Tech giant Microsoft has appointed Puneet Chandok as Corporate Vice President of India and South Asia, effective September 1.The company said that he will also undertake operational responsibilities from Anant Maheshwari, who stepped down as Microsoft India President.

Chandok was previously with Amazon Web Services (AWS) as the head of India and South Asia.

"Supported by a strong leadership team, Puneet will oversee the integration of Microsoft’s businesses across South Asia, including Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal, and Sri Lanka, further boosting the company’s presence in the region, while deepening its focus on key industries through a customer-centric approach with generative AI at its core," said Microsoft.

“We are delighted to announce that Puneet will be joining Microsoft India,” said Ahmed Mazhari, President Microsoft Asia. “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.”

“We are delighted to announce that Puneet will be joining Microsoft India,” said Ahmed Mazhari, President Microsoft Asia. “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.”

Commenting on his appointment, Puneet Chandok 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.”

“It has been a privilege to participate in Microsoft India’s remarkable growth over the last seven years,” said Anant Maheshwari. “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.”

"Puneet’s appointment comes at a time of continued market expansion for Microsoft as a leader 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 center 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," said the company in its official statement.

Chandok is an IIM Calcutta alumnus who had previously worked for organisations like McKinsey and IBM.