Data centre operator BAM Digital Realty, a joint venture between Brookfield Infrastructure and Digital Realty, said Monday it has appointed CB Velayuthan as its chief executive officer.
Velayuthan joins BAM Digital Realty from Equinix, where he managed its business with partners as Global Managing Director, Strategic Alliances, according to a press statement.
Previously, he led global sales for Nokia, driving double-digit revenue growth. He also created a partner business unit and built nationwide telecommunications networks for key operators in the Indian market during his time at Nokia.
The appointment comes as BAM Digital's first 20 MW greenfield data centre (MAA10), built on a 100 MW campus in Chennai, is on track to launch at the end of this year. In June, the JV announced the acquisition of 2.15 acres of land in Chandivali, Mumbai, to build its second data centre in India.
With a total expected investment of more than Rs 2,000 crore ( approximately $250 million), the facility will deliver 35 megawatts of IT load upon completion. It will raise the company's total planned capacity in India to 135 MW, according to the company.
BAM Digital was formed as joint venture of Canadian alternative investment firm Brookfield and NYSE-listed Digital Realty. In July, BAM Digital Realty said that Reliance Industries will be joining it as an equal partner to form a three-way joint venture. The transaction is awaiting regulatory approval for completion.
Velayuthan will lead this joint venture entity as CEO to drive the growth of the platform and deliver the value proposition of the three shareholders to the Indian market, BAM Digital said.
Velayuthan holds an MBA in Global Business from the Helsinki School of Economics and an undergraduate degree from Bharathiyar University, India. He will be based in Mumbai.
“India is one of the most dynamic markets in our industry today,” he said on his appointment.
According to the company, with the high adoption of technologies such as hybrid IT and artificial intelligence, and the digital India push from the government, there is an increased need for a global, full product spectrum digital infrastructure provider that can support the capacity and connectivity requirements of cloud service providers, hyperscalers, and enterprise customers in India and worldwide.
“Velayuthan joins BAM Digital Realty at an exciting juncture as we fortify our vision to meet the growing demand for data centres in India,” Arpit Agrawal, Head of Infrastructure for India and the Middle East at Brookfield, said in a statement.