Meta has appointed Arun Srinivas as the Managing Director and India Head, a significant leadership change following the resignation of Shivnath Thukral, the company’s former Vice-President and Head of Public Policy in India. Srinivas’s appointment also comes shortly after Sandhya Devanathan, who was previously leading India operations, took on a broader role overseeing both India and Southeast Asia. In his new position, effective from July 1, 2025, Srinivas will report directly to Devanathan.

The company announced this leadership transition via a blog post, emphasizing that Srinivas will now be responsible for aligning Meta’s business strategy, innovation goals, and revenue generation plans in India. He will work closely with clients, partners, and internal teams to drive Meta’s long-term business objectives and strengthen its commitment to the Indian market. This move highlights Meta’s intent to double down on the rapidly evolving and strategically important Indian digital economy.

Arun Srinivas, an alumnus of IIM Kolkata, brings with him nearly 30 years of experience in sales, marketing, and leadership roles across diverse industries. His career spans renowned companies like Hindustan Unilever, Reebok, Ola, and the private equity firm WestBridge Capital. He joined Meta in 2020 and has since led the company’s advertising business in India, focusing on key areas such as AI, Reels, and Messaging, which are central to Meta’s revenue model. Under his leadership, the ads business has expanded significantly, especially through partnerships with India’s top advertisers and agency networks.

Srinivas’s appointment signals a focused effort by Meta to bolster its India presence in the face of growing competition, regulatory scrutiny, and market opportunities. His blend of corporate leadership, deep domain knowledge in consumer behavior, and understanding of the Indian advertising ecosystem uniquely position him to lead Meta’s next phase of growth in India.

His predecessor, Shivnath Thukral, who was primarily responsible for public policy, had played a key role in navigating Meta’s regulatory relationships in India, especially during challenging periods involving data privacy, misinformation control, and content regulation. Srinivas’s elevation, however, indicates a strategic pivot towards business leadership and revenue expansion, rather than just policy management.

Meta sees India as a high-potential market, with a massive user base across its platforms—Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp—and is investing heavily in areas like creator economy, AI-powered ad solutions, and business messaging tools. Srinivas’s new role will likely involve greater integration of these growth areas and addressing competition from other tech platforms and short-form video apps.

In conclusion, Arun Srinivas’s appointment as Meta India Head underscores the company’s commitment to consolidating its business footprint in one of its largest markets. His leadership will be pivotal in driving innovation, revenue, and long-term growth, while also supporting Meta’s broader goals in India and the Southeast Asian region.