Arun Srinivas -Managing Director and Head for Meta in India. Photo Credit: Meta
Global tech giant Meta has officially announced the appointment of Arun Srinivas as its new India Head, signaling a renewed strategic push in one of its largest and most dynamic markets. The move comes at a time when Meta is navigating a complex regulatory landscape in India while striving to deepen its business relationships and digital innovation footprint.
Arun Srinivas to Lead Meta’s India Strategy
Arun Srinivas, who joined Meta in 2020, has previously served as Director and Head of Ads Business in India. With nearly three decades of corporate leadership experience at reputed organizations such as Hindustan Unilever, Ola, Reebok, and WestBridge Capital, Srinivas brings a diverse and robust understanding of India’s consumer and digital ecosystem.
Srinivas holds a degree in Physics from the University of Madras and is an alumnus of the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Calcutta. His extensive background in digital advertising, brand management, and market expansion is expected to play a pivotal role in Meta’s future plans for India.
Transition Amid Leadership Reshuffle in Asia-Pacific
Srinivas succeeds Sandhya Devanathan, who has now been elevated to oversee Meta’s operations in both India and Southeast Asia. Her expanded role comes as part of a wider leadership restructuring across the Asia-Pacific region. Sandhya Devanathan will continue to work closely with Arun Srinivas, ensuring strategic continuity while aligning local execution with broader regional goals.
Industry watchers see this leadership shuffle as a move to consolidate operations in high-growth markets like India and to better address emerging policy challenges and competition.
A Critical Market Under Regulatory Scrutiny
India is one of Meta’s most significant markets in terms of user base and growth potential. However, the country’s tightening regulatory framework—particularly around data privacy, antitrust concerns, and platform accountability—has posed challenges to the tech giant. Earlier, Meta faced a major hurdle when the Competition Commission of India (CCI) raised concerns about WhatsApp’s data-sharing practices.
By appointing Arun Srinivas as Meta India head, the company is clearly attempting to reinforce its local leadership with someone who not only understands the business but can also engage effectively with regulatory authorities and key stakeholders.
Focus Areas: Monetization, Innovation, and Local Partnerships
Under Srinivas’s leadership, Meta India will focus on key growth levers such as Reels monetization, AI-powered advertising solutions, and expanding the business use of WhatsApp and Messenger. His mandate also includes building stronger partnerships with creators, digital advertisers, and government agencies.
The India office is already playing a significant role in Meta’s global AI initiatives, with several Indian startups and brands testing Meta’s language models for content, automation, and user engagement. Srinivas’s appointment is expected to catalyze these efforts, especially as Meta looks to double down on innovations in short-form video and conversational commerce.
Meta’s Growing Influence in Indian Digital Ecosystem
With over 500 million combined users across Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp in India, Meta is deeply integrated into the country’s digital fabric. Its platforms are widely used by creators, small businesses, and large advertisers alike. The new India head will be tasked with not just sustaining this growth but also making Meta a more resilient and locally compliant entity.
