BAM Digital Realty appoints CB Velayuthan as CEO

BAM Digital Realty, a joint venture between Brookfield Infrastructure and Digital Realty, announced on Monday the appointment of CB Velayuthan as its Chief Executive Officer (CEO). 
 
The company'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 ₹2000 crore ($250 million approximately), the facility will deliver 35 megawatts (MW) of IT load upon completion. It will raise the company's total planned capacity in India to 135 MW, according to the company. 
 
Furthermore, in July, BAM Digital Realty shared that Reliance Industries will be joining this entity as an equal partner to form a three-way joint venture. This transaction, currently under regulatory approval, will operate under the brand name "Digital Connexion: A Brookfield, Jio, and Digital Realty Company" when finalised. CB 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. 
 
Velayuthan joins BAM Digital Realty from Equinix, where he successfully managed its business with partners as Global Managing Director, Strategic Alliances. 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. 
 
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. His track record of creating value makes him an exceptional addition to the team, and we look forward to working with him in the next phase of growth,” said Arpit Agrawal, Head of Infrastructure for India and the Middle East at Brookfield, in a statement. 
 
“India is one of the most dynamic markets in our industry today. I am excited about the opportunity to lead the stellar team at BAM Digital Realty and look forward to building on the strong foundation they have laid and taking it to the next level as we stay focused on serving the current and future technology needs of our clients,” said Velayuthan on his appointment.

He 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.