Meta Platforms appoints Sandhya Devanathan as India head
- ByStartupStory | November 17, 2022
Sandhya Devanathan was named as Meta Platforms’ India chief on Thursday, just days after Ajit Mohan left to join rival Snap Inc.
She takes over for Ajit Mohan, who departed Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram, and Whatsapp, at the beginning of this month. That announcement comes on the heels of reports that Meta Platforms’ director of public policy for India, Rajiv Aggarwal, and the head of WhatsApp in India, Abhijit Bose, both quit earlier this week.
“I’m pleased to welcome Sandhya as our new leader for India,” Meta Chief Business Officer Marne Levine said in a statement. “Sandhya has a proven track record of scaling businesses, building exceptional and inclusive teams, driving product innovation, and building strong partnerships. We are thrilled to have her lead Meta’s continued growth in India,” added the statement.
The hiring of Ms. Devanathan comes as Facebook confronts regulatory issues in India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration tightens regulations on big tech companies. The company has faced criticism for years for not doing enough to halt the propagation of misleading information and hate speech in India. Since joining Meta in 2016, Ms. Devanathan has helped build teams in Singapore and Vietnam, as well as Meta’s e-commerce operations across the region. In order to handle gaming for APAC, one of Meta’s key global verticals, she moved to Indonesia in 2020.
The company has faced criticism for years for not doing more to stem the propagation of fake information and hate speech in India. Ms. Devanathan joined Meta in 2016 and has since helped build teams in Singapore and Vietnam, as well as Meta’s e-commerce initiatives across the region. 2020 saw her go to Indonesia, where she now manages gaming for APAC, one of Meta’s key global verticals.
“She will move back to India to lead the India organization and strategy. As part of her role, Ms. Devanathan will spearhead the company’s India charter and strengthen the strategic relationships with the country’s leading brands, creators, advertisers, and partners to drive Meta’s revenue growth in key channels in India,” said Meta’s statement.
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