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Microsoft in your community

Getting to know datacenter employees: Purnendu Shrivastava

Microsoft’s success depends on our people. We are proud to introduce some of the talented folks in your community who work in our global datacenters. Discover what inspired them to seek a career in the tech industry, the different pathways they pursued, and what a day in the life of a datacenter employee looks like.

Introducing Purnendu Shrivastava

India Subcontinent Lead, Datacenters Construction Integration and Technical Infrastructure

Hyderabad

Employee since 2022

Early days

Purnendu grew up in Bhopal, the “City of Lakes” in central India, along with a younger sister and a brother. He spent much of his spare time playing cricket with his friends and reading comic books and watching his favorite show The Jungle Book after school.

The path to technology

After graduating with a degree in Mechanical Engineering in 2007, Purnendu landed his first job through a campus placement drive. At this job he was first exposed to mission-critical infrastructure projects, being responsible for the development of two major international airports in the country. In that time, Purnendu developed his deep interest towards mechanical, electrical, and other engineering design and construction services, and decided to build his career as a construction project management expert. Since then, Purnendu has worked with a variety of global companies and played diverse roles in design, planning, construction, and operation management. With a career span of over 15 years, Purnendu previously worked for multiple business sectors like datacenter development, airports, e-commerce, and corporate real estate. In his last assignment prior to Microsoft, Purnendu was working with another corporation, leading the development of hyperscale datacenters in India. Purnendu is also an alumni from the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad.

Superpowers

Purnendu’s superpower is his “can do and never give up” attitude, which helps him to approach challenges as opportunities. His attitude has ensured projects run on time, despite many levels of complexity. Purnendu also ensured the timely delivery of multiple projects with significant compliance policies which can be challenging with tight schedules.

A day in the life

Purnendu begins his day with a status check on current projects—he checks his emails and calendar. He also connects with his team and understands the pressing issues, back logs, achievements, and any help that his team is seeking. During the day Purnendu also collaborates with cross-functional teams during review meetings.

Favorite childhood food

Rosogulla and gulab jamun

Purnendu fondly recalls his interest for traditional sweet dishes which he used to enjoy in his childhood. In particular, he still likes to try Bengali sweet dishes after lunch or dinner.

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