YouTube has announced a big leadership change by appointing Gunjan Soni as the new Country Managing Director for its Indian operations. This move comes after the exit of Ishaan Chatterjee, who earlier held the post and moved to a new opportunity at Geostar. Gunjan’s appointment is seen as a major step, as India is the largest market for YouTube with nearly 50 crore users.
Gunjan now joins the growing list of women leaders heading big tech companies in India, standing alongside names like Preeti Lobana of Google India and Sandhya Devanathan of Meta India.
Gunjan Soni’s Journey Before YouTube
Gunjan Soni brings more than two decades of strong experience in business, marketing, technology, and e-commerce. Before joining YouTube, she served as the CEO of Zalora Group in Singapore for six years. During her time there, she introduced new business models, loyalty programs, and many customer experience improvements.
Prior to Zalora, she was part of Myntra, a Flipkart-owned fashion platform, where she worked as Chief Marketing Officer and later headed Jabong. Her experience also includes nearly two years at Star India as Executive Vice President, where she contributed to digital growth initiatives, including the launch of the Hotstar streaming platform in 2015.
Gunjan also worked with consulting firm McKinsey & Company as a Partner in the consumer and marketing practices, adding rich consulting experience to her career.
YouTube’s Vision with Gunjan Soni
Gautam Anand, Vice President of YouTube APAC, said that Gunjan’s deep understanding of the creator economy and video commerce will help YouTube grow further in India. He mentioned that her leadership will strengthen creator development, unlock new opportunities, and expand user engagement across the country.
With YouTube focusing heavily on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and innovation, especially in India, Gunjan’s appointment signals an important push towards future strategies centered around creators and digital communities.
Gunjan Soni’s Words on Her Appointment
Gunjan Soni shared her excitement, saying that it is inspiring to see how YouTube connects communities across India by empowering creators. She said she is thrilled to work on building new opportunities, promoting innovation, and helping creators reach global audiences. Her focus will be on supporting creators, expanding storytelling formats, and helping YouTube India grow even stronger.
As YouTube plans to deepen its impact in India’s digital future, Gunjan Soni’s leadership marks a powerful new beginning for the platform.
Source: Moneycontrol
