New Delhi, Dec. 19 -- Leadership churn continued across India's technology, telecom and digital-first companies during the week of December 13-19, reflecting a sharper focus on AI adoption, platform-led growth and global scale. From telecom and IT services to fintech, edtech and cybersecurity, companies announced a series of senior appointments and elevations aimed at strengthening technology leadership and execution depth. Here are the key CXO-level movements to track.
Bharti Airtel names Shashwat Sharma CEO-designate; Gopal Vittal to become Executive Vice Chairman
Bharti Airtel Ltd. has appointed Shashwat Sharma as Chief Executive Officer-designate, effective January 1, 2026, as part of a planned leadership succession. Sharma, currently the telco's Chief Operating Officer, will succeed Gopal Vittal, who will transition to the role of Executive Vice Chairman. Vittal, who steered Airtel through some of the most disruptive phases of India's telecom market-including the entry of Reliance Jio in 2016-will oversee Airtel and its subsidiaries globally in his new role. The company said Sharma and Vittal have worked closely over the past year under an orchestrated transition plan. As part of the broader leadership rejig, Soumen Ray, CFO of Bharti Airtel India, will be elevated to Group CFO, reporting to Vittal and overseeing Airtel's global portfolio, including Africa operations. Akhil Garg will take over as CFO for Bharti Airtel India, while Rohit Puri will be appointed Company Secretary and Compliance Officer. Pankaj Tewari will continue as Group Company Secretary.
Raghu Mocherla to lead Hexaware's cyber-physical systems and connected AI portfolio
IT services firm Hexaware Technologies has appointed Raghu Mocherla as Senior Vice President - Digital & Software, strengthening its push into software-defined, AI-enabled and cyber-physical systems. Mocherla will lead the Cyber-Physical Software and Systems portfolio within Hexaware's Digital & Software (D&S) business unit. He brings over 25 years of experience across product engineering, R&D and industrial operations. Mocherla joins from Capgemini, where he spent more than a decade and most recently served as Industry Head and P&L leader for the ER&D business in the Americas, covering automotive, aerospace, industrial manufacturing and defence. The appointment comes as enterprises increasingly embed intelligence and connectivity into physical products, driven by AI, edge computing and software-defined architectures.
Protectt.ai appoints Nitin Talwar as Head of Global Delivery and Solution Engineering
AI-based mobile app security firm Protectt.ai has appointed Nitin Talwar as Head of Global Delivery & Solution Engineering to scale delivery capabilities and support international expansion. In his new role, Talwar will oversee the end-to-end delivery lifecycle, including customer onboarding, integration, implementation and long-term adoption. His mandate includes streamlining delivery processes, reducing time-to-value and improving customer outcomes. Talwar brings over two decades of experience across digital transformation, large-scale technology delivery and operations, with prior exposure to BFSI and enterprise technology services. He has led complex delivery programmes across geographies and built high-performing engineering teams.
Kanodia Group appoints Amman Walia as Group Chief Information Officer
Diversified conglomerate Kanodia Group has appointed Amman Walia as Group Chief Information Officer, reinforcing its push for technology-led transformation across its cement, real estate and industrial businesses. Walia brings close to two decades of experience in IT strategy, digital transformation and AI, having previously worked with companies such as Wonder Cement and GR Infra Projects. His expertise spans ERP and CRM rollouts, plant automation, IT-OT integration, data platforms and cybersecurity. At Kanodia Group, Walia will focus on aligning technology with long-term business goals, accelerating digitisation and embedding data- and AI-driven decision-making across the group.
SBI Life appoints KRC Murty as EVP and Head of IT (Business Systems)
SBI Life Insurance Co. Ltd. has appointed KRC Murty as Executive Vice President and Head of IT (Business Systems), bolstering its technology leadership amid ongoing digital transformation. Murty will oversee IT strategy, operations and service delivery across core insurance systems, with a focus on scalability, resilience and business alignment. Prior to joining SBI Life, he served as Senior President at YES Bank and earlier led run-the-bank IT operations at Kotak Mahindra Bank. With nearly three decades of experience, he has also held senior roles at Deutsche Bank, Merrill Lynch and HDFC Bank.
SBFC Finance promotes Shivaji Manwadkar as Chief Security Officer
SBFC Finance Limited has promoted Shivaji Manwadkar to Chief Security Officer, underscoring its emphasis on strengthening security and regulatory compliance as it scales its digital operations. In his new role, Manwadkar will oversee enterprise-wide security strategy, IT infrastructure protection, and cyber and operational risk frameworks. He has grown within SBFC Finance through multiple IT and security roles, giving him deep institutional knowledge. Prior to this, he worked with HDFC Bank and held technical and consulting roles at Saksoft and Impact Infotech.
Scaler appoints Ratnakar Reddy to lead B2B business for India and MENA
Edtech firm Scaler has appointed Ratnakar Reddy as Head of its B2B business for India and the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, sharpening its focus on enterprise and government skilling initiatives. Reddy will lead Scaler's efforts to support enterprises and digital-native organisations in their AI and technology transformation journeys through industry-aligned curricula and AI-powered learning tools. He brings over 25 years of experience, with leadership stints at Wipro, Microsoft, IBM and Google Cloud. The appointment aligns with Scaler's strategy to deepen its presence in enterprise skilling amid rising demand for AI and digital capabilities.
FundsIndia appoints Rhishabh Garg as CEO - Digital (B2C) business
Digital investment platform FundsIndia has appointed Rhishabh Garg as Chief Executive Officer - Digital (B2C) Business, strengthening leadership as it scales its retail investing platform. Garg will drive retail strategy, product innovation, customer experience and growth. FundsIndia operates through three verticals-Digital (B2C), Partners (B2B) and Private Wealth-each led by a dedicated CEO and reporting to Group CEO Akshay Sapru. Garg brings over a decade of experience across digital finance and consumer internet businesses and will focus on expanding FundsIndia's retail footprint through technology-led solutions.
Tenable appoints Microsoft veteran Vlad Korsunsky as Chief Technology Officer
Exposure management firm Tenable has appointed Vlad Korsunsky as Chief Technology Officer and Managing Director of Tenable Israel. Korsunsky will lead the company's long-term technology vision, including platform strategy, innovation and its AI roadmap. He joins from Microsoft, where he spent more than a decade as Corporate Vice President for Cloud and Enterprise Security, leading global multi-cloud security and AI security initiatives. With over 25 years of experience in software engineering and cybersecurity leadership, Korsunsky will be based at the Tenable Israel Innovation Center in Tel Aviv and report to co-CEO Steve Vintz.
Vistaar Financial Services elevates Rajkumar Punna as Chief Information Security Officer
Vistaar Financial Services Pvt. Ltd. has elevated Rajkumar Punna to Chief Information Security Officer, strengthening its cybersecurity and risk management leadership. In his new role, Punna will drive the company's enterprise-wide information security strategy, spanning cyber resilience, governance, risk and compliance, cloud and infrastructure security, and regulatory adherence. Previously Head of Information Security at Vistaar, he led the security roadmap across cloud, application and infrastructure security, SOC operations and compliance. Punna has also held senior security roles at Kinara Capital and NTT Ltd.
iBASIS appoints V V Subba Raju as Chief Information Security Officer
Global communications services provider iBASIS has appointed V V Subba Raju as Chief Information Security Officer, reinforcing its focus on cybersecurity, risk management and regulatory compliance. Subba Raju will define and execute the company's enterprise-wide security strategy and strengthen security architecture across its global technology landscape. He joins from NTT DATA Business Solutions, where he served as Senior Director - CISO & DPO for APAC and India, and has previously held leadership roles at CallHealth, Capgemini and Microland.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from TechCircle.