Arun Kakatkar replaces Ira Gupta as HR head of Microsoft India

Microsoft India HR head Ira Gupta has quit and Arun Kakatkar, who was president and leading global corporate business strategy at Kalyani Group, has taken over the role of general manager, human resources, Microsoft India and South Asia.

“Arun Kakatkar is now the general manager, human resources, Microsoft India and South Asia,” Microsoft India said in an email to ET.

Ira Gupta told ET that she was dedicating her efforts to developing an advisory practice focused on leadership coaching, succession, and culture. "India's role as a global growth leader is undisputed, yet it faces a significant challenge with a leadership talent gap. This work is not only deeply rewarding but also builds upon my experiences with some of the most innovative companies worldwide," she added.


According to his LinkedIn profile, Kakatkar has worked with companies like TE Connectivity, Flextronics, Ingersoll Rand, among others.

Prior to her 12-year stint at Microsoft, Gupta worked at GlaxoSmithKline. According to her LinkedIn profile, she serves as an independent director on company boards, an advisory board member for educational institutions including XLRI, and a member of committees at both CII and FICCI.

“Arun is no stranger to Microsoft, having held the director of People and Organizational Capability role in Singapore from 2008-2011,” according to Microsoft website.

Kakatkar holds a bachelor’s degree in engineering and MBA from Savitribai Phule Pune University, according to his LinkedIn profile.

“Arun has held senior HR and business leadership roles at TE Connectivity in India, most recently as the managing director for India and VP, HR for Asia Pacific. In his last role at Kalyani Group, Arun was responsible for leading global corporate business strategy,” stated the Microsoft website.