Rahul Dhar is a seasoned leader with over 25 years of experience in building and managing robust digital infrastructure that forms the backbone of India’s digital economy. He currently serves as President – Global Data Center Operations at CtrlS Datacenters, where he drives strategic initiatives to ensure operational excellence and scalability across global data center platforms. Before joining CtrIS, Rahul held the position of Country Director – Data Centers at Microsoft Corporation (2014-2025). In this role, he was responsible for maintaining high availability across mega data center campuses hosting Microsoft Azure cloud infrastructure. Rahul played a pivotal role in launching Microsoft Azure cloud services in India, enabling hyperscale cloud adoption and supporting continuous expansion programs. His portfolio included end-to-end ownership of infrastructure, site selection, strategic negotiations, and CAPEX/OPEX planning. He also built and nurtured a dynamic leadership team that enabled sustained growth and innovation. Rahul also worked with Colt Datacenter Services in Germany and India, where he contributed to strategic operations and infrastructure management across multiple geographies, strengthening global best practices and operational resilience. Earlier in his career, Rahul served as Senior Data Center Manager at Tata Communications Data Centers (2009-2014), overseeing operations of multiple data centers in Northern India. He ensured optimal performance and high availability of IT infrastructure while executing critical projects, including the prestigious “Passport Seva” e-Governance data center build-and-operate initiative. Rahul’s contributions have been instrumental in shaping India’s digital infrastructure ecosystem, supporting e-Governance projects, startups, financial institutions, and SMEs. His expertise spans strategic planning, operational leadership, and infrastructure reliability— key pillars for enabling a secure and scalable digital economy. Rahul holds a Master of Technology (MTech) degree in Computing Systems and Infrastructure from BITS Pilani, India, MBA in Operations and Bachelor of Engineering in Power Electronics Engineering from Nagpur University, India.