Sarvam AI has appointed Sashikumar Sreedharan as its President and Chief Business Officer as the Bengaluru-based artificial intelligence startup builds its commercial operations. Sreedharan joins the company after a senior leadership stint at Google Cloud in India.
The appointment comes as Sarvam works on AI models and infrastructure for use by businesses and public-sector organisations. The company has been developing its business around the idea of deploying AI systems within India, with a focus on data control, security and deployment requirements.
Sreedharan will be responsible for business operations and the company’s go-to-market efforts. His background includes senior roles at Google and Microsoft, as well as leadership positions at technology companies including Happiest Minds Technologies, SAP and IBM.
Sreedharan Joins Sarvam
Before joining Sarvam AI, Sreedharan was Managing Director of Google Cloud India. He joined Google Cloud in September 2023 as Chief Operating Officer for the Asia-Pacific region and later took charge of the Indian business in 2025.
At Google Cloud, his work involved the enterprise technology business, giving him experience of working with large organisations and cloud products. His move to Sarvam brings that enterprise experience to a startup operating in the rapidly developing AI sector.
Sreedharan earlier served as Managing Director of Microsoft India, where he led the company’s enterprise commercial business. His career has also included senior positions at Happiest Minds Technologies, where he served as Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director.
Sarvam Builds AI Business
The new role comes as Sarvam attempts to expand beyond AI research and technology development into wider commercial use. The company is targeting organisations that need AI systems with greater control over where data and models are deployed.
For Sarvam, enterprise adoption is likely to be an important part of building a commercial business around its AI technology. Sreedharan’s previous experience with large technology customers gives him a background in enterprise sales and business development.
The appointment also adds a senior executive with experience across cloud computing and enterprise software to the startup leadership team. It is described as the company’s first high-profile C-suite appointment as it builds out its senior management structure.
Sreedharan Tech Portfolio
Sreedharan has worked across several technology companies during his career. Before his leadership roles at Google Cloud and Microsoft, he held positions at Happiest Minds Technologies, SAP, IBM, Wipro and Sutherland Global Services.
His experience spans enterprise technology, cloud computing and business operations. The range of these roles has included both technology services and commercial leadership, before his move into senior positions at global technology companies.
Sreedharan holds a Bachelor of Technology degree in Applied Electronics and Instrumentation from Government College of Engineering, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. His engineering education was followed by a career in enterprise technology and management.
What is Sarvam AI
Sarvam AI is an Indian artificial intelligence startup founded in 2023 by Vivek Raghavan and Pratyush Buddiga. The Bengaluru-based company develops large language models and AI systems with a focus on Indian languages and use cases. Its business includes AI models and platforms intended for organisations that want to build or deploy AI applications. The startup has also been working on sovereign AI infrastructure and applications for enterprises and public-sector users.
Sarvam AI has positioned its technology around AI systems that can be developed and deployed within India. This approach is relevant to organisations dealing with sensitive information or requirements around data handling and infrastructure. The company is among a group of Indian AI startups attempting to build locally developed models and AI products.
Enterprise AI Market
The leadership appointment comes as Indian businesses are increasing their use of AI across software, customer service, data processing and other functions. For AI startups, however, converting technology into recurring enterprise revenue remains a separate challenge from developing models.
Sarvam will therefore need to build both its technology and customer base as it expands its commercial operations. The appointment of an executive with experience at Google Cloud and Microsoft places enterprise business development among the areas where the company is adding senior leadership.
Sreedharan role will give him responsibility for that part of the business as Sarvam continues to develop its AI products and pursue customers in the private and public sectors.
