Pratik Pandey, a 35-year-old Indian-origin software engineer at Microsoft, was discovered dead at the company's Silicon Valley campus in Mountain View, California. Pandey, who had roots in India, badged into the office on the evening of August 19 and was found mysteriously dead in the early hours of the following day, Bloomberg reports citing family sources.
Who is Pratik Pandey?
Born and initially educated in India, Pandey earned his Bachelor's degree in Computer Science from Rajiv Gandhi Proudyogiki Vishwavidyalaya in Bhopal. He later pursued higher studies in the United States, completing Master's degrees at California State University and San Jose State University. His professional journey began in India, where he worked for Newgen Software in Noida and John Deere in Pune, before relocating to the US.
Pandey joined Microsoft in 2020, specialising in scalable solutions for Microsoft Fabric and Synapse, tools used for big data analytics. He reported to cloud and AI chief Scott Guthrie, an executive vice president. Prior to Microsoft, he held positions at prominent tech firms including Apple, Illumina, and Walmart Labs. His expertise spanned technologies like Java, TypeScript, React, Angular, RxJS, micro frontend architecture, and cloud-based systems.
Known for frequently working late nights, Pandey was reportedly described by his family as a 'joyful soul with a radiant smile' who loved playing soccer. Police reported no signs of suspicious activity at the scene, and the incident is not being treated as a criminal investigation. The cause of death remains pending with the Santa Clara County medical examiner.
Microsoft is conducting an internal investigation but has declined to comment publicly. Pandey's family and community are arranging to repatriate his body to India, where his parents reside. A viewing service is scheduled in the Bay Area this week, as tributes pour in on social media remembering him as a great son and friend.
