Arundhati Bhattacharya's appointment as the India CEO of Salesforce, a company that provides cloud-based customer relationship management services, could not have arrived at a better moment. Bhattacharya shifted into a world where internet and innovation are driving new-age consumption of everything from groceries to financial services after more than 40 years with India's largest traditional lender.
She accepted the role in April 2020, right in the midst of the pandemic, when the entire world was under lockdown. It also led in an unprecedented demand for technological services, as businesses all over the world were obliged to go digital in order to stay in business. As a result, demand for services like Salesforce's skyrocketed, particularly in India.
Salesforce's workforce in India has grown from 2,500 to 5,000 people since Bhattacharya joined the company. This number is expected to rise to 6,500 by the end of the year.
She led SBI through the aftermath of demonetisation and the bank's merger with its six partner banks during her time as CEO. Bhattacharya now has a front-row seat to the fast shifting fintech and banking sector, which has been prompted by the second-largest upheaval after demonetisation.
