Meta Appoints New India Head: Arun Srinivas to Lead from July 2025

In a significant leadership development, global tech giant Meta has appointed Arun Srinivas as the Managing Director and Head of India operations, effective July 1, 2025. This move signals a renewed strategic push by Meta in one of its largest and most dynamic markets.

Srinivas, who previously led Meta India’s advertising business, will now take on the broader mandate of driving innovation, accelerating revenue, and aligning the company’s business priorities in India.

Who is Arun Srinivas?

Arun Srinivas is a well-known business leader with over two decades of experience in sales, marketing, and technology-led growth. Before joining Meta, he held senior leadership roles at Unilever, Reebok, and Ola. At Meta, he has been serving as the Director of Ads Business for India since 2020, overseeing advertiser relationships and scaling Meta’s revenue from Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp.

Under his leadership, the ads business witnessed strong expansion, especially in the small business and direct-to-consumer (D2C) segments.

Why Is This Appointment Important?

India is Meta’s largest user base globally, with over 400 million WhatsApp users, 300 million Facebook users, and a rapidly growing Instagram community. However, Meta has faced challenges in India over the past two years, including:

• Regulatory scrutiny over data privacy and content moderation

• Competition from homegrown apps and global rivals like Google and TikTok

• Pressure to localize content and expand monetization channels

Arun Srinivas brings a blend of local market insight and deep advertising expertise — crucial for Meta’s next phase of expansion. His appointment comes at a time when Meta is recalibrating its India strategy around creator ecosystems, small business support, AI integration, and commerce.

What Will Srinivas Be Responsible For?

According to Meta’s official statement, Srinivas will be responsible for:

• Aligning business growth with innovation goals

• Deepening client and partner engagement

• Expanding ad revenue streams across sectors

• Integrating Meta’s product ecosystem more effectively

• Leading Meta’s policy and partnership efforts in the region

He will report to Nicola Mendelsohn, Global Head of Meta’s Global Business Group.

How Does This Fit into Meta’s Broader Southeast Asia Strategy?

This leadership change follows closely on the heels of another major appointment: Sandhya Devanathan was recently elevated to oversee Meta’s Southeast Asia business. Meta seems to be strengthening its regional leadership bench, giving India and SEA more autonomy and direct responsibility in a post-pandemic, mobile-first, and AI-driven digital economy.

With these two strategic leaders in place, Meta is expected to:

• Increase regional product experimentation

• Launch new monetization tools for creators and SMEs

• Deepen AI integrations for businesses

• Collaborate more actively with governments and regulators

What Does It Mean for Meta’s Business in India?

Arun Srinivas steps into the top India role at a transformative moment for Meta and the Indian internet ecosystem.

Here’s what we can expect:

1.Greater Focus on Small Businesses

Meta is likely to double down on helping India’s 60M+ small businesses reach customers digitally via Instagram Shops, WhatsApp Business, and AI-powered tools. Srinivas has previously championed SME outreach.

2.More AI-Driven Experiences

With Meta’s global investment in generative AI (like Meta AI and AI Studio), expect faster rollout of AI-based tools for Indian users and advertisers.

3.Creator Economy Growth

Instagram creators in India are booming, and Srinivas’s appointment signals a stronger focus on monetization tools, Reels expansion, and creator-brand collaborations.

4.Regulatory Alignment

Srinivas will be instrumental in navigating India’s evolving regulatory environment — especially around Digital Personal Data Protection Act (DPDP), content rules, and AI governance.

Industry Reactions

The industry has largely welcomed the appointment. Leading voices in advertising and digital media believe this change brings long-term stability and renewed energy to Meta India.

Ashish Bhasin, a veteran media executive, remarked:

“Arun is an astute business leader. His understanding of both brands and platforms will be key for Meta in India’s complex market.”

What’s Next for Meta in India?

In the coming months, expect to see:

• More monetization opportunities for creators and small businesses

• Deeper WhatsApp integrations with payments, shopping, and automation

• Investments in regional content and language models

• Public campaigns on online safety, AI, and youth wellness

India is not just a growth market — it’s a testbed for Meta’s global experiments. With Arun Srinivas at the helm, Meta seems prepared to localize faster, innovate deeper, and grow more responsibly.

Final Thoughts

Leadership changes often signal larger shifts in vision and strategy. Meta’s appointment of Arun Srinivas as its India head is one such pivotal moment.

His proven track record in advertising, deep local market understanding, and alignment with Meta’s product roadmap make this a promising move — both for Meta’s business in India and the broader digital economy.

All eyes are now on July 1, when Srinivas officially takes charge. The next phase of Meta India is about to begin.