Ramco names Sandesh Bilagi as chief executive officer

Ramco Systems has appointed Sandesh Bilagi as Chief Executive Officer, succeeding from his previous role as President and Chief Operating Officer.

The appointment follows six consecutive quarters of operational profit through FY2026, which Ramco attributed to a broader turnaround driven by operational improvements and cost discipline.

Bilagi has more than two decades of experience in enterprise technology, with roles across sales, delivery and operations. At Ramco, he founded the Australia and New Zealand business, which the company described as one of its strongest markets.

He later took on wider responsibilities across sales and operations and remained in senior leadership through two management transitions and the disruption caused by the Covid-19 period. Ramco said this experience helped steady the business and support its return to profitability.

Turnaround Record

The Chennai-based software group said Bilagi will lead its global growth plans and oversee efforts to reshape the business around artificial intelligence in both products and internal operations. Ramco sells software across human resources and payroll, aviation, enterprise resource planning, logistics and its Chia product line.

Before joining Ramco, Bilagi held leadership roles at HCL Technologies and Tech Mahindra. He has worked across India, China and Australia and has experience managing business operations across the Asia-Pacific region, according to the company.

Ramco also said Bilagi has a background in finance and accounting and has led strategic growth initiatives, the establishment of offshore development centres and large commercial deals. Those transactions included agreements worth more than USD 550 million with Australian corporations, according to the company.

The board presented the appointment as a continuation of the operational changes made over the past several quarters. P.R. Venketrama Raja, Chairman, Ramco Systems, said, "Over the past several quarters, Ramco has emerged a stronger, more disciplined company - six straight quarters of operational profit are evidence of a genuine turnaround, not a one-time correction. Sandesh has been central to that journey. He understands our customers, our markets and our people, and he has consistently demonstrated the judgment to make difficult decisions and the resilience to see them through. The Board is confident that his appointment as Chief Executive Officer positions Ramco to convert this stability into sustained, profitable global growth."

Growth Focus

Senior management also linked the leadership change to plans to expand internationally while integrating AI more deeply into the business. P.V. Abinav Ramasubramaniam Raja, Managing Director, Ramco Systems, said, "Sandesh combines a builder's instinct with an operator's rigour. He created our ANZ business from the ground up and then brought that same ownership to the turnaround of the wider company, across customer engagements and operations. As we enter our next phase, our priorities are clear - accelerate global expansion and embed AI at the core of our products and the way we run the business. Sandesh is the right leader to drive both, and I look forward to partnering with him closely."

Bilagi outlined two priorities for his tenure: expanding the company's presence in existing markets and rebuilding products and operations around AI. He also pointed to the need for a faster-moving organisation as technology markets change.

Bilagi said, "It is a privilege to lead Ramco at a defining moment. We have done the hard work of restoring profitability and sharpening execution; the task now is to sustain that rigour and convert our strength into growth at scale. Two priorities will define this chapter. First, global growth - deepening our presence in established markets and building a world-class go-to-market motion, expanding across our HR & Global Payroll, Aviation, ERP, Logistics and Chia product lines. Second, becoming a truly AI-native company - not bolting AI onto our products, but rebuilding how we design, deliver and operate around it, so that every customer experiences a measurably better outcome. In a fast-evolving technology landscape, we will do this by building an organisation that is nimble, with a fast-adopting mindset. I am grateful to the Board for their confidence, and excited to take this forward with Ramco's exceptional team."

Bilagi is a Chartered Accountant from the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India and a CPA from CPA Australia. He also holds a Bachelor of Commerce from Karnatak University, Dharwad.