Facebook parent Meta appoints Sandhya Devanathan as head and VP for India

Senior executive has 22 years of experience and an international career in banking, payments and technology

Facebook parent Meta on Thursday announced appointing Sandhya Devanathan as its vice president for India, tasking her to bring the organisation’s business and revenue priorities together and support long-term growth.

Devanathan will take up the role on January 1, 2023 and she will report to Dan Neary, vice president, Meta APAC (Asia Pacific). She will be part of the APAC leadership team and will move back to India.

Devanathan will lead the company’s India charter and strengthen relationships with leading brands, creators, advertisers, and partners to drive revenue growth in key channels.

Devanathan has 22 years of experience and an international career in banking, payments and technology. She joined Meta in 2016 and helped build the company’s Singapore and Vietnam businesses and teams as well as initiatives in Southeast Asia. In 2020, she moved to lead gaming for APAC, one of the largest verticals for Meta.

She is the executive sponsor for Women@APAC at Meta and global lead for Play Forward, a global initiative by the company to improve diversity in the gaming industry. She also serves on the global board of Pepper Financial Services.

Marne Levine, chief business officer of Meta, said: “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. I’m pleased to welcome Sandhya as our new leader for India. Sandhya has a proven track record of scaling businesses, building exceptional and inclusive teams, driving product innovation and building strong partnerships.”