Meta’s head of public policy in India, Shivnath Thukral, is stepping down after nearly seven and a half years at the company and just over three years leading policy for the South Asian market. He took over the role in November 2022, following the departure of Rajiv Aggarwal.
In a LinkedIn post, Thukral said, “Having helped build some of the systems and processes, I do feel it is a good time to let the engine and the team work on their own. As my next journey begins, I want to recognize the work of my team, which is the best in business and one of the reasons why this is such a difficult decision for me.”
Regulatory Context and Challenges
Thukral’s exit comes shortly after Meta gained relief in India over WhatsApp’s 2021 data-sharing policy, which had led to a five-year ban by the country’s antitrust regulator. Despite this, Meta still faces significant regulatory hurdles, including new data privacy rules that may require parental consent for child users and ongoing criticism from Indian telecom providers over WhatsApp’s impact on traditional services.
With over 500 million WhatsApp users in India, the platform is also scrutinized for its handling of spam, despite recent efforts to curb unsolicited business communications.
Thukral expressed confidence in the team he’s leaving behind, stating, “It is not an easy decision to make, but I feel very confident that our policy engagement with stakeholders is at a credible and constructive juncture, and we can only build further on that.”
Meta has yet to name a successor for Thukral.
Parallel Leadership Changes at Google
Earlier this year, Google’s head of public policy in India, Sreenivasa Reddy, also resigned. Reddy had taken over from former Indian antitrust official Archana Gulati, who left after just five months. Google has not announced a replacement for Reddy amid ongoing antitrust investigations in India.
Kevin Martin, Meta’s VP and head of global policy, said in a statement, “Shivnath Thukral is leaving Meta to pursue new opportunities. As a member of the India leadership team, he played a key role in navigating and shaping policy and regulatory conversations that were critical for the industry and Meta in India over the last 7.5 years. We thank him for his leadership and contributions, and wish him well in his future endeavors.”
What The Author Thinks
With both Meta and Google experiencing turnover in their India policy leadership, the tech giants face a challenging regulatory environment that requires consistent and experienced guidance. India’s evolving rules on data privacy, competition, and platform responsibility demand policymakers who can effectively balance compliance with innovation. Losing key leaders during such a critical period raises questions about how these companies will sustain momentum in a vital and complex market.
