Meta India’s 5th Top-Level Exit In 6 Months: Head Of Partnerships Manish Chopra Quits

Amid the ongoing leadership exodus at Meta India, the director and head of partnerships in India, Manish Chopra, took to LinkedIn on Tuesday (May 16) to announce that he was stepping down from his role after serving the social media giant for more than four years.

Chopra added that he would help Meta with the transition over the next few weeks.

“The recent months have been trying times for everyone in so many ways. I know this team has shown so much care and has helped each other selflessly… I am now looking forward to a new phase in my professional life. I will share more in due course,” Chopra said in his LinkedIn post.

In the post, Chopra added that he started with the opportunity to lead partnership efforts in India, one of Meta’s most important markets.

“I am grateful to the company for trusting me with building out our efforts to drive growth & engagement across Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp. I am super proud of the work the team and I have done to become an ally for creators and businesses around the country,” he wrote.

In a statement, Meta India’s chief Sandhya Devanathan said, “Manish has decided to step down from his role in Meta to pursue a new phase in his professional journey. He was a part of the India leadership team for more than four years and played a key role in scaling our business and deepening our relationships with creators and businesses.”

Leadership Exodus At Meta India

Manish Chopra leaves Meta at a time when the social media behemoth has had a significant leadership churn in India, which started with Meta India’s head Ajit Mohan quitting in November 2022.

Incidentally, Chopra looked after Meta India on an interim basis before Devananthan joined Meta as India head on January 1, 2023.

“I’m pleased to welcome Sandhya as our new leader for India. Sandhya 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,” Marne Levine, CBO of Meta, said at Devanathan’s appointment in January.

Mohan left Meta to join Snap Inc. Shortly after Mohan’s exit, Abhijit Bose, who was leading WhatsApp in India, also stepped down along with Meta India’s director of public policy Rajiv Aggarwal.

In September 2022, Manesh Mahatme quit as the chief of WhatsApp Pay in India. Mahatme’s successor, Vinay Choletti also resigned within months of being promoted to the position in December 2022.