Meta expands India VP Sandhya Devanathan's role to lead Southeast Asia operations

Sandhya Devanathan, Meta’s Vice President for India, has taken on an expanded role to also lead the company’s operations across Southeast Asia, the social media giant confirmed. The appointment strengthens Meta’s leadership structure in one of its most dynamic regions and follows Asia-Pacific chief Dan Neary’s departure after 12 years.

Devanathan, who took charge of Meta’s India business in November 2022, will now oversee key Southeast Asian markets including Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, and the Philippines—all of which have seen explosive growth in mobile internet adoption and e-commerce.

The move is part of a broader reshuffle that also sees Benjamin Joe, a Meta veteran, stepping in as the company’s Regional Vice President for Asia Pacific starting July.

"Both Ben and Sandhya are exceptional leaders with strong track records," Neary said in a LinkedIn post on May 15, announcing the leadership changes. "I’m confident that they will continue to drive growth and innovation for our valued partners and take our business to new heights."

India as innovation hub

Under Devanathan’s leadership, India—Meta’s largest market with over one billion monthly users across Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp—has become a critical testing ground for the company’s global innovation rollouts.

Instagram Reels debuted in India in 2020. Meta AI, the company’s generative AI offering, sees its highest usage in the country. And WhatsApp Flows, a tool that allows in-chat business interactions, was announced for India before expanding elsewhere.

She has aligned India’s growth roadmap with Meta’s global priorities across AI, the metaverse, monetization, infrastructure, and safety, deepening engagement with startups, developers, and digital-first businesses. Her role has also involved scaling Meta’s partnerships and monetisation efforts in digital commerce across markets like Singapore and Vietnam.

A veteran of tech and finance

Devanathan joined Meta in 2016 and previously held leadership positions across Southeast Asia in e-commerce, travel, and financial services. She served as Meta’s country head for Singapore and business head for Vietnam, and later led Meta’s Asia-Pacific gaming vertical—a major global revenue stream for the company.

Before Meta, she worked at Standard Chartered Bank and Citi, building a background in banking and payments that continues to inform her digital strategy experience. She currently serves on the board of Pepper Financial Services and is known for her advocacy of gender diversity and inclusion in the tech sector.

Her promotion comes at a time when Meta is leaning heavily into AI and short-form video to retain and grow its user base in Asia’s fast-changing digital landscape. India and Southeast Asia, with their large, mobile-first populations, are central to this strategy.

“I am thankful to Dan Neary for his leadership in steering Asia-Pacific business,” Devanathan wrote in a LinkedIn post acknowledging her new role.

“I am confident that going ahead, we will continue to drive growth and innovation for our valued partners along with Ben. What remains a constant is our unwavering focus on serving you – our partners – and continuing to invest in products to help drive growth."