Women in Data Centers: The Leaders Shaping India’s Data Center Industry

September 17, 2026 | 7:30 PM IST –

India’s data center industry is entering a period of extraordinary expansion. But behind the growth in capacity, investment and AI infrastructure is another story: the relatively limited representation of women in senior data center leadership.

Savills India estimates that India’s operational data center capacity reached approximately 1.8 GW in H1 2026 and could exceed 7 GW by 2030. At the same time, investment in digital infrastructure is accelerating, with hyperscalers, colocation operators, infrastructure companies and technology providers expanding their footprints.

Yet women remain underrepresented across leadership teams, conference stages and senior technical roles.

That makes the women who have reached senior positions across the ecosystem particularly significant.

This feature profiles women working across data center operations, investment, people leadership, engineering, power and cooling. Because relatively few women currently hold C-suite positions at Indian data center operators, the list also looks at the broader infrastructure ecosystem supporting the industry.

Why Women in Data Centers Matter Now

Data centers are no longer simply an IT infrastructure business.

The industry sits at the intersection of power, real estate, capital, engineering, cooling, sustainability, cybersecurity and artificial intelligence.

As India’s data center capacity expands, the industry will need thousands of professionals across electrical engineering, mechanical systems, facilities management, project development, investment, operations and technology.

A wider leadership talent pool can bring different perspectives to areas such as workforce development, site operations, community engagement and sustainability.

For an industry expected to expand from around 1.8 GW of operational capacity in H1 2026 to more than 7 GW by 2030, developing diverse leadership pipelines is becoming an important workforce consideration.

The Women Shaping India’s Data Center Ecosystem

Seema Ambastha — Chief Executive, Larsen & Toubro-Vyoma

Seema Ambastha is among the women leading a dedicated data center business in India.

She heads Larsen & Toubro-Vyoma, L&T’s data center arm, which was previously known as L&T-Cloudfiniti before being renamed in November 2025.

The Vyoma brand focuses on scalability, security, sustainability and responsible AI as L&T looks to expand its digital infrastructure capabilities.

Ambastha has spoken about areas including edge computing, cooling innovation and sustainability, while also highlighting the need for professionals entering the sector to continually upgrade their skills as AI changes the data center landscape.

Her role places her at the intersection of data center infrastructure, technology and the broader digital economy.

Ritu Mehlawat — Head of Investments, India, STT GDC

Ritu Mehlawat leads India investments for ST Telemedia Global Data Centres (STT GDC).

Investment leadership is particularly important in an industry where individual data center campuses can require substantial capital commitments and where decisions around location, capacity and expansion have long-term implications.

Mehlawat’s role covers investment decisions for one of India’s major colocation platforms.

In August 2026, she also met Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal in Singapore, highlighting the growing importance of India’s data center investment ecosystem.

Reena Vijayanand — Former Chief People Officer, AdaniConneX

Reena Vijayanand spent around three-and-a-half years as Chief People Officer at AdaniConneX, the data center joint venture between Adani and EdgeConneX.

During her tenure, she worked with the board and joint-venture leadership on areas including executive hiring and governance, while expanding HR operations significantly.

In January 2026, Vijayanand joined Larsen & Toubro as Head – Talent Acquisition, Head Office.

Her career illustrates an increasingly important part of data center expansion: the ability to build the workforce required to operate highly specialised infrastructure at scale.

Usha Bala Kesam — Director, CtrlS Datacenters

Usha Bala Kesam serves on the board of CtrlS Datacenters, a Hyderabad-based data center operator.

She is a member of the company’s Audit Committee as well as its Nomination & Remuneration Committee.

These governance roles place her within the company’s financial oversight, leadership and board-level decision-making framework as CtrlS continues to expand its data center footprint.

Prachitha Kuchukulla — VP / Head, Human Resources, CtrlS Datacenters & Cloud4C

Prachitha Kuchukulla leads human resources for CtrlS and Cloud4C, spanning data center infrastructure and managed cloud services.

Data centers require specialised talent capable of managing critical infrastructure around the clock.

That makes workforce planning, recruitment, retention and leadership development particularly important as operators expand capacity.

Kuchukulla’s role focuses on one of the industry’s key constraints: building and retaining the talent needed for 24×7 digital infrastructure operations.

Ruchika Sharma — Vice President, Business Development, CtrlS Datacenters

Ruchika Sharma leads business development at CtrlS Datacenters and has also participated in discussions focused on women in the data center industry.

She appeared on a DCD International Women’s Day episode in March 2026 and participated in CtrlS’s Women in Leadership panel.

The panel also featured women from across the ecosystem, including Priyanka Nagpal, Director, Datacenter Capital Markets at JLL; Lalitha Rajendran, Senior Operations Manager at AWS; and Datchayani Duruvan, Datacenter Operations Manager at Microsoft.

Engineering, Power & Cooling

Sumati Sahgal — Vice President, Data Centres & Secure Power, Greater India, Schneider Electric

Sumati Sahgal took charge of Schneider Electric’s Secure Power and Data Centres business across the Greater India Zone in March 2026.

Her responsibilities include business performance, strategy and customer experience, including engagement with cloud and service-provider customers.

Sahgal previously led Schneider Electric’s Home Solutions business and brings more than two decades of leadership experience across technology and telecommunications.

Her appointment reflects the expanding role of power management, energy efficiency and critical infrastructure technologies in India’s data center buildout.

What Will It Take to Close the Gender Gap?

The industry’s expansion provides an opportunity to build more inclusive leadership pipelines from the ground up.

1. Build talent pipelines early

Data center operators and infrastructure companies can work with engineering colleges to create stronger pathways into electrical engineering, mechanical systems, facilities management and critical infrastructure.

2. Increase women’s visibility

Industry conferences, associations and events can broaden speaker and panel representation, creating more visible role models for women entering the sector.

3. Make critical-operations careers sustainable

Data center operations often involve demanding schedules and 24×7 responsibilities. Workplace design, safety standards, flexible career pathways and return-to-work programmes can influence retention.

4. Sponsor women into decision-making roles

Mentoring can support careers, but sponsorship can help professionals access P&L, investment, site leadership and executive opportunities.

India’s Data Center Opportunity Is Also a Talent Opportunity

India’s data center expansion is being driven by several forces at once: AI workloads, cloud adoption, digital services, enterprise technology and increasing demand for local infrastructure.

The infrastructure being built today will require leadership across every layer — from power and cooling to capital allocation, construction, operations, cybersecurity, sustainability and talent.

Women are already contributing across many of these areas.

The next challenge is making sure their representation grows alongside the industry’s physical footprint.

As India’s data center market moves toward multi-gigawatt scale, diversity in the workforce and leadership pipeline will increasingly become part of the industry’s long-term capacity equation.

FAQs

How big is India’s data center industry in 2026?

Savills India estimates India’s operational data center capacity at approximately 1.8 GW in H1 2026, with capacity expected to exceed 7 GW by 2030.

Who is a leading woman CEO in India’s data center sector?

Seema Ambastha serves as Chief Executive of Larsen & Toubro-Vyoma, formerly L&T-Cloudfiniti.

Why are women underrepresented in data center leadership?

The sector has historically grown out of engineering, construction, power and critical-facilities disciplines that have traditionally had lower female representation. The demanding nature of 24×7 operations can also influence career and retention patterns.

Which companies are driving India’s data center growth?

Major operators and infrastructure companies include AdaniConneX, STT GDC, CtrlS, Yotta, NTT, Nxtra and Larsen & Toubro-Vyoma, alongside hyperscalers such as Google.

Comviva Appoints Sanjiv Patankar to Lead Global FinTech Business