How a book convinced Arundhati Bhattacharya, one of India's most powerful bankers, to try working for a U.S. tech company

Following her departure as chairperson of the State Bank of India (SBI) in 2017, Arundhati Bhattacharya did not anticipate that her next role would be with a U.S. technology firm.

"Transitioning from finance to technology was not something I planned," Bhattacharya shared with Fortune. "When this opportunity arose, I took my time—about five to six months—deliberating whether to embark on a new path after such a lengthy career and post-retirement."

Having just concluded a historic five-year tenure as SBI's first female chairperson, culminating a remarkable 40-year career, Bhattacharya faced a pivotal decision.

Her perspective shifted following a visit to San Francisco and a meeting with Marc Benioff, the CEO of Salesforce, who presented her with a copy of his book, Trailblazer. Two particular narratives within the book resonated with her. The first was Salesforce's proactive stance in lobbying the city government of San Francisco to raise taxes aimed at addressing the homeless crisis. "I have encountered many companies, but never one that lobbied to increase taxes," she reflected.

The second, perhaps more impactful, was Benioff's initiative to conduct annual equal pay audits intended to eradicate gender wage disparities. "Marc was advised against proceeding with the audit due to the potential for significant payouts, yet he still chose to move forward," she recounted. "This decision left a profound impression on me, as I recognized that a company that takes such steps embodies values from which I could learn greatly."

This realization ultimately led Bhattacharya to embrace the chance to work for a U.S. tech company—even though she occasionally feels the need for "translation" to grasp industry-specific language—as she now leads Salesforce’s operations in one of its most rapidly expanding regions.

A banker turned tech executive

Bhattacharya's career with SBI began in 1977 when she joined as a probationary officer, progressively advancing through various departments such as human resources, retail banking, foreign exchange, and investment banking. In 2013, she became chairperson, steering SBI through the intricate merger of its five associate banks.

After departing from SBI in 2017, she engaged in various part-time advisory and consulting roles before receiving an offer from Salesforce. The non-executive position did not align with her aspirations. "While advisory roles allow for questions and dialogue, they lack the insight into the tangible impact one makes," she noted.

In 2020, Bhattacharya assumed the role of South Asia CEO at Salesforce, a position so novel that she was tasked with creating her own job description. "Salesforce did not previously have a regional CEO, as most of its operational units focused on sales and distribution," she explained. "I had to consider carefully how I could add value."

Under her leadership, Salesforce’s workforce in South Asia increased from 2,500 to over 18,000, with India consistently ranking among Salesforce’s fastest-growing markets. While Salesforce typically does not disclose country-specific revenue, a corporate filing in November indicated that the company generated 133.8 billion rupees ($1.8 billion) in sales for the twelve months ending in March 2025.

In 2024, Salesforce expanded Bhattacharya's responsibilities to encompass Southeast Asia. She contends that this expansion is logical, given the parallels between the two regions. "Southeast Asia is comprised of various countries that mirror India’s characteristics in terms of being youthful and populous," she articulated. "Their economies are also positioned at similar stages relative to India, so it is logical for us to apply our learnings from India across the Southeast Asian landscape." For instance, the necessity for product localization is heightened due to the diverse languages and cultures present in both regions.

Salesforce anticipates that AI could unlock a $1 trillion growth potential in Southeast Asia. Last October, the company established an office in Manila, contributing to existing regional hubs in Thailand, Indonesia, and Singapore. Bhattacharya mentioned that her team is exploring expansion into approximately three additional Southeast Asian countries, though specific locations were not disclosed. Furthermore, Salesforce's AI agent platform, Agentforce, is now accessible in five Southeast Asian languages: Tagalog, Thai, Vietnamese, Bahasa Melayu, and Bahasa Indonesia.

Salesforce's bet on AI

During the Singapore segment of its annual Agentforce World Tour conferences, Salesforce highlighted its Headless 360 initiative, designed to allow AI agents to autonomously read data and initiate workflows on Salesforce's customer relationship management platform. Conference attendees were particularly engaged by Slack's booth, where a software engineer demonstrated the enhanced capabilities of the Slackbot, which was relaunched in January as an agent powered by Claude.

Bhattacharya has become a strong advocate for Salesforce's AI products, although she confesses that she initially required "reverse mentoring" from younger engineers within the company. She now utilizes Slackbot to filter and prioritize essential messages and tasks received overnight, a necessity given the approximate 12-hour time difference from Salesforce's headquarters in San Francisco.

"I instruct Slackbot to summarize the texts received and identify which tasks require my immediate attention," Bhattacharya detailed. "Additionally, I allow Slackbot access to my calendar to discern which meetings are imperative and which I can forgo to optimize my time."

Despite this progress, she acknowledges her need to familiarize herself with the evolving language surrounding technology. "Occasionally, the terminology used by today's engineers, although in English, can be perplexing to me," she quipped. "I often find myself needing a translation for their discussions."

She dismissed concerns regarding the potential "SaaSpocalypse," or the anxiety that advanced AI systems may render companies like Salesforce obsolete. (Salesforce's stock price has declined by nearly 35% since the beginning of the year.)

"As the operating system for agentic enterprises, how could we possibly fall behind?" she posited. "We are advancing across all dimensions—from product development to market strategies and pricing—to remain aligned with AI trends."

Allies both male and female

Recognized as one of India's preeminent female leaders, Bhattacharya holds the No. 83 position in Fortune's Most Powerful Women Asia ranking.

However, she acknowledges that her ascent to leadership was not without its challenges. "For women, the barrier often lies in the necessity to continually prove oneself," she stated. "One must consistently outperform the highest standards to gain recognition… and it is essential to remain assertive throughout one's career to secure deserved opportunities."

She illustrated this point with an anecdote shared by a colleague regarding hiring committee dynamics. When evaluating a male candidate on the cusp of a decision, the committee tends to express confidence by stating, "he'll do it." Conversely, for a female candidate, the prevailing question is, "will she be able to do it?"

"There exists a presumption of capability for men, whereas doubts are cast upon women," she remarked.

Bhattacharya has actively promoted gender parity in her previous roles. During her oversight of SBI's human resources, she implemented a two-year sabbatical policy for women to address maternity and elder care responsibilities.

"Collaboration is crucial, and this involves not just women but also male allies," she concluded. "Men’s support can significantly influence the progress towards equality."

She continues to seek ways to foster inclusivity within organizations. Reflecting on her experience at Salesforce, she recounted undergoing unconscious bias training and was surprised by her realizations.

"I believed I was free from unconscious bias because I am a woman who has navigated a 40-year career. However, during the training, I came to understand that I too harbor unconscious biases," she admitted. "This is a commonality that we all share."