Meta's senior executive joins OpenAI amid rising scrutiny in india

Sandhya Devanathan, Meta’s vice president for India and Southeast Asia, has joined OpenAI as its new Asia-Pacific leader, based in Singapore and reporting to Kiran Mani. She will oversee consumer growth, enterprise adoption, and regulatory engagement across Southeast Asia and Australia. Devanathan’s departure follows over a decade at Meta, which has faced increasing scrutiny in India over content moderation and online safety. OpenAI has expanded its Asia-Pacific presence with offices in Singapore, Tokyo, Seoul, Sydney, and Delhi over the past two years. Meanwhile, Meta’s India managing director, Arun Srinivas, will now report directly to Benjamin Joe. Devanathan joined Meta in 2016 and led its Asia Pacific gaming business. Meta recently faced criticism in India after Instagram mistakenly restricted a post by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and was summoned by authorities over child sexual abuse material on its platforms. The company stated it had removed 160,000 accounts in India over six months related to child-exploitative activity. OpenAI’s expansion in the Asia-Pacific region has accelerated, with new offices in key cities. The company’s recent hires, including Devanathan and Prabhjeet Singh, former Uber India head, signal a strategic push into the region. Meta’s challenges in India have intensified, with the government raising concerns over content moderation and user safety. The company has faced backlash for its handling of sensitive content, including a recent incident involving Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s post. Despite these issues, Meta has maintained its stance, emphasizing its efforts to remove violating content and accounts. The company’s response to regulatory pressures highlights the ongoing tensions between tech giants and governments in managing online platforms. OpenAI’s growing presence in the region underscores the competitive dynamics in the AI sector as companies vie for influence and market share.