Google, recently facing a new probe by the Indian competition watchdog, has revamped its leadership team in the country. On Monday, the tech giant announced that it appointed Preeti Lobana as the new Country Manager and Vice President for India – who termed it as a “once-in-a-lifetime” moment. “A seasoned Googler with eight years of experience as Vice President of customer-centric solutions, Preeti will now spearhead Google India’s sales and operations, driving the company’s commitment to India’s burgeoning digital economy,” Google said.
This comes after it elevated Sanjay Gupta, the former country chief and VP for India, to President of the Asia Pacific region in July this year. In Sanjay’s absence, Roma Datta Chobey takes over the charge as interim head but she will now return to overseeing Google’s digital business unit in India.
Preeti Lobana – New India Chief
Lobana – who joined the company in 2016 – had earlier led advertising technology at Google as VP. Before joining Google, Preeti Lobana gained valuable experience in senior roles at NatWest Group, American Express, Standard Chartered Bank and ANZ Grindlays Bank.
With a degree from the Indian Institute of Management – Ahmedabad, Lobana brings over 30 years of experience in senior leadership roles across the technology and financial industries. This could be the reason Google backs her for this role as the company encountering tough competition across the AI landscape and digital advertising in the country.
“With AI poised to redefine the boundaries of what’s possible, I am incredibly excited to welcome my colleague, Preeti, as our new Country Manager…Preeti’s leadership will be instrumental as we deepen our engagement with India’s unique ecosystem, leveraging AI advancements like Gemini 2.0 to accelerate digital inclusion and unlock unprecedented economic opportunities for every Indian,” Lobana wrote in her LinkedIn announcement.
There’s no doubt that India happens to be one of the key overseas markets for the company. Google is relentlessly focusing on AI space, especially in India it is trying to add more local touch to its various products by adding various regional languages, investments, and partnerships. But at the same time, the company is in hot waters in the country as the Competition Commission of India (CCI) has ordered yet another investigation into the tech titan.
For context, the domestic gaming company – Winzo lodged a complaint that alleges Google for abusing its dominant market position, engaging in anti-competitive behavior that disadvantages real-money gaming (RMG) applications.
