Advertising
From Pink Slips to Silent Sidelining: Inside adland’s layoff and anxiety crisis
Preeti Lobana, Irina Ghose, Sandhya Devanathan: Women Driving India’s Big Tech Revolution
From Irina Ghose’s appointment as Managing Director of Anthropic India to Sandhya Devanathan’s success at Meta, these leaders are shaping the future of AI, tech services, and digital transformation in one of the world’s most dynamic markets.
(From left to right: Preeti Lobana, Irina Ghose and Sandhya Devanathan)
American artificial intelligence company Anthropic has appointed Irina Ghose as its Managing Director for India, marking a significant leadership addition in one of the world’s fastest-growing AI markets. Ghose brings over three decades of experience in scaling businesses and driving enterprise AI adoption across diverse industries.
Ghose’s career spans a range of global and Indian organizations. She began at Tata Steel and subsequently held roles at HCL Infosystems and Wipro Infotech before joining Microsoft India. As the former Chief Operating Officer of Microsoft India, she led end-to-end operations and shaped the go-to-market strategy for Microsoft Customer and Partner Solutions, driving core business outcomes while creating new growth engines.
During her tenure, she spearheaded enterprise AI adoption across sectors such as BFSI, manufacturing, healthcare, technology services, and government.
Women Leaders Shaping India’s Big Tech Landscape
Ghose’s appointment is part of a broader trend of women increasingly helming leadership roles in Big Tech in India. Women are increasingly taking the lead in India’s Big Tech sector, bringing innovation, and strategy to some of the world’s most powerful companies.
Sandhya Devanathan - Vice President, Meta (India & SEA)
In 2022, Sandhya Devanathan succeeded Ajit Mohan as Meta’s head for India. Now, she serves as Vice President for India and South East Asia, driving Meta's strategic initiatives in one of the world's largest markets for digital advertising.
Devanathan has a stellar career spanning leadership roles at Citi, Standard Chartered Bank, and Facebook. She has served as Managing Director for Retail Banking and Payment Product, and as Country Managing Director for Singapore and Business Head for Vietnam.
Devanathan's leadership has been instrumental in Meta’s growth across India and Southeast Asia, helping Meta expand its reach and influence in the region.
Preeti Lobana - Country Manager & Vice President, Google India
In 2024, Preeti Lobana was appointed Country Manager and Vice President of Google India. Her appointment further solidifies Google's leadership position in India’s rapidly growing digital landscape.
Lobana served as Google’s Vice President for gTech, where she oversaw operations such as Process, Partner, Publisher Operations, Ads Content, and Quality Operations. Prior to joining Google, she had worked in NatWest Group, American Express, Standard Chartered Bank, and ANZ Grindlays Bank.
Lobana brings extensive leadership experience in global corporations, enabling her to drive Google’s growth strategy and oversee its innovative products and services in India.
Gunjan Soni, Country Managing Director, YouTube India
In 2025, YouTube appointed Gunjan Soni as the Country Managing Director for India. Soni brings over two decades of leadership experience in business, technology, and marketing.
Before joining YouTube, Soni served as the Group CEO of ZALORA, where she introduced new categories and business models, driving innovation and enhancing user experience through personalization and a successful loyalty program.
Soni's extensive career also includes roles as EVP at Star India and CMO at Myntra. Prior to these, she was a Partner at McKinsey, specializing in the Consumer and Marketing practice.
Pragya Misra - Head of Strategy & Global Affairs, OpenAI India
As Head of Strategy & Global Affairs at OpenAI India, Pragya Misra has been tasked with driving the company’s long-term India strategy. Her elevation to this role came shortly after OpenAI announced its plans to establish an office in New Delhi in late 2025.
Misra has worked across prominent organizations like Truecaller, Meta, Ernst & Young (EY), and the Royal Danish Embassy in New Delhi. At Meta, she notably led WhatsApp’s campaign against misinformation in 2018, a critical initiative for the platform.
Misra’s unique blend of experience in global affairs, policy, and partnerships makes her a key player in OpenAI's growing presence in India, positioning the company to navigate India’s regulatory landscape and unlock AI’s potential.
Roma Datta Chobey
Roma Datta Chobey is the Managing Director of Google's Digital Native Industries in India. She previously served as the interim Country Manager before Lobana's appointment.
SPOTLIGHT
From purpose-driven work and narrative-rich brand films to AI-enabled ideas and creator-led collaborations, the awards reflect the full spectrum of modern creativity.
Read More“Confusion creates opportunity for agile players,” Sir Martin Sorrell on industry consolidation
Looking ahead to the close of 2025 and into 2026, Sorrell sees technology platforms as the clear winners. He described them as “nation states in their own right”, with market capitalisations that exceed the GDPs of many countries.