Tata Communications has appointed Ganesh Lakshminarayanan as managing director and chief executive officer-designate, marking a key leadership transition at the global digital ecosystem and enterprise connectivity provider.
The appointment is subject to regulatory approvals. Upon receiving the required clearances, the company’s board will formally appoint Lakshminarayanan as managing director and CEO, when he takes over from the current MD and CEO, A.S. Lakshminarayanan, who is set to retire on April 13, 2026.
Three decades of global and enterprise leadership
Lakshminarayanan brings more than 30 years of international management experience across multinational corporations, B2B startups and Indian enterprises.
Most recently, he served as managing director and group vice president for ServiceNow India and SAARC, where he was responsible for driving market expansion and business growth across the region.
Prior to joining ServiceNow, he led Airtel Business in India as chief executive officer and earlier headed Airtel’s enterprise business unit. During his tenure, the enterprise division received the Chairman’s Award for Best Business Unit in FY23, after delivering 50 per cent growth over three years and expanding its market share from 30 per cent to 33 per cent.
Strong academic and industry credentials
Lakshminarayanan holds an MBA with high distinction from the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and a bachelor’s degree in computer science and engineering from Guindy Engineering College, Chennai, where he graduated as a gold medallist.
He has been elected twice to the executive council of NASSCOM and has also served on the council of FICCI. In addition, he is a founding member of Social Venture Partners Bengaluru.
Chairman highlights strategic fit
Commenting on the appointment, N.G. Subramaniam, chairman of Tata Communications, said the decision followed an extensive selection process.
“We are pleased to announce the selection of Mr. Ganesh Lakshminarayanan as the Managing Director and CEO–Designate after a rigorous selection process followed by the NRC,” Subramaniam said.
“Ganesh’s experience with global businesses, automation, AI, digital transformation, enterprise relationships and large deals will complement Tata Communications’ strategies and augurs well to the growth momentum demonstrated by the company,” he added.
Ganesh thanks board, outlines priorities
Lakshminarayanan expressed gratitude to the board for the opportunity to lead the company.
“I thank the Board for its trust in me. I am grateful for the opportunity to serve an institution with such a strong legacy,” he said.
“Together with our leadership teams, I look forward to further building on our customer-centric culture, investing in our people, and executing our strategy with continued focus and discipline,” he added.
Transition timeline
The company said Lakshminarayanan’s elevation to the top role will be completed after regulatory approvals are secured. He will then formally take charge from A.S. Lakshminarayanan, who will retire in April 2026 after completing his tenure as managing director and CEO.
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
