Global software giant Accenture has named Rekha Menon as the new chairperson for its India operations following the resignation of Avinash Vashistha in July.

The firm also named Anindya Basu as the new managing director of Accenture in India. Both the appointments will be effective from 21 August 2015.

Following the appointment, Menon becomes Accenture's first woman head in India. She is currently the head of human resources for growth markets in the company.

"Rekha has made impressive contributions to our people and our communities," said Gianfranco Casati, Accenture's group chief executive, growth markets.

As chairperson, Menon will play an active role in the growing firm's business and further strengthen its presence in communities across India. 

By having a female head, Accenture joins a group of multinational technology companies that have appointed women leaders in key roles.

In 2013, IBM appointed Vanitha Narayanan as its India managing director, while HP and Intel named Neelam Dhawan and Kumud Srinivasan as heads of their Indian divisions respectively.

On the other hand, Basu will be responsible for driving Accenture's domestic business in India and building relationships with key clients by leveraging the company's capabilities in strategy, consulting, digital, technology and operations. 

Basu has been serving the company for the past 23 years, holding many leadership roles across various domains such as Automotive, Industrial Equipment, Travel and Transportation, Consumer Goods and Chemicals, the company noted.

For the quarter ended 31 May, Accenture's net revenue stood $7.77 billion. It also raised its guidance to 9 -10% for its financial year, which ends in August.

Analysts had said that Accenture's upward revision in growth estimates reflects rising demand for IT services, a good sign for struggling Indian IT firms.

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