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  • IGAP releases report on social media transparency and compliance

    IGAP releases report on social media transparency and compliance

    Mumbai – The Internet Governance and Policy Project (IGAP) has published its latest report, “Social Media Transparency Reporting: A Performance Review”, offering a detailed analysis of how Significant Social Media Intermediaries (SSMIs) are complying with India’s Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021. The report assesses the performance of major platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, YouTube, Twitter/X, LinkedIn, Snap, ShareChat, and Koo, focusing on their content moderation practices and grievance redressal mechanisms between June 2021 and December 2023.

    As concerns over harmful online content, including misinformation and hate speech, continue to grow, IGAP’s report highlights key gaps in transparency across these platforms and calls for enhanced accountability to Indian users. The study also provides a comparative analysis with international frameworks such as the European Union’s Digital Services Act and presents actionable recommendations for improving transparency and compliance practices.

    Key Findings:

    . Inconsistent reporting: While platforms like Facebook and YouTube offer relatively comprehensive reports, others such as Koo and LinkedIn provide limited data, making it difficult to evaluate their adherence to content moderation guidelines.

    . Lack of clarity on automated monitoring: Platforms like Snap and ShareChat offer minimal disclosure on content proactively removed using automated tools, raising questions about the effectiveness of their systems in addressing harmful content such as hate speech and child exploitation.

    . Complex grievance redressal mechanisms: Platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter/X maintain both global and India-specific grievance systems, leading to confusion for users and inconsistencies in data reporting.

    . Need for more granular data: The report emphasizes the importance of providing more detailed disclosures, particularly on content moderation in regional Indian languages, law enforcement requests, and actions against repeat offenders.

    Recommendations: IGAP’s report outlines several key reforms to improve transparency and ensure better accountability:

    . More granular disclosures: Social media platforms should provide detailed data on user complaints, content removals, and the diversity of Indian languages to ensure fair and equitable moderation practices.

    . Standardized reporting formats: Platforms should adopt consistent and uniform reporting formats to improve accessibility and comparison of data across different platforms.

    .  Improved oversight of automated tools: The report calls for clearer reporting on the types of content flagged and removed by automated systems, with a focus on emerging concerns such as misinformation, deepfakes, and synthetic media.

    Lead Author, and former senior director and group coordinator (cyber laws and data governance division), Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Rakesh Maheswari stated, “Social media platforms have a responsibility to create a transparent and accountable digital environment, especially given their influence on public discourse. This report underscores the need for uniform, more granular reporting in line with the intent of IT Rules, 2021 and aims to help bridge the gaps in content moderation practices across platforms operating in India.”

    The Report is accessible at: https://igap.in/social-media-transparency-reporting-a-performance-review/

  • TAM AdEx: Service sector leads digital ad impressions in Jan-Jun’24

    TAM AdEx: Service sector leads digital ad impressions in Jan-Jun’24

    Mumbai: According to the latest TAM AdEx India report for the period Jan-Jun’24, digital ad impressions witnessed a significant eight per cent rise compared to the same period in 2022. The growth was fueled by increased advertising activity across various sectors, with the services sector leading the charge, contributing 51 per cent of the total ad impressions.

    Ecom-Other Services took the top spot among categories, claiming seven per cent of total impressions during the period. Notably, programmatic advertising emerged as the dominant transaction method, accounting for a whopping 88 per cent share of total impressions.

    Facebook led the list of web publishers with 34 per cent of the ad impressions, while YouTube dominated the app category with 38 per cent. Display ads ruled digital advertising, representing 78 per cent of total ad impressions in the first half of 2024.

    Among advertisers, Grammarly Inc topped the exclusive advertisers’ list on digital platforms, while brands like Amazon Online India and Hindustan Unilever were common across both TV and digital mediums. New entrants to the top categories included cellular phones, smart phones, and the auto sector, which saw a 47 per cent rise in impressions.

    With over 98,600 exclusive digital advertisers and 1,850 common advertisers between TV and digital, the first half of 2024 shows the growing prominence of digital platforms in India’s advertising landscape.

  • IAS expands brand safety and suitability measurement to include reporting on misinformation

    IAS expands brand safety and suitability measurement to include reporting on misinformation

    Mumbai: Integral Ad Science (Nasdaq: IAS), a leading global media measurement and optimization platform, has announced the expansion of its brand safety and suitability measurement product to now include the global alliance for responsible media (GARM) category of misinformation across Facebook and Instagram feed and reels.

    Facebook and Instagram already prohibit ads from running alongside content that’s been labelled as misinformation by its third-party fact-checkers or that violates its policies. However, advertisers often want more control over the topics of posts and content that their ads run alongside. IAS’s tools already allow advertisers to assess if their ads are running alongside potentially unsuitable content as defined by the global alliance for responsible media (GARM) framework. Now, advertisers will be able to review when their ads run alongside content on the subject of misinformation.

    IAS’s AI-driven total media quality (TMQ) product includes brand safety and suitability measurement technology that combines image, audio, and text signals with comprehensive frame-by-frame video analysis to classify content accurately in the feed, at scale. TMQ provides further reassurance that advertisers’ campaigns are running adjacent to brand-suitable content.

    “We’re excited to evolve our TMQ solution to include the GARM category of misinformation which gives marketers more control over their brands’ reputations, especially ahead of this year’s U.S. elections,” said IAS CEO Lisa Utzschneider. “We are constantly innovating and building on our partnerships with the world’s largest platforms like Meta, providing added confidence for our customers while ensuring they are driving superior results through IAS’s data and technology.”

    Meta has a comprehensive policy and approach to misinformation — removing misinformation where it is likely to directly contribute to the risk of imminent physical harm and partnering with the world’s largest network of third-party fact-checkers to label and reduce the distribution of other forms of misinformation. Ads won’t appear next to content that’s been identified as misinformation, or any content that violates Meta’s policies. Instead, IAS measures if ads have appeared next to content that discusses or has to do with the GARM-aligned category of misinformation.

    IAS classifies content according to the GARM Brand Safety and Suitability Framework and provides reporting to advertisers for them to tailor suitability settings on Meta. Content-level reporting provided by IAS allows advertisers to get a full, accurate picture of the subject matter and content their ads are running adjacent to, and adjust their campaigns based on their own desired risk profiles.

    IAS is also launching new features and functionality for advertisers across Facebook and Instagram feed and reels:

       Expanded content-level transparency: IAS Signal, the company’s unified reporting platform delivering data and insights advertisers need to easily manage their digital campaigns, now provides enhanced content-level reporting, aligned to the GARM framework, for all eligible content running adjacent to an advertisers’ ad on Facebook and Instagram Feed and Reels.

       Simplified user experience: Advertisers can now access easy-to-use visuals to understand how campaigns are performing across the GARM framework, allowing advertisers to validate or adjust their suitability controls as needed.

       Enhanced reporting features: IAS Signal now allows advertisers to visually track brand safety and suitability performance over time, providing a clear view of the effectiveness of strategy adjustments. This capability ensures advertisers can pinpoint the impact of their changes, optimizing brand alignment and campaign results with precision.

    In February, IAS announced the availability of its AI-driven total media quality (TMQ) brand safety and suitability measurement across Facebook and Instagram feeds and reels in partnership with Meta to offer advertisers coverage for advanced, industry-leading measurement.

  • IAS expands AI-driven brand safety and suitability measurement to Meta

    IAS expands AI-driven brand safety and suitability measurement to Meta

    Mumbai: Integral Ad Science (Nasdaq: IAS), a leading global media measurement and optimisation platform, today announced that its AI-driven total media quality (TMQ) brand safety and suitability measurement product is now generally available across Facebook and Instagram feed and reels.

    IAS’s new post-bid brand safety and suitability measurement expansion with Meta gives advertisers increased transparency into whether their campaigns are appearing next to safe and suitable content.

    “IAS is steadfast in delivering solutions to help marketers measure and optimise performance in dynamic, user-generated social environments like Facebook and Instagram,” said IAS CEO Lisa Utzschneider. “This expansion allows brands to identify higher-quality media and scale across these platforms, signifying another important milestone in helping brands enhance brand equity across the entire digital ecosystem.”

    Advertisers can now gain access to:

    1.    AI-driven classification: IAS measures adjacent posts to an advertiser’s campaign using its Multimedia Technology to provide unique insight into video content through frame-by-frame analysis of images, audio, and text to provide the most accurate measurement at scale.

    2.    Trust and transparency: The measurement framework is aligned to the Global Alliance for Responsible Media (GARM), providing advertisers with third-party validation with trusted and transparent industry metrics.

    3.    Third-party validation: Advertisers can understand how their Meta inventory filters are performing for their campaign goals and optimise as needed.

    “IAS’s release of Brand Safety and Suitability Measurement across Facebook and Instagram is a meaningful step forward in our continued work to provide transparency and trust across our advertising ecosystem,” said Meta VP client council and industry trades Samantha Stetson. “Responsible marketing is a top priority at Meta – and we are pleased with our continued partnership to bring this important solution to our advertisers.”

    Advertisers can leverage IAS Signal, its unified reporting platform that delivers the data and insights advertisers need to easily manage their digital campaigns.

    “One of the most important things for us as an advertiser is maintaining the gold standard of brand suitability, and IAS plays a key role in protecting our advertisements from being placed in environments where it’s not safe or doesn’t align to our company values,” said Verizon VP of digital marketing Karyn Johnson. “It’s great to see IAS implementing this additional third-party measurement so we can use their tools to ensure we can reach those objectives across all platforms.”

    IAS and Meta’s partnership began in 2016 when IAS launched viewability verification on Facebook. In 2017, IAS expanded its viewability measurement and reporting across Facebook, Instagram, and Facebook’s Audience Network. From 2019, IAS brought its brand suitability offering to Facebook. In 2023, it expanded its measurement capabilities with Meta including Viewability and invalid traffic (IVT) measurement across Facebook and Instagram Reels.

  • Zupee announces ‘Saara India Chamkega’ initiative

    Zupee announces ‘Saara India Chamkega’ initiative

    Mumbai: Diwali is as much about spreading joy in others’ lives as it is about celebrating with our loved ones. This Diwali, Zupee, one of India’s leading online skill-based gaming platforms announced its ‘Saara India Chamkega’ campaign to brighten the lives of thousands of senior citizens.

    Staying true to the spirit of Diwali, this initiative is designed to gamify the experience of giving with an in-App engagement on the Zupee App, urging players to light up e-diyas as part of the collective effort towards supporting senior citizens.

    As part of the week-long campaign until Diwali, Zupee players can simply click on the ‘Saara India Chamkega’ in-App banner and participate by rolling a dice, where each dice roll will lead to the lighting of corresponding number of e-diyas illuminating a digital map of India. For every e-Diya lit, Zupee will contribute towards supporting senior citizens in association with The Earth Saviours Foundation

    A real-time tracker will be active throughout the week, showcasing the total number of e-diyas lit. Additionally, players can also invite their friends and families to join in the cause through WhatsApp and Facebook via the Zupee App and website.

    The Earth Saviours Foundation, an internationally acclaimed and recognized non-profit organisation to champion this initiative. The initiative aims to impact over thousands of residents as part of The Earth Saviours programmes for senior care and the specially abled.

    Zupee’s donation will be channelled by the Earth Saviours NGO in securing essential provisions, including food, hygiene and toiletries, medicine etc for the senior citizens. Furthermore, Zupee’s team joined in the Diwali celebrations with the residents of Earth Saviours and organised a meal at the NGO, located at Bandhwari Village, Distt. Gurugram.

    Share the joy of Diwali with a simple tap and light e-diya to show your support for senior citizens. You can do this by either clicking on the ‘Saara India Chamkega’ banner inside the Zupee App or by visiting the Zupee website.

  • Kaumudi Mahajan exits from Meta

    Kaumudi Mahajan exits from Meta

    Mumbai: Kaumudi Mahajan has announced the position of head of content strategy at Viacom18’s Colors. Mahajan shared the news of her move through a post on LinkedIn.

    In the post she said, “My passion lies in the world of entertainment and so even after spending 15 years in it, it has kept me excited, curious and involved. I am grateful to work on brands that I truly admire. When I first started working, I was in awe of the impact Colors had by talking about social realities and now as I experience this brand, I am truly wowed. Looking forward to an incredible journey and can’t wait to learn and unlearn everything I know.”

    In her previous role at Meta, Mahajan served as the head of Entertainment Partnerships. During her tenure, she collaborated with diverse teams to unlock substantial value for partners. She also harnessed the power of pop culture to create engaging opportunities on Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp.

  • Why is social media important for business today?

    Why is social media important for business today?

    Mumbai: Social media has undeniably become an integral part of our lives. Whether it is connecting with friends, sharing our stories, or even conducting business, social media platforms have woven themselves into the fabric of our daily existence. For businesses, social media isn’t just about keeping up with the times; it’s about thriving in a digital world where connectivity, influence, and visibility matter more than ever.

    Before we indulge further in the importance, let’s go back in time and understand the roots of social media. Services like Bulletin Board Systems (BBS) in the 1970s and 1980s allowed users to communicate and share information through digital channels. However, it was in the late 1990s and early 2000s that the concept of social media as we know it began to take shape. The emergence of platforms like Six Degrees (launched in 1997) allowed users to create profiles and connect with others. It was followed by Friendster (2002) and MySpace (2003), which introduced more interactive and personalized features.

    Then, in 2004, Mark Zuckerberg and his Harvard University roommates launched Facebook, a platform that would revolutionize how people connect and share online. Facebook’s success paved the way for other social media giants like Twitter (2006), LinkedIn (2003), YouTube (2005), and Instagram (2010). These platforms facilitated social interaction and became fertile grounds for marketing and business development.

    The evolution of social media has been nothing short of remarkable. Initially, platforms primarily focused on personal connections, but over time, they expanded their features and capabilities to accommodate a wide range of activities, including business promotion.

    Today, social media platforms are incredibly diverse. You have Facebook, with over 2.98 billion monthly active users, providing a comprehensive environment for various types of content. Twitter(now X), known for its concise messaging, is a hotbed for trending topics and real-time engagement. LinkedIn has become a professional network for career development and business-to-business (B2B) connections. Instagram emphasizes visual content, while YouTube is the go-to platform for video content.

    Newer platforms like TikTok (2016) and Snapchat (2011) focus on short-form video and ephemeral content, appealing to younger demographics. This continuous innovation allows businesses to explore different platforms and tailor their strategies to diverse audiences.

    To understand the importance of social media for businesses, let’s dive into some compelling data:

    Facebook: With over 2.9 billion monthly active users, Facebook is the world’s largest social media platform. It offers a vast user base for businesses to reach potential customers.

    Instagram: Owned by Facebook, Instagram has over 2 billion monthly active users. It’s highly visual and favoured by younger demographics.

    Twitter: Twitter boasts 564 million monthly active users. Its real-time nature makes it ideal for quick, concise communication.

    LinkedIn: With 900 million users worldwide, LinkedIn is the premier platform for professional networking and B2B marketing.

    YouTube: As the second-largest search engine after Google, YouTube has over 2.5 billion monthly logged-in users. It’s an excellent platform for video content.

    TikTok: This short-form video platform has grown exponentially since its launch, with over 1 billion monthly active users worldwide.

    India is a global leader in social media usage, with a user base that’s larger than the population of many countries. As of 2023, there were around 467 million social media users in India, and it is expected to keep growing. Besides that, people aged between 16 and 64 used about 8 social media apps monthly. Such statistics underscore the significance of India as a thriving market for businesses seeking to establish a solid online presence.

    How can brands make the most of such a strong user base?

    1. Enhanced Brand Visibility: Social media offers businesses a global platform to reach potential customers. A compelling social media presence can significantly boost brand recognition.

    2. Cost-Effective Marketing: Social media marketing is often more affordable than traditional advertising, making it an excellent choice for startups and small businesses.

    3. Targeted Advertising: Most social media platforms offer robust tools for targeting specific demographics, ensuring your message reaches the right audience.

    4. Customer Engagement: Businesses can engage with customers directly, addressing inquiries, concerns, and feedback promptly.

    5. Content Distribution: Social media is an excellent channel for distributing content, whether it is blog posts, videos, infographics, or other materials.

    6. Community Building: Social media enables businesses to build and nurture a community of loyal followers and brand advocates.

    7. Data and Analytics: Comprehensive data and analytics tools help businesses understand their audience, evaluate the effectiveness of their campaigns, and make data-driven decisions.

    How does one build a solid brand and community on social media?

    1) Understand your target audience’s preferences, behaviours, and pain points.

    2) Regular and consistent posting keeps your audience engaged.

    3) Interact with your followers by responding to comments and messages while creating content that encourages engagement.

    4) Offer valuable, informative, and entertaining content that aligns with your brand’s values.

    5) Visual content, such as images and videos, often performs well on social media.

    6) Encourage your customers to share their experiences and feedback about your products or services.

    7) Collaborate with influencers who align with your brand to expand your reach.

    8) Regularly analyze your social media performance and adapt your strategies based on the results.

    In today’s digital age, the importance of social media for businesses cannot be overstated. It has evolved from being a platform for personal connections to a multifaceted tool for brand expansion, marketing, and customer engagement. With a growing user base and diverse platforms, businesses have an unprecedented opportunity to reach their target audience, build a solid online community, and enhance brand visibility. As social media continues to evolve, businesses that adapt and embrace its potential will be the ones that thrive in this ever-connected world.

    The author of this article is The Hype Capital founder Sachin Shah.

    https://datareportal.com/social-media-users 
    https://datareportal.com/reports/digital-2023-india 
    https://www.statista.com/statistics/272014/global-social-networks-ranked-by-number-of-users/ 
    https://sproutsocial.com/insights/social-media-statistics/

  • Shaktimaan celebrates sibling love in its new Rakshabandhan campaign – #LifeofaUPSCAspirant

    Shaktimaan celebrates sibling love in its new Rakshabandhan campaign – #LifeofaUPSCAspirant

    Mumbai: India’s first adaptive learning ecosystem, Shaktimaan has launched a new campaign, just in time for the biggest celebration of the bonds between siblings. The campaign, titled ‘Rakshabandhan in the Life of a UPSC Aspirant,’ revolves around the heartwarming story of a sister’s thoughtful gift to help her brother conquer the UPSC with the help of Shaktimaan.in. Through the campaign, the company aims to represent the bond between siblings, highlighting the importance of having the support of loved ones in the preparation of the Civil Service Examination. The campaign is LIVE on YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook and has already garnered over 20.4K views on Twitter and more than 2K views on YouTube.

    The campaign is strategized internally and focuses on the struggles of UPSC aspirants and how Shaktimaan can empower them to access top-tier mentorship and a disciplined ecosystem personalized as per their needs. It highlights the story of a diligent UPSC aspirant, Raghav, who is trying to cope with The Hindu newspaper editorial. On seeing his struggles on Rakhshabandhan, the elder sister, Meera, gifts him Shaktimaan, a powerful mentor for students to help him in his UPSC preparation. As the brother unveils the Rakhi gift, he explores the different features of Shaktimaan, such as the daily Hindu summary, instant doubt resolution, daily learning targets with Prelims MCQ, and MAINS hand-written answer evaluation. Their story highlights the challenges faced by Civil Service Examination candidates and how their family and friends support them in their exam preparation. The access to personalized solutions represents the support that siblings can provide for each other.

    Founding team member Lakshay Nagpal remarked, “Our Raksha Bandhan campaign highlights how family supports a UPSC aspirant. The desire to showcase the passion of today’s students and our eagerness to offer them the best solutions lies at the heart of the campaign. At Shaktimaan, we use our deep insights and execute them with the help of artificial intelligence to help students stay disciplined and focused.”

    The Rakshabandhan campaign serves as a powerful reminder that students’ family members will always be there to guide them through their struggles and support them to achieve their goals. With the help of Shaktimaan and the support of their loved ones, students can find the right balance and achieve their dreams.

  • Ex-Meta and Viacom officials launch web3 start-up; acquire $8 mn seed funding

    Ex-Meta and Viacom officials launch web3 start-up; acquire $8 mn seed funding

    Mumbai: Kirthiga Reddy and Saurabh Doshi have co-founded Virtualness, a mobile-first platform designed to help creators and brands navigate the complex world of web3, and have secured over $8 million in seed funding.

    Facebook India & South Asia employee #1 and former managing director, Softbank Investment Advisors’ former investment partner Reddy, Meta Asia-Pacific’s former head for entertainment, emerging markets, & greater China region for creators, Viacom Group’s former vice president, and Star India’s Doshi, will leverage their decades of global entrepreneurial experience partnering with creators, media, brands, and tech platforms.

    The fundraise was led by Blockchange Ventures and joined by Polygon Ventures, Micron Ventures, Better Ventures, FalconX, Neythri Futures Fund, Carolyn Everson, Randi Zuckerberg, Nusier Yassin (Nas Daily), Anjali Bansal, Ashwini Asokan, Harsh Jain, Sandeep Singhal, Stacy Brown-Philpot, Vani Kola, and other thought leaders.

    Zuckerberg and Yassin serve as advisors for the company, along with Curious Addys chief technology officer (CTO) Ben Yu; VidCon former general manager Jim Louderback; Curious Addys CEO Mai Akiyoshi; and OpenSea vice president of products Shiva Rajaraman. They have been at the forefront of creator economy trends and bring extensive expertise across diverse fields, including media, art, entertainment, blockchain, and web3. Their guidance has been instrumental in taking Virtualness from concept to reality and will continue to help shape the global vision.

    Virtualness will roll out core capabilities for creators and brands when the platform launches in 2023.

    There are more than 300 million creators worldwide, with half of them joining the creator economy in the last two years. Despite this extraordinary migration, these creators lack even the most basic tools to scale their businesses and easily capture the value-creation opportunities that blockchain and web3 represent. Centred on the ethos of “empathy at the core,” Virtualness puts creators first and is building the playbook for easy design, efficient sharing, and seamless digital commerce.

    Upon launch in early 2023, authenticated creators and brands will use the platform to design, mint, and showcase branded digital collectibles; easily share across their social media channels; directly interact with their fans and community; enable unique experiences; and unlock new channels for monetisation. Education, personalisation, discovery, integration with web2 and web3 platforms, and a mobile-first experience are core to the platform.

    “Creators are the ultimate entrepreneurs. We’ve been at the heart of the web2 ecosystem building and onboarding creators and brands, and we’re on our journey to do it again for web3. People are spending more and more time in various digital worlds and have the desire for customised experiences, individual identities, expressions and personalised commerce,” said Reddy and Doshi, in media reports.

    They added, “We’re excited to see how creators and brands mimic various physical experiences in digital forms and in newer ways. This is about building a new economy, unlocked by branded digital collectibles that deliver unique experiences, capabilities, and value. Our belief is that everything that can move from a physical form to digital will move.”

    Reddy and Doshi are working closely with creators to inform how they build their products. Nusier Yassin (Nas Daily), a famed creator with more than 50 million followers across social media platforms and an investor in Virtualness, is one of the tech-forward creators helping shape the product from the concept stage.

    “Reddy and Doshi lead with hustle, heart, and vision. I have had a ringside view of how they shepherded the transition to a digital and mobile world and onboarded a range of global creators and brands to web2. The depth of their relationships with creators, brands, and the entire ecosystem is unparalleled. Their shared experiences and impact over the last decade give me absolute conviction that they will do the same as they unlock the power of web3 for creators and brands,” said Yassin in the media report.

    “Typically, countries outside of the US and Europe get access to features much later. I am confident that this team will unlock opportunities for creators and their fans, no matter where they live. Reddy and Doshi have the rare experience of scaling innovative, user-friendly technology globally with a focus on creator monetization,” added Yassin.

    With a core engineering team with a successful track record of collaboration on prior start-ups, Virtualness has bootstrapped a proof of concept on the Polygon chain. The company will use this first round of funding to support a number of key areas, including new hires in engineering, product, and design in the United States, India, Singapore, Dubai, and other parts of the world, helping the company to innovate, expand platform support to additional blockchains, integrate with offline and online experiences — including metaverse platforms — and launch its offerings.

    “This is a time of great transformation in the future of work, economic opportunity, and drivers of social change,” said Blockchange Ventures GP Cailleach De Weingart-Ryan.

    “Blockchain will have a tremendous impact on businesses and society and we believe Virtualness will be a leader in the next chapter of the generational technology shift the blockchain represents. Reddy and Doshi’s experiences are custom-built to help those who want to tap into web3 but don’t know how. Their ability to navigate cross-cultural differences, expertise on the utility of the blockchain and creator-obsessed approach to building products, is the triple-threat needed to accelerate adoption in web3 at a global scale. As early investors in all aspects of the blockchain revolution, we look forward to partnering with Reddy and Doshi and amplifying their efforts to democratise and unlock value-creation for creators and brands of any size and stage.”

  • Sandhya Devanathan joins Meta India as head and VP

    Sandhya Devanathan joins Meta India as head and VP

    Mumbai: Meta announced the appointment of Sandhya Devanathan as the vice president and head of Meta India. Devanathan will begin her new position on 1 January 2023. She will report directly to Meta APAC vice president Dan Neary.

    Devanathan will transition to her new role on January 1, 2023 and will report to Dan Neary, Vice President, Meta APAC, and be a part of the APAC leadership team. She will return to India to oversee the India organisation and strategy, as per company statement.

    With over 22 years of experience in banking, payments, and technology, Devanathan will focus on aligning the organisation’s business and revenue priorities in order to better serve its partners and clients, while also supporting Meta’s long-term growth and commitment to India. In her current role, she will spearhead the company’s India charter and strengthen strategic relationships with the country’s leading brands, creators, advertisers, and partners in order to drive Meta’s revenue growth in key channels in India.

    In 2016, Meta appointed Devanathan to lead the growth of its Singapore and Vietnam businesses and teams, as well as its Southeast Asian e-commerce initiatives.

    In 2020, she was promoted to lead gaming for APAC, one of Meta’s largest verticals globally. She also has a strong interest in developing female business leaders and is the executive sponsor for women in APAC at Meta, as well as the global lead for Play Forward, a global Meta initiative to improve diversity representation in the gaming industry. She is also a member of Pepper Financial Services’ global board of directors.

    As per media reports, Meta chief business officer Marne Levine said on this new appointment, “India is at the forefront of digital adoption, and Meta has launched many of our top products, such as reels and business messaging, in India first. We are proud to have recently launched JioMart on WhatsApp, which is our first end-to-end shopping experience in India. I’m pleased to welcome Devanathan as our new leader for India. Devanathan has a proven track record of scaling businesses, building exceptional and inclusive teams, driving product innovation, and building strong partnerships. We are thrilled to have her lead Meta’s continued growth in India.”