OpenAI Hires Meta's India VP Amid Pressure in India

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Key Takeaways

1Sandhya Devanathan, Vice President of Meta for India and Southeast Asia, joins OpenAI to lead Southeast Asia and Australia

2Meta is facing increased pressure from Indian authorities, with summonses and the removal of 160,000 accounts in six months

3OpenAI continues its expansion in the Asia-Pacific region, with new offices and the recruitment of Prabhjeet Singh for India

💡Why it matters — This move illustrates the growing competition among tech giants to shape their presence and governance in Asia amid regulatory tensions.

OpenAI entrusts its Southeast Asia and Australia strategy to Sandhya Devanathan, who was previously the vice president of Meta for India and Southeast Asia. This departure comes as Meta faces summons and requests for explanations from Indian authorities, while OpenAI is expanding its presence in the region.

Meta apologizes in India and removes 160,000 accounts in six months

Earlier this month, Meta issued an apology after Instagram accidentally restricted a post by Narendra Modi in July. The Indian government summoned company leaders, including Joel Kaplan, regarding this incident. New Delhi has also expressed concerns about the presence of sexual abuse material on Meta's platforms and requested explanations last month following a BBC report highlighting Instagram ads allegedly offering access to such content. Meta stated that it has removed the ads and accounts in question and rejected the notion of conscious targeting based on inappropriate interests. The company also reported that it has removed 160,000 accounts in India over six months due to signals of child exploitation activity.

Departure of Sandhya Devanathan and reorganization of reporting in India

Sandhya Devanathan is leaving Meta to join OpenAI after more than ten years with the company. According to a source close to the matter, she has been involved in Meta's decision-making process in India. Following her departure, Arun Srinivas, who serves as the managing director of Meta for India, will now report directly to Benjamin Joe, vice president for Asia-Pacific, according to a source familiar with the situation. Joining Meta in 2016, Sandhya Devanathan oversaw the gaming sector for the Asia-Pacific region before being promoted to vice president for India and Southeast Asia last June. This change comes amid increased scrutiny of online safety and content moderation in India.

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OpenAI's missions for Devanathan and recent hiring in India

Sandhya Devanathan will operate from Singapore and will report to Kiran Mani, managing director of OpenAI for the Asia-Pacific region. Her scope includes consumer segment development, enterprise adoption, partnership relations, regulatory issue management, and operations in Southeast Asia and Australia. Her appointment comes just days after the appointment of Prabhjeet Singh as head for India. Singh has spent over ten years at Uber, where he led the company's operations in India and Southeast Asia.

OpenAI expands its offices in Asia-Pacific

OpenAI has strengthened its regional presence over the past two years, with offices opened in Singapore, Tokyo, Seoul, Sydney, and Delhi. The company's Asian map now includes these five locations.