Meta, the company behind Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, has announced Arun Srinivas as its new Managing Director and Head for India, starting July 1. This appointment comes as Sandhya Devanathan, the current India head, is promoted to lead operations across India and Southeast Asia.

Srinivas currently leads Meta’s Ads Business in India. In his new role, he will report to Devanathan and will be responsible for aligning business, innovation, and revenue goals to support clients and partners across the country.

Driving India Strategy

As the new head, Arun Srinivas will work on strengthening partnerships with brands, advertisers, developers, and creators to boost Meta’s presence in the Indian market. His leadership will be key in pushing forward Meta’s focus areas like AI adoption, WhatsApp growth, and short video content through Reels.

“Arun has built strong teams, led innovation, and created deep partnerships. He is the right person to lead Meta India into its next growth phase,” said Sandhya Devanathan, Vice President for India and Southeast Asia.

Experience and Background

Srinivas joined Meta in 2020 as the Head of Global Business Group for India, managing top-tier client relationships. He was later promoted in 2022 to lead the advertising division. His career spans almost 30 years, with leadership roles at Ola, Reebok, Hindustan Unilever, and WestBridge Capital.

He is a graduate of IIM Calcutta and brings deep experience in both consumer and enterprise sectors, making him well-suited for Meta’s fast-evolving Indian market.

Meta India Head

India is Meta’s largest user market globally, with over a billion users across its platforms. It is also a key market for Meta’s AI expansion and the development of its Llama language models.

Meta’s India operations performed strongly in FY24. Net profit increased by 43% to Rs 504.93 crore, while operational revenue rose to Rs 3,034.8 crore. Gross advertising revenue also jumped from Rs 18,308 crore in FY23 to Rs 22,730.7 crore in FY24, showing the company’s growing business strength in the region.