Sandhya Devanathan Leaves Meta for OpenAI in Major Leadership Move
Sandhya Devanathan, Meta’s vice president for India and Southeast Asia, is leaving the company after more than a decade to join OpenAI. The move comes as Meta faces increased scrutiny in India over content moderation and online safety, putting the leadership change under a wider spotlight.
Devanathan will join OpenAI as vice president for Southeast Asia and Australia, where she will oversee consumer growth, enterprise adoption, partnerships, regulatory engagement and regional operations. She will be based in Singapore and report to Kiran Mani, OpenAI’s managing director for Asia-Pacific, according to reports confirmed by OpenAI.
Why is Sandhya Devanathan Joining OpenAI?
The appointment gives OpenAI an experienced technology executive with extensive knowledge of Asian markets. Devanathan spent more than 10 years at Meta in senior roles covering business growth, gaming, e-commerce and regional operations before becoming Meta India’s top executive.
Meta appointed Sandhya Devanathan as vice president and head of Meta India in 2022. At the time, the company said she would be responsible for aligning its business and revenue priorities while supporting its long-term growth in India.
In 2025, her responsibilities expanded to include Southeast Asia, giving her oversight of two strategically important markets.
Her move to OpenAI now places her at the centre of the company’s efforts to expand its business beyond its core consumer products and deepen relationships with businesses, governments and regulators across Asia.
What Will Sandhya Devanathan Do at OpenAI?
At OpenAI, Devanathan will focus on consumer growth, enterprise adoption, partnerships, regulatory engagement and operations across Southeast Asia and Australia.
The role reflects a broader shift in the AI industry. As companies such as OpenAI expand internationally, success increasingly depends on understanding local regulations, businesses and consumer behaviour, not simply developing more capable AI models.
India is particularly important to OpenAI’s expansion strategy. The company recently appointed former Uber India and South Asia president Prabhjeet Singh as its India head, adding another senior executive with deep experience in the Indian market.
Is Sandhya Devanathan Leaving Meta Because of India Scrutiny?
There is no verified evidence that Sandhya Devanathan left Meta because of the company’s regulatory or content moderation challenges in India.
The timing is notable, however. Meta has faced growing scrutiny over online safety and content moderation in the country, including issues involving advertisements and child exploitation. Meta has said it removed violating advertisements, disabled accounts and blocked URLs after investigating reported cases.
Devanathan was involved in Meta’s decision-making in India, according to a person familiar with the matter cited by TechCrunch. But the available reporting does not establish a direct connection between those challenges and her departure.
What Does the Move Mean for Meta and OpenAI?
For OpenAI, hiring Sandhya Devanathan strengthens its regional leadership as the company pursues growth across Asia-Pacific. Her experience running Meta’s business in India and Southeast Asia could prove valuable as OpenAI competes for consumers, enterprise customers and strategic partnerships.
For Meta, the departure marks the loss of a senior executive who has played a prominent role in one of its most important markets.
The move also highlights how quickly leadership talent is moving between major technology and AI companies. As OpenAI expands in India and Southeast Asia, executives with experience navigating large consumer markets, enterprise relationships and government engagement are becoming increasingly important.
Sandhya Devanathan’s move from Meta to OpenAI is therefore more than a high-profile executive transition. It signals the growing importance of regional leadership as the global AI race moves deeper into Asian markets.
