
Balaji Kumar has been appointed as Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) at Sonata Software. In this role, he will oversee global People and Talent functions, driving the company’s human resources strategy across key regions including ANZ, APAC, the UK, Europe, and the Americas.
Kumar returns to Sonata Software after a brief tenure at Paytm, where he served as CHRO. His reappointment marks a continuation of his leadership journey with the company, where he had previously spent over three years contributing to its HR and organizational transformation initiatives.
With more than three decades of experience, Kumar brings deep expertise in talent management, organizational development, and employment law. His mandate at Sonata includes strengthening talent retention, enabling cultural transformation, and scaling the workforce to support the company’s next phase of digital growth.
Prior to his earlier stint at Sonata, Kumar served as Global CHRO at Larsen & Toubro Infotech (LTI), where he managed a workforce of over 60,000 employees and led large-scale HR transformation initiatives. Over the years, he has held leadership roles at several global organizations, including Microsoft, Citibank, The Coca-Cola Company, and Hindustan Unilever, as well as the Murugappa Group.
Uniquely, Kumar began his professional career as an attorney, practicing in the High Court and the Supreme Court of India. This legal foundation provides him with a strong perspective on employee relations, governance, and compliance—an advantage in leading complex HR functions in global organizations.
He is an alumnus of Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) and holds a master’s degree in law. The company stated that his appointment has been made in compliance with regulatory requirements, with appropriate disclosures submitted to stock exchanges.
Kumar’s return underscores Sonata Software’s focus on strengthening its global workforce strategy and aligning people practices with its broader digital transformation and growth ambitions.




