New Delhi, April 23, 2025: India's premier IT industry body, Nasscom, has appointed Srikanth Velamakanni, Co-Founder and Group Chief Executive of Fractal, as its new Chairperson, marking a significant leadership transition at a defining moment for the global technology sector. Velamakanni takes over from Sindhu Gangadharan, Managing Director of SAP Labs India, who concludes a distinguished tenure as Chairperson in April 2026. The appointment signals Nasscom's intent to double down on AI-led transformation as India positions itself as a global technology powerhouse.

A Leadership Transition Built for the AI Era

Velamakanni steps into the Chairperson's role after serving as Vice Chairperson of Nasscom and as an Executive Council member for over six years. His deep institutional familiarity with Nasscom's workings ensures continuity even as the organisation pivots aggressively toward artificial intelligence and autonomous systems.

As the co-founder of Fractal, one of India's earliest and most prominent AI-first enterprises, Velamakanni brings unmatched expertise in enterprise AI, advanced analytics, responsible technology deployment, and global go-to-market strategy. His appointment is widely seen as a deliberate choice to place an AI-native leader at the helm of India's $250-billion technology industry.

Strategic Priorities: Agentic AI and Services Transformation

Working in close coordination with Rajesh Nambiar, President of Nasscom, and the full Executive Council, Velamakanni will drive a multi-pronged agenda that reflects where the global technology landscape is rapidly heading. His strategic focus will centre on accelerating AI-led services transformation while simultaneously catalysing product innovation and Agentic AI.

The goal is to position India as a leading global source of autonomous multi-agent systems and vertical AI products — a significant ambition that goes well beyond India's traditional strength in IT services outsourcing. This pivot toward AI products represents a structural shift in how India's tech industry wants to be perceived and valued on the world stage.

Nambiar underscored the significance of the appointment, stating: Velamakanni brings a rare combination of entrepreneurial drive and AI depth to this role. Under his leadership, and with the collective strength of our Executive Council, we will continue to position the tech industry as the world's most trusted AI-led transformation partner.

Velamakanni's Vision: AI-Powered Growth Across Services and Products

In his first statement as Chairperson, Velamakanni outlined a clear and ambitious roadmap. AI progress is unlocking unprecedented opportunities for enterprises, large and small, to reimagine their businesses. India will play a pivotal role in this AI-led transformation. Over the coming year, our focus will be to drive the next cycle of AI-powered growth across services and products and prepare our workforce to lead with AI, he said.

This emphasis on workforce readiness is critical. India's IT sector employs over 5.4 million professionals, and the transition to AI-first delivery models demands large-scale reskilling and upskilling — a challenge Nasscom has been actively addressing through its FutureSkills Prime platform and industry partnerships.

Outgoing Chair Gangadharan Passes the Baton

Outgoing Chairperson Sindhu Gangadharan expressed confidence in her successor's ability to carry the agenda forward. As we step up to the AI moment with remarkable ambition, speed, and a deep sense of responsibility, I am confident that Srikanth will take this agenda to its next stage of impact, and I wish him every success as he takes this remarkable journey forward, she said.

Gangadharan's tenure was marked by Nasscom's intensified focus on responsible AI frameworks, deepening India-US technology partnerships, and navigating post-pandemic talent dynamics in the global IT market.

Kishor Patil Elected as New Vice Chairperson

In a related development, the Nasscom Executive Council has also elected Kishor Patil, Co-Founder, CEO and Managing Director of KPIT Technologies, as the new Vice Chairperson. KPIT is a leading player in automotive software and embedded systems, bringing yet another dimension of technology expertise into Nasscom's top leadership structure.

The dual appointments of Velamakanni and Patil reflect Nasscom's broader strategy of diversifying its leadership to represent both pure-play AI enterprises and deep-tech product companies — a recognition that India's technology story is evolving well beyond legacy IT services.

As Nasscom prepares for its next annual strategy cycle, all eyes will be on how Velamakanni translates his AI vision into concrete policy advocacy, global partnerships, and measurable outcomes for India's technology workforce.