VML Enterprise Solutions Hub welcomes Rakesh Chawla as CEO in India

Global brands are increasingly looking for partners who can fuse creative thinking with deep engineering capability and emerging technologies. To meet that demand at scale, networks are building specialist hubs that can serve clients worldwide from a single, high performance base. In this context, VML has announced a key leadership move at the heart of its India operations with the appointment of Rakesh Chawla as CEO of VML Enterprise Solutions Hub.

The Enterprise Solutions Hub, positioned as a global centre of excellence, brings together engineering talent, delivery expertise, and advanced technology capabilities to support clients across markets. From India, the Hub collaborates with strategists, creatives, and technologists across VML’s global network, acting as an engine room for large scale digital transformation and experience platforms.

How will VML Enterprise Solutions Hub shape client delivery?

As CEO, Rakesh Chawla is tasked with ensuring that clients get the full benefit of this integrated setup: world class engineering, delivery excellence, and acceleration from technologies such as agentic systems and generative AI. The focus is not only on building robust platforms, but on delivering them with speed, scale, and consistency across geographies.

Chawla brings deep experience in assembling and leading high performing technology teams for some of the world’s most demanding brands, including Microsoft, Amazon, Sears, and IBM. His background in establishing Global Delivery Centers gives him a grounded understanding of how to balance process, innovation, and people at scale.

Under his leadership, the Hub is expected to

• Build large, cross functional teams that can handle complex, multi market programs

• Embed emerging AI technologies into delivery pipelines in a safe, responsible way

• Maintain high quality standards while still meeting aggressive timelines

• Operate as an extension of client teams, not just an outsourced factory

What should clients expect from Rakesh Chawla’s leadership?

A recurring theme in Chawla’s track record is his emphasis on a human first engineering culture. That means prioritising collaboration, continuous learning, and ownership among delivery teams so that technology solutions are not just technically sound but also deeply aligned with business reality.

For clients, this translates into engagements where:

• Engineers understand brand and customer context, not just technical specs

• Teams proactively flag risks and opportunities across the lifecycle

• Communication lines between strategy, creativity, and technology are kept open

• Partnership is defined by long term value rather than short term output

YiChung Tay, CEO for VML APAC, has framed the appointment as a way to give clients greater access to the latest technology and creative thinking, delivered with speed and precision. The expectation is that the Hub will continue to raise the bar on how technology and creativity combine to deliver business impact.

How does the ES Hub fit into VML’s global model?

The Enterprise Solutions Hub operates as a connective layer inside VML’s worldwide network. It works alongside brand strategists, experience designers, and creative teams to bring ideas to life on platforms that can support millions of users and handle mission critical workloads.

This structure supports:

• Global clients who need consistent experiences across multiple markets

• Regional businesses looking to scale proven solutions quickly

• Innovation programs that test and roll out new technologies like generative AI, agentic workflows, and intelligent automation

By centralising advanced engineering capability in India while staying tightly linked to market teams, the Hub allows VML to move faster without compromising on governance or quality.

Why people and innovation remain at the centre

Voices across the organisation consistently return to a shared principle: meaningful, measurable results come when people and innovation are placed at the core of delivery. Symon Hammacott, chief experience officer for APAC, notes that clients are looking for partners who understand their challenges and can convert bold ideas into growth.

Chawla echoes this sentiment, emphasising a commitment to helping clients move faster and innovate more boldly while still keeping end customers at the heart of every solution. By pairing VML’s creative vision with the Hub’s engineering muscle, the ambition is to build platforms and products that make a tangible difference to both business performance and user experience.

With Rakesh Chawla stepping in as CEO, VML Enterprise Solutions Hub is positioned to deepen its role as a global technology engine for the network, giving clients around the world a partner that can match bold creative ambition with scalable, high quality engineering grounded in human first delivery.

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