Gurugram, Haryana, India, August 2026 — Achal Kataria has been appointed Managing Director and CEO, India at Avanade, taking on responsibility for the company’s business strategy and operations in the country. In his new role, he will work closely with clients, partners and employees to accelerate growth and strengthen Avanade’s presence in the Indian market.
Kataria brings more than three decades of experience spanning technology leadership, business growth, digital transformation, IT operations, infrastructure management and customer strategy. Most recently, he served as Vice President & Country Head – India at Cognizant, where he was also part of the Executive Leadership Team. Since joining Cognizant in 2021, he has led profitable growth initiatives for the India market, with responsibility spanning P&L management, sales strategy and customer success.
At Cognizant, Kataria also led the large-deal portfolio for the Asia-Pacific and Japan market, engaging with analysts and advisors while developing partnerships and hyperscaler relationships to support growth. His experience combines technology expertise with commercial leadership, strategic planning and large-scale business management.
Before Cognizant, Kataria spent more than 10 years at EXL, where he held senior technology leadership positions including Vice President & Global Head of Technology/CIO and Vice President – Head of Global Technology Operations. His responsibilities encompassed global technology operations, technology service delivery and enterprise IT leadership.
Earlier in his career, Kataria served as Director – Infrastructure Management Services at Tech Mahindra and Assistant Vice President – IT at Genpact. He also spent several years as Director IT at Hughes Software Systems Limited and previously worked as Manager IT at Escorts Limited. His career has encompassed IT infrastructure, digital transformation, technology operations, business development, customer relationship management and organizational leadership.
About Avanade
Avanade is a global technology services company focused on the Microsoft ecosystem. Trusted by more than 7,000 clients worldwide, the company delivers AI-driven solutions designed to help organizations unlock the potential of people and technology, optimize operations, foster innovation and support growth.
As a Microsoft Global SI Partner, Avanade combines global scale with local expertise across artificial intelligence, cloud, data and analytics, cybersecurity and ERP. The company also emphasizes diversity, inclusion and sustainability as part of its approach to creating business and societal impact.
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