Facebook's parent company Meta has appointed Sandhya Devanathan as the new head of its India business after 11,000 layoffs across offices. Devanathan’s appointment comes at a time when Facebook is facing regulatory challenges in India with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration tightening laws governing Big Tech companies.The company has for years faced criticism for doing little to curb the spread of fake news and hate speech in India.
Sandhya Devanathan joined Meta in 2016. At Meta, Sandhya Devanathan helped build out the Singapore and Vietnam businesses and teams. She also helped Meta's e-commerce initiatives in Southeast Asia. Sandhya Devanathan has 22 years of experience and an international career in banking, payments and technology.As India head, Sandhya Devanathan will transition to her new role on 1 January 2023. She will be reporting to Dan Neary, Vice President, Meta APAC."She will move back to India to lead the India org and strategy," the statement read. As part of her role, the social media giant has said that Sandhya 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.