In a significant leadership announcement, Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) has appointed Bhawna Agarwal as the new Senior Vice President (SVP) and Managing Director (MD) for its India operations. The transition is effective immediately, according to a statement released by the company on Wednesday.
Agarwal will report directly to Heiko Meyer, Executive Vice President and Chief Sales Officer at HPE, and will be responsible for leading HPE’s business strategy and operations across one of its most critical international markets.
Taking the Baton from a Veteran Leader
Agarwal assumes the role from Som Satsangi, a highly respected industry figure who has served HPE for over 27 years. Satsangi took over as Managing Director of HPE India in 2016 and has been instrumental in expanding the company’s local footprint across enterprise IT, cloud services, and digital infrastructure.
Though retiring from the MD role, Satsangi will continue with HPE until July 2025 to ensure a smooth leadership handover and continued strategic guidance.
Bhawna Agarwal: A Trailblazer in Tech Leadership
Bhawna Agarwal’s appointment reflects her deep industry expertise, business acumen, and forward-looking vision. She joined HPE in 2019 and initially led the Compute Business Unit and Growth Team in India. Over the past year, her responsibilities expanded to include account management and industry verticals, playing a critical role in client engagement and revenue growth.
With more than 25 years of experience across digital startups, media organizations, and consumer technology companies, Agarwal brings a diverse leadership portfolio to the table. Her reputation for driving growth, fostering innovation, and building strong teams aligns with HPE’s ambition to accelerate digital transformation across India.
Strengthening the “Make in India” Commitment
Agarwal’s elevation comes at a strategic moment as HPE deepens its engagement in India under the government’s “Make in India” initiative. In a symbolic gesture earlier this year, Agarwal and Satsangi celebrated the rollout of HPE’s 6001st ‘Made in India’ server, joined by Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw. This milestone reflects the company’s growing local manufacturing and R&D focus.
The company’s increasing investment in India’s tech ecosystem, including edge-to-cloud solutions, AI infrastructure, and enterprise data services, demonstrates HPE’s commitment to contributing to the country’s digital economy.
HPE India: A Key Global Hub
Headquartered in Texas, and publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange, HPE has steadily grown its presence in India to become one of its largest operations outside the U.S. With a strong workforce base, the company has built a robust network across cloud computing, networking, artificial intelligence, and enterprise-grade data platforms.
Under Agarwal’s leadership, HPE India is expected to:
- Scale cloud-native innovations
- Strengthen local partner ecosystems
- Drive forward localized manufacturing and R&D
- Enable digital transformation for both public and private sector clients
Strategic Vision for the Future
With India rapidly emerging as a global digital powerhouse, Agarwal’s leadership is expected to usher in a new phase of agility, customer-centric innovation, and inclusive growth at HPE India. Her focus will be on enabling Indian businesses to leverage intelligent edge, cloud technologies, and AI-powered data solutions as they navigate their digital journeys.
As the digital infrastructure landscape evolves, Bhawna Agarwal is poised to position HPE as a catalyst for innovation and a trusted enterprise technology partner for Indian businesses across sectors.