Gunjan Soni, the former CEO of Zalora Group, has been named as the new Country Managing Director for the India market by YouTube on April 28.

This is believed to be a significant move for the Google-owned video platform in its largest user base.

Soni's appointment comes after Ishan Chatterjee, the former managing director of YouTube India, departed the firm last year to work for JioStar.

She becomes one of the increasing number of Indian women leaders in multinational Big Tech companies.

Sandhya Devanathan is presently the vice president of Meta's India business, while Preeti Lobana was named Google India's Country Manager and Vice President in December 2024.

Soni spent six years in Singapore as the Group CEO of online fashion retailer Zalora before taking on this position. According to the company, she improved customer experience through personalization and reward programs throughout her tenure, while also introducing new categories and business models.

Soni has more than two decades of combined leadership experience in the e-commerce, marketing, technology, and business domains.

 

This includes a three-year employment at Myntra, an online fashion marketplace owned by Flipkart, where she held a number of roles, including Chief Marketing Officer and Head of Jabong.

"Gunjan's deep understanding of the creator economy and India's video commerce landscape, combined with her leadership, will enable us to accelerate creator growth, unlock new opportunities, engage users, and contribute meaningfully to India's digital journey" said Gautam Anand, VP, YouTube APAC.

India, YouTube's largest market with almost half a billion users, is also a key area for the company's future growth strategy, particularly with regard to its artificial intelligence (AI) initiatives.

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"Witnessing how YouTube empowers creators and connects communities across India is truly inspiring. I'm particularly excited about building on this foundation, fostering innovation, and further enhancing the platform's role in helping creators unlock new storytelling opportunities and reach audiences globally. I am excited to work with and support our incredible partners across the ecosystem," Soni said.