Sonata Software has reappointed Balaji Kumar as its Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO).
In his new role, Kumar will oversee the company’s global People and Talent function, based out of the corporate office in Bengaluru. Welcoming the appointment on LinkedIn, Sonata Software said it was “very excited to welcome Balaji back,” adding that his prior experience with the organisation would serve as a strategic advantage as it looks to deepen people practices and leadership capabilities.
Kumar most recently served as CHRO at Paytm, where he led the HR function for close to a year. Before that, he spent over three years as CHRO at Sonata Software from June 2022 to early 2025, during which he won the India’s Greatest CHRO Award 2023–24 at the 22nd Asian Business and Social Forum.
Prior to his first stint at Sonata, Kumar served as Global CHRO at Larsen & Toubro (L&T), where he managed a workforce of over 60,000 employees. He has held senior HR roles at Microsoft, Citibank, The Coca-Cola Company, Hindustan Unilever, the Murugappa Group, and Larsen & Toubro.
A graduate of the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) with a Master’s in Personnel Management and Industrial Relations, Kumar also holds a Master of Law (LLM) degree from Osmania University. He began his career as an attorney, practising across the High Court and the Supreme Court of India — a background that informs his expertise in employment law, industrial relations, and HR governance.
The appointment was disclosed under Regulation 30 of the SEBI (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) Regulations, 2015, with filings made to the NSE and BSE.
