taking over from Anant Maheshwari, who resigned earlier this month. Effective from September 1, 2023, Chandok’s responsibilities will include overseeing the integration of Microsoft’s businesses in the region and focusing on key industries with the implementation of generative AI.
With an impressive background, Puneet Chandok previously held key roles in various prominent companies. He served as President of Amazon Web Services (AWS) India and Vice-President of AWS South Asia for almost five years. During his tenure, he collaborated closely with enterprises, startups, digital businesses, and SMBs to promote agility, innovation, and technical debt reduction.
Chandok brings valuable experience to his new role, having also served as Partner for McKinsey in India and Asia and held the position of Deputy-General Manager APAC for IBM. He holds an 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.
Ahmed Mazhari, President of Microsoft Asia, expressed his enthusiasm for Chandok’s arrival on the leadership board, emphasizing his proven track record in building and growing technology businesses while leveraging technology for impactful change. Mazhari also extended his appreciation to Anant Maheshwari for his contributions in setting Microsoft India on a path of growth.
In response to his appointment, Puneet Chandok expressed his inspiration by Microsoft’s mission to empower every individual and organization to achieve more. He acknowledged the increasing relevance of this mission in India’s expanding digital public infrastructure and eagerly anticipated joining the One Microsoft team to make this mission a reality.
As Anant Maheshwari enters the offboarding process at the company, he expressed his gratitude for the remarkable growth of Microsoft India over the past seven years. He commended the exceptionally talented team and strong leaders who have driven the momentum, establishing a solid foundation of trust and entrepreneurial business models.
