Mumbai: Meta announced the appointment of Sandhya Devanathan as the vice president and head of Meta India. Devanathan will begin her new position on 1 January 2023. She will report directly to Meta APAC vice president Dan Neary.

Devanathan will transition to her new role on January 1, 2023 and will report to Dan Neary, Vice President, Meta APAC, and be a part of the APAC leadership team. She will return to India to oversee the India organisation and strategy, as per company statement.

With over 22 years of experience in banking, payments, and technology, Devanathan will focus on aligning the organisation's business and revenue priorities in order to better serve its partners and clients, while also supporting Meta's long-term growth and commitment to India. In her current role, she will spearhead the company's India charter and strengthen strategic relationships with the country's leading brands, creators, advertisers, and partners in order to drive Meta's revenue growth in key channels in India.

In 2016, Meta appointed Devanathan to lead the growth of its Singapore and Vietnam businesses and teams, as well as its Southeast Asian e-commerce initiatives.

In 2020, she was promoted to lead gaming for APAC, one of Meta's largest verticals globally. She also has a strong interest in developing female business leaders and is the executive sponsor for women in APAC at Meta, as well as the global lead for Play Forward, a global Meta initiative to improve diversity representation in the gaming industry. She is also a member of Pepper Financial Services' global board of directors.

As per media reports, Meta chief business officer Marne Levine said on this new appointment, "India is at the forefront of digital adoption, and Meta has launched many of our top products, such as reels and business messaging, in India first. We are proud to have recently launched JioMart on WhatsApp, which is our first end-to-end shopping experience in India. I’m pleased to welcome Devanathan as our new leader for India. Devanathan has a proven track record of scaling businesses, building exceptional and inclusive teams, driving product innovation, and building strong partnerships. We are thrilled to have her lead Meta’s continued growth in India."