AstraZeneca Appoints Naveen Krishna Yamarthi as Managing Director of India Operations

Chennai, November 3, 2026: Global biopharmaceutical company AstraZeneca has appointed Naveen Krishna Yamarthi as Managing Director of AstraZeneca India Private Limited (AZIPL) and Head of its Global Innovation & Technology Centre (GITC), Chennai. His appointment became effective on October 30, 2026.

In his new role, Naveen will lead the next phase of development of AstraZeneca’s Global Innovation & Technology Centre in Chennai, strengthening its position as a strategic, multi-functional innovation hub. He will focus on expanding the centre’s capabilities and driving technology-led business transformation in support of the company’s long-term growth strategy, including its Bold Ambition 2030.

The appointment reflects AstraZeneca’s continued focus on strengthening its innovation and technology capabilities in India while leveraging the country’s growing global capability centre (GCC) ecosystem.

Naveen Krishna Yamarthi Brings Over 22 Years of Leadership Experience

Naveen brings more than 22 years of professional experience, with expertise in building and scaling Global Capability Centres, technology transformation and business operations.

During his previous assignments at AstraZeneca, he held key leadership positions in Operations IT. He led IT Capability and IT Solutions & Service Delivery for the company’s Global Supply Chain, Global Procurement and Manufacturing business units.

His experience in managing technology functions and supporting critical global business operations is expected to contribute to the company’s efforts to further develop its Chennai innovation centre.

Before joining AstraZeneca’s leadership team in this expanded capacity, Naveen served as Managing Director at Enlighted Energy Systems Private Limited, where he was responsible for establishing its Global Capability Centres.

Strengthening AstraZeneca’s Global Innovation & Technology Centre in Chennai

As Head of GITC Chennai, Naveen will oversee the centre’s evolution into a broader strategic innovation hub, supporting multiple business functions and contributing to AstraZeneca’s global operations.

Global Capability Centres have increasingly become important to multinational organisations, moving beyond traditional support functions to take on responsibilities in technology development, digital transformation, research, analytics and business innovation.

AstraZeneca’s Chennai centre is positioned to contribute to this changing landscape by bringing together technology expertise, operational capabilities and innovation-driven business solutions.

Under Naveen’s leadership, the centre will focus on advancing its strategic mandate and supporting AstraZeneca’s Bold Ambition 2030, the company’s long-term vision for growth and innovation.

India’s Growing Role in Global Technology and Innovation

The appointment also highlights the growing importance of India as a destination for global innovation and technology operations. With its established technology talent pool and expanding GCC ecosystem, India continues to attract multinational companies looking to strengthen their global capabilities.

AstraZeneca’s decision to place an experienced technology and business transformation leader at the helm of its India operations and Chennai innovation centre underscores the strategic role of its Indian presence.

With more than two decades of experience across technology leadership, global operations and capability centre development, Naveen Krishna Yamarthi will be responsible for driving the next phase of AstraZeneca’s India leadership and innovation agenda.