Lufthansa Systems India Appoints Ranjan Saxena as Head of HR

Lufthansa Systems has appointed Ranjan Saxena as its new Head of Human Resources, marking a strategic move as the aviation technology firm expands its digital and innovation capabilities from India. Saxena, who brings close to 15 years of experience across consulting and enterprise roles, will oversee HR strategy, workforce planning, talent acquisition and capability development for the Indian operations. 

The timing is notable. Aviation as a sector is undergoing a deep technology transformation, with airlines and aviation software providers investing heavily in digital operations, AI-based scheduling, cloud-native infrastructure, safety and compliance platforms and data-driven passenger experience systems. India has quietly become a key talent hub for these transitions, with global firms building engineering, product and analytics teams that support worldwide markets from the country. For Lufthansa Systems, India is not just a delivery center but an integral node in digital innovation for the global aviation ecosystem. Saxena’s appointment reflects the company’s intent to strengthen people capabilities to match this shift. As aviation technology becomes more software-defined and data-intensive, talent strategy is moving beyond headcount growth toward capability depth, upskilling and ecosystem alignment – areas that require long-horizon HR planning. 

Saxena previously held leadership roles at EY and ANSR, giving him exposure to both HR consulting and GCC (Global Capability Center) talent architectures. At EY, he worked across India, Asia Pacific and the Middle East on performance management, learning and development and HR business partnering mandates for large enterprises. At ANSR, which has been instrumental in helping multinational companies build GCCs in India, Saxena gained insight into how global companies design leadership pipelines, mobility frameworks and culture-building processes to support tech and digital teams. This blend of experience positions him well for Lufthansa Systems, which is now operating closer to a product engineering GCC model rather than a traditional delivery center. 

The aviation technology sector itself is entering a new talent moment. Airlines and aerospace companies are increasingly competing for digital-first skill sets traditionally found in consumer technology, cloud infrastructure, predictive analytics and AI. In this context, HR leadership is becoming entangled with business strategy, influencing how organisations compete for scarce talent, build internal learning ecosystems and retain domain expertise over multi-year cycles. Saxena’s appointment signals Lufthansa Systems India’s continued commitment to strengthening its people foundation as it accelerates its role in the aviation software value chain.