Meta Platforms India head Ajit Mohan quits; may sign up with Snap Inc

Meta Platforms Inc said on Thursday its India head, Ajit Mohan, has stepped down.

Meta India head Ajit Mohan stepped down from the post on Thursday,. (PTI)

Billionaire Mark Zuckerberg led Meta Platforms Inc revealed on Thursday that its India head, Ajit Mohan, has quit. He had joined Meta  in January, 2019. It added that the resignation was due to Mohan wanting to pursue another opportunity. A report indicates he may be signing up with Snap Inc. Mohan has resigned with immediate effect, sources indicate.

In the interim, Mohan will be replaced as Meta head by Manish Chopra, director and head of partnerships, a company spokesperson told Reuters.

"Over the last four years, he (Ajit Mohan) has played an important role in shaping and scaling our India operations," Nicola Mendelsohn, Vice President, Global Business Group at Meta said in a a statement.

Tech Crunch reported that Mohan will likely join Snap and it quoted people familiar with the matter.

In the meanwhile, earlier in the day, ANI reported that Meta hailed India for holding companies accountable for Internet safety.

Meta India's Vice President and Managing Director Ajit Mohan, who has now quit, at a Delhi-based think tank event on Thursday lauded the Indian government and its policy, regarding the Internet and its security.

"We welcome government regulation. In India, the government has been vocal about holding companies accountable for internet safety and we are fully aligned with this agenda," Ajit Mohan said.

Meta owns Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, among other products and services. It was formerly known as Facebook Inc.

"The way the Indian government has promoted internet services in the country and practically digital services... it is a remarkable work and it is a matter of recognition," the head of Meta India mentioned in his conversation that is how India is the power of wireless.

"What we have seen in India is the power of wireless. The digital transformation in India had started even before the Covid-19 pandemic. Low-cost 4G has been the key catalyst for the digital revolution," he said.

India's digital revolution is not limited to social media and internet services, rather it has transformed into big businesses and creating vibrant opportunities in the field of startups, entrepreneurs and transactions through high-quality internet services.

"The pandemic exposed people to a more digital way of living. We are now at a stage where more than a billion people in India have access to high-quality internet which will change the way we experience most services. The digital economy has led to a boom in entrepreneurship and the way business is conducted in India," Ajit Mohan said during the discussion.

"We have found that if we build a platform that enables small business, it also leads to multiple benefits for us. We differentiated ourselves by serving small businesses and not just large clients," he added.

Recently, several social media giants have faced criticism across the country regarding data compromise and hate speeches, with the Meta India chief clarifying how Meta and its companies are complying with the laws.

"We look at content moderation through two lenses: Adhering to public guidelines suited to local conditions and compliance with local laws. Our economic incentives are aligned with safety and security; marketers don't want to advertise on unsafe platforms," he said.

In his last comment, he said how Meta was making it more transparent for its consumers and had clearly mentioned about transparency policy.

He said there was value in moving towards more transparent algorithms and allowing for more explicit choices from consumers. "We are trying to work out mechanisms to allow for more transparency," he said.

With Inputs From Reuters