A summary of an interview with Sandhya Devanathan, Meta’s head in India:
Sandhya Devanathan, who has led Meta‘s operations in India for nearly two years, discusses the company’s significant growth and challenges in the Indian market. While Meta has experienced substantial business expansion and increased user engagement across Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, it has also faced regulatory hurdles in India
Devanathan emphasizes India’s crucial position as one of Meta’s largest global markets, highlighting strong growth across all platforms. She particularly notes the success of Threads, Meta’s newest platform, which has garnered over 200 million downloads in India. The country has also shown robust adoption of Meta’s AI platform, Llama.
A key focus of the interview is India’s role as an innovation hub for Meta’s global products. Devanathan points out that India often serves as the launch market for new features and solutions that later expand worldwide. She cites WhatsApp Flows as a prime example, which was first introduced in India before going global. Currently, Meta is piloting a new feature in India that enables small businesses to receive calls through WhatsApp, integrated within the chat context, demonstrating the company’s commitment to developing India-first solutions.
The interview also highlights India’s significant contribution to Meta’s AI initiatives, particularly through the Llama platform. Indian developers are actively creating solutions and tools using Llama, positioning India as a critical market for AI development and adoption. Devanathan suggests that India’s large user base and high adoption rates make it an ideal testing ground for new features and innovations.
Regarding regulatory matters, Devanathan clarifies Meta’s stance on regulations, expressing support for progressive regulatory frameworks. She specifically mentions the Digital Personal Data Protection Act as an example of regulation that Meta welcomes.
Throughout the interview, Devanathan repeatedly emphasizes the strategic importance of India in Meta’s global operations, not just as a market for existing products but as a center for innovation and product development. The conversation reveals Meta’s increasing reliance on Indian user feedback and behavior to shape its global product strategy, while also highlighting the company’s commitment to navigating the complex regulatory landscape in the country.
