Meta Platforms has appointed Arun Srinivas as the new Managing Director and Head for its India operations, effective July 1, 2025, where he will oversee business strategy, strengthen stakeholder relations, and align innovation and revenue priorities across Meta's family of apps in one of its largest global markets.
Arun Srinivas brings nearly three decades of diverse experience to his new role at Meta. A graduate of the University of Madras with a postgraduate degree from IIM Calcutta, he began his career at Reebok in 1996, working in product management, regional sales, and marketing.12 His professional journey includes a significant 15-year tenure at Hindustan Unilever, where he rose to become Category Vice President for Foods South Asia, managing operations across India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh, and overseeing major brands like Ponds, Lakmé, and Knorr.13
Before joining Meta in 2020 as Director and Head of the Ads Business, Srinivas served as an Operating Advisor at WestBridge Capital Partners, focusing on consumer strategy for portfolio companies like Vini Cosmetics and Enrich Salons.12 He also had a stint at Ola as Chief Operating Officer and Global Chief Marketing Officer, where he managed the India business and led the company's expansion into the London market.34 At Meta, he has been instrumental in leading work with India's largest advertisers and agency partners, focusing on strategic priorities including AI, Reels, and Messaging.56
Meta's India strategy under Srinivas centers on artificial intelligence as the cornerstone of its operations. AI currently influences over half of Instagram content and 30% of Facebook recommendations1, with Meta's open-source Llama models being adopted by Indian companies like Zomato and Dream11 for customer service automation2. This AI-first approach has delivered tangible benefits for advertisers, with companies like BigBasket seeing 3-4% increases in ad click-through rates using AI-generated ads2.
The company is focusing on three key areas: strengthening its position in short-form video content (with Reels now accounting for 60% of time spent on Instagram)2, expanding WhatsApp business messaging solutions3, and supporting small businesses (which represent 95% of the 4 million advertisers using Meta's Gen AI tools globally)2. With India representing Meta's largest user base for both Facebook and WhatsApp, and the digital advertising market projected to reach ₹62,045 crore in 20252, Srinivas aims to capture a larger share through deeper penetration into tier 2 and tier 3 cities while building on Meta India's 24% revenue growth to ₹22,730 crore in FY243.
Arun Srinivas's appointment follows a significant leadership restructuring at Meta, with Sandhya Devanathan taking on an expanded role leading both India and South East Asia operations.12 In this new organizational structure, Srinivas will continue to report directly to Devanathan while transitioning to his new position on July 1, 2025.34 The leadership change comes shortly after Meta's vice-president and head of public policy in India, Shivnath Thukral, stepped down from his position.3
In his expanded role, Srinivas will focus on integrating Meta's business initiatives, innovation strategies, and revenue priorities to better serve partners and clients in the Indian market.25 According to Devanathan, "Meta in India is leading the way in AI adoption, WhatsApp, and Reels, and 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."4 This transition represents Meta's commitment to strengthening its position in India, which continues to be at the forefront of economic growth and digital innovation.6
