Meta Appoints Arun Srinivas as MD and Head of India Division

Meta Platforms announced on Monday that Arun Srinivas has been appointed as the managing director and head of Meta in India. Since 2022, Srinivas has served as the director and head of the advertising business for Meta India.

In this position, he has been responsible for overseeing business strategy and revenue growth across all Meta platforms in India. He is part of the country's leadership team, and his efforts have centred on key revenue initiatives such as AI, Reels, and Messaging. 

This appointment follows Sandhya Devanathan, whose responsibilities have expanded as Meta’s vice president, who will now oversee the company’s operations in Southeast Asia.

As India continues to be at the forefront of economic growth and innovation, we are excited to have Arun at the helm of our efforts in this critical market. Arun’s impressive track record of building high-performing teams, driving product innovation, and fostering strong partnerships makes him the ideal leader to drive Meta’s continued investment in the country,” Devanathan said.

A postgraduate from IIM Kolkata, Srinivas has nearly three decades of experience in leadership roles in sales and marketing at organisations such as Hindustan Unilever, Reebok, OLA, and investment company WestBridge Capital.

Currently, Srinivas holds the position of Director and Head of Ads Business in India. Since he began with the company in 2020, he has been instrumental in directing Meta’s collaborations with the largest advertisers and agency partners in the country, concentrating on strategic revenue priorities.

According to Reuters, Srinivas's new role comes amid ongoing tensions between Meta and Indian authorities over accusations of anti-competitive behaviour. Recently, the Competition Commission of India (CCI) imposed a fine on Meta for antitrust violations and prohibited WhatsApp, which is owned by Meta, from sharing user data with other Meta apps for advertising purposes for five years.

Meta has contested the CCI's decision, expressing concerns about its potential impact on business. However, earlier this year, an Indian tribunal granted Meta temporary relief by suspending the five-year data sharing ban.