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Ravi Sharma elevated to SVP, global head at Tech Mahindra
To steer $1bn Microsoft portfolio and scale cloud, AI GTM
MUMBAI: When it comes to scaling alliances, Ravi Sharma appears to have found the right formula. The seasoned technology leader has been elevated to senior vice president and global head of Microsoft business at Tech Mahindra, taking charge of a billion dollar global portfolio and sharpening the company’s cloud and AI playbook.
In his expanded remit, Sharma will continue to lead the global Microsoft portfolio, driving “sell with” and “sell through” go to market strategies aimed at accelerating enterprise adoption of cloud and artificial intelligence across regions. The focus is clear: deepen enterprise relationships, expand joint offerings and translate strategic alliances into scalable revenue.
“I am pleased to announce that I am starting a new position as sr. vice president and global head, Microsoft business at Tech Mahindra. Excited for the journey ahead and the opportunities to make an impact in this role,” Sharma said.
Based in London, Sharma has been at Tech Mahindra for nearly five years, most recently serving as global head of Microsoft business. Prior to that, he led the company’s IBM and Red Hat portfolio, overseeing a 300 million dollar business and setting up an advanced innovation lab centred on generative AI and hybrid cloud solutions.
Before rejoining Tech Mahindra, Sharma spent close to a decade at IBM, where he held multiple leadership roles including associate partner and key accounts leader. He managed strategic relationships, including one of IBM India’s largest accounts, and helped shape digital transformation strategies across media, entertainment and enterprise segments.
His earlier career spans stints at Mahindra Satyam, Wipro Technologies, Quark Software Inc., HT Media Ltd and The Hindu, reflecting a journey that bridges media, enterprise technology and global consulting.
From launching newspaper editions in central India to shaping billion dollar global alliances, Sharma’s trajectory mirrors the arc of India’s own digital transformation story. Now, with Microsoft at the centre of Tech Mahindra’s enterprise ambitions, he steps into a role that is less about titles and more about traction.
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Rakesh Menon joins Paytm as avp – lending
Fintech product leader takes on new role after building digital lending, payments and credit products across fintech ecosystem
MUMBAI: Rakesh Menon has joined Paytm as assistant vice president – lending, taking on a new role focused on strengthening the company’s lending and credit products.
Prior to this, Menon worked at Profectus Capital Pvt Ltd as chief manager – payments based financing and digital lending.
At Profectus, he designed and launched digital credit products for merchants with variable cash flows, including overdraft-linked and revenue-share lending models. He led end-to-end LOS–LMS API integrations with payment partners and aggregators, enabling real-time underwriting, disbursal and repayment workflows.
He also worked on funnel optimisation initiatives using journey analytics, improving onboarding, KYC and disbursal conversion by 35 per cent. He developed ecosystem partnerships for transaction-data-based credit assessment and automated settlement systems, and collaborated with credit and data science teams to strengthen risk models and early delinquency detection.
Menon standardised partner onboarding and API frameworks, reducing go-live timelines by 40 per cent and improving digital scalability.
Before Profectus Capital, he worked at PayU as senior manager – presales lead – enterprise business from August 2022 to August 2023. He set up a national presales function for fintech and digital commerce clients, aligning solutions such as EMI, BNPL, BBPS and offer engines to merchant requirements.
He also helped improve conversion rates by around 15 per cent through merchant persona mapping, demo frameworks and structured sales playbooks, working closely with product and go-to-market teams.
From April 2019 to July 2022, Menon served as business unit head – SMB – direct acquisitions at Worldline, where he built the SMB online payments vertical from scratch. The business scaled to Rs 2,500 crore in annual transaction volume, growing at 45 per cent year-on-year.
During this period, he introduced paperless onboarding processes including eKYC and eSign, developed partner dashboards and CRM automation systems, and integrated platforms such as Shopify, WooCommerce and Tally to expand merchant adoption.
Across roles, Menon has worked across digital lending, payments and merchant financing, with experience in product development, ecosystem partnerships, API integrations and fintech-led growth strategies.
At Paytm, he will focus on scaling lending products and strengthening digital credit infrastructure within the company’s financial services ecosystem.
His appointment comes as fintech firms continue to expand their lending and embedded finance offerings in a competitive market.
