Meta Asia-Pacific VP Departs for OpenAI Amid Heightened Regulatory Scrutiny in India

Meta’s vice president for India and Southeast Asia, Sandhya Devanathan, is leaving the social media giant to join OpenAI, the ChatGPT maker confirmed to TechCrunch. Her departure comes as Meta faces intensifying regulatory pressure in India over content moderation and child safety. Devanathan, who will be based in Singapore, will report to OpenAI’s Asia-Pacific managing director, Kiran Mani. According to OpenAI, she will oversee consumer growth, enterprise adoption, partnerships, regulatory engagement, and operations across Southeast Asia and Australia. Her move marks the latest in a series of high-profile executive transitions between major tech firms as competition in the AI sector intensifies. Devanathan will work alongside Prabhjeet Singh, who joined OpenAI as India head just days earlier after a decade at Uber, where he led the company’s India and South Asia business. OpenAI has been aggressively expanding its footprint in the Asia-Pacific region, having opened new offices in Singapore, Tokyo, Seoul, Sydney, and Delhi over the past two years. The company’s growing presence signals its commitment to establishing a strong foothold in key markets, particularly in India, which is becoming a critical battleground for AI adoption. Devanathan leaves Meta after more than ten years with the company. She joined in 2016 and held several leadership roles, including heading Meta’s Asia-Pacific gaming business, before being appointed to her most recent position in June 2025. Sources familiar with the matter indicate she was involved in decision-making processes in India, where the company has faced significant scrutiny. Following Devanathan’s departure, Meta’s India managing director, Arun Srinivas, will now report directly to Benjamin Joe, the company’s vice president for Asia-Pacific, according to a person familiar with the matter. The executive shift comes at a challenging time for Meta in India. Earlier this month, the company apologized after Instagram mistakenly restricted a post by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in July. The incident prompted the Indian government to summon Meta executives, including chief global affairs officer Joel Kaplan. Additionally, New Delhi has expressed concerns over child sexual abuse material on Meta’s platforms. Last month, the Indian government sought an explanation after a BBC report alleged that Instagram advertisements offered access to such content. In response, Meta said it had removed violating ads and accounts and rejected claims that it knowingly targeted ads based on inappropriate interests. The company also reported removing 160,000 accounts in India over six months for signals indicating child-exploitative activity. As Devanathan transitions to OpenAI, her expertise in navigating complex regulatory landscapes and driving growth in emerging markets will be valuable as the AI firm seeks to expand its influence and operations across the region. Her departure also underscores the intensifying competition for top talent between established tech giants and fast-growing AI startups.

via TechCrunch AI