Kyndryl names Lingraju Sawkar as President of India business

Kyndryl, the independent public company that will be created following the separation of IBM’s Managed Infrastructure Services business, on Thursday said it has appointed Lingraju Sawkar as the President of its India business.

In October last year, tech giant IBM had announced spinning off its managed infrastructure services unit into a new public company. The spun-off entity was temporarily named NewCo. The separation is expected to be completed by the end of 2021.

The move was aimed at helping IBM, often referred to as ”Big Blue”, focus on accelerating its hybrid cloud growth strategy and drive digital transformations for its clients.

Sawkar’s appointment is a key step in creating Kyndryl’s new global leadership model, which has been simplified to accelerate decision-making and bring expertise and skills closer to its customers, Kyndryl said in a statement on Thursday.

His experience and ability to effectively lead talented technology teams as they work with new and innovative technologies will help Kyndryl uncover new, intelligent and effective value for its customers, it added.

Sawkar is presently the General Manager of IBM Global Technology Services for India/South Asia.

“Kyndryl will organise around our customers and ensure we are providing access to senior leadership and the best talent and skills in each market. I am pleased that Lingraju will lead our team in India, a key market and innovation base for Kyndryl,” Kyndryl Chief Executive Officer Martin Schroeter said.

He added that Sawkar’s strong customer relationships and knowledge of the services market will be critical as the company helps its customers reach their peak digital performance and achieve their biggest ambitions.

Kyndryl has announced that it will create an integrated global practice for customers, combining managed services, advisory services, and implementation. It is organising into six global practices, including Cloud; Core Enterprise and zCloud; Applications, Data and AI; Digital Workplace; Security and Resiliency; and Network and Edge.

“I am very excited to take on this role to serve our customers’ technology transformations which is a great responsibility because these are the vital systems that power human progress. Together, we will address our customers’ toughest challenges and help lead their transformation journeys, Sawkar said.

In October, IBM Chief Executive Officer Arvind Krishna had said about one-third of IBM’s employees in India could be moved to the managed infrastructure services business unit that has been spun off as a separate company. While IBM does not provide a country-specific headcount, India is estimated to have well over one lakh employees. MoneyControl