Arundhati Bhattacharya

President and CEO, Salesforce South Asia

Photo — Salesforce South Asia

Arundhati Bhattacharya, former chairperson of SBI and president and CEO, Salesforce South Asia, sees AI as India’s ‘fire’, capable of transforming everything, but also warns that it needs responsible oversight. In January 2025, she was honoured with the Padma Shri in recognition of her transformative role in trade, industry, banking, and technology.

Bhattacharya made history as the first woman to chair the State Bank of India (2013–2017), where she led multiple digital innovations, including the merger of SBI’s associate banks, the launch of the YONO digital platform, and the introduction of AI and robotics for credit and risk assessment. Under her leadership, SBI weathered major reforms, including the 2016 demonetisation.

In 2020, she embraced a bold pivot, becoming the CEO and chairperson of Salesforce India and South Asia. Since then, she has spearheaded rapid growth, expanding the workforce fivefold, establishing a community of over two million trailblazers, forging deep partnerships with colleges, and championing AI-powered CRM adoption across industries.

A respected voice on digital equity, Bhattacharya often speaks of AI as “a social equaliser” that can bring quality services to all Indians.