Former AWS Interim Chief Vaishali Kasture Joins Microsoft as SMC Lead for India
Vaishali Kasture, the former interim country head of AWS India, is set to join Microsoft as the new lead for its Small, Medium, and Corporate (SMC) unit in India and South Asia. Kasture’s appointment marks the second high-profile move from AWS to Microsoft within a year, reflecting the intensifying competition between the tech giants in the Indian cloud market.
Puneet Chandok, who succeeded Kasture as the head of AWS India and South Asia last September, announced the new appointment internally on September 2. In his email, Chandok expressed enthusiasm for Kasture’s transition, stating, “I am delighted to welcome Vaishali Kasture as the SMC lead for India and South Asia. SMC is at the heart of India’s digital transformation journey and Vaishali joins us at a pivotal moment as we build AI for everyone and drive India & South Asia’s AI transformation”.
Kasture brings extensive experience to her new role, having led AWS India’s business segments including Independent Software Vendors (ISV) and Digital Native and Enterprise segments. Her background spans Corporate and Investment Banking, Credit, Outsourcing, and Technology.
In a LinkedIn post confirming her new position, Kasture expressed her excitement about the opportunity. "I cannot think of a better time to take up the role as GM for the SMC business in India and South Asia. As corporates and SMBs leverage technology for everything from Cloud to AI, Microsoft is uniquely positioned with a comprehensive technology stack to support these advancements", she wrote.
Kasture’s arrival at Microsoft signals a strategic push to strengthen the company’s presence in the rapidly evolving cloud and AI sectors in the region.
