Arundhati Bhattacharya to join Salesforce as Chairperson, CEO India

Global leader in customer relationship management (CRM) Salesforce said on Wednesday that Arundhati Bhattacharya will join the company on April 20 as Chairperson and CEO of its India subsidiary to lead the company's growth and expansion across the market.

Bhattacharya is an experienced business leader and finance authority. She has been Chairperson of the State Bank of India and was listed as the 25th most powerful woman in the world by Forbes in 2016.

In her role as Chairperson and CEO of Salesforce India, Bhattacharya will report to Ulrik Nehammer, General Manager for the Asian Pacific region, and play an integral role in defining Salesforce's relationship with the ecosystem of customers, partners and community.

"India is an important growth market for Salesforce and a world-class innovation and talent hub. Bhattacharya's leadership will guide our next phase of growth, customer success and investment in the region," said Gavin Patterson, President and CEO of Salesforce International.

Bhattacharya said Salesforce is a company with an impressive track record in supporting the digital transformation of its customers with world-class technology and there is an incredible opportunity for future growth in India.

"I could not be more excited to join the Salesforce team to ensure we capture this tremendous opportunity and contribute to India's development and growth story in a meaningful way," she said in a statement.

Salesforce and its ecosystem of customers and partners in India are expected to create over 67 billion dollars in business revenues and 548,400 new direct jobs by 2024, according to research by IDC.

Salesforce enables companies to take advantage of powerful technologies -- cloud, mobile, social, artificial intelligence, voice and blockchain -- to deliver personalised, connected experiences for their customers.

Leading Indian companies like Ceat, redBus and Franklin Templeton use Salesforce to connect with their customers in a whole new way.

In 2016, the company opened a new Centre of Excellence in Hyderabad and expects to add 3,000 jobs across the region over the next three years, making India a leading global talent and innovation hub for the company.