The trend of senior leadership exits at Google India continues, particularly in policy and regulatory roles. The company’s India legal head, Bijoya Roy, has now stepped down after about 16 months in the position, reports Reuters. Her exit comes at a time when the company is dealing with intensified scrutiny from Indian regulators over competition practices, platform policies, and emerging AI-related concerns.
Roy’s departure, which has not yet been publicly announced, is reportedly due to personal reasons, with indications that she may explore independent professional opportunities. Notably, she joined Google in late 2024 after a long legal career spanning major corporates like Flipkart, Thomson Reuters, Tata Housing and Asian Paints.
Her exit is significant because it comes at a time when India has become one of the most tightly regulated markets for global tech firms. Google has faced sustained action from the Competition Commission of India (CCI), which in October 2022 imposed penalties of ₹1,337.76 crore over abuse of dominance in the Android ecosystem and ₹936.44 crore over Play Store billing practices. In March 2025, the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal upheld the CCI’s findings on anti-competitive conduct in the Play Store case, though it reduced the fine to around ₹216 crore, while still directing Google to allow alternative billing systems and avoid restrictive practices.
The scrutiny has gone beyond antitrust issues. In July 2025, the Enforcement Directorate reportedly summoned Google executives in a money laundering probe linked to online betting platforms, while a separate complaint by gaming firm Winzo triggered an investigation into alleged unfair restrictions on real-money gaming apps. Regulatory concerns have also extended to AI, with Google pausing political responses from its Gemini model in 2024 after government warnings over sensitive and unreliable content. Even as several of these cases have seen rulings and penalties, multiple investigations and regulatory reviews involving Google are still ongoing, keeping the company under continued scrutiny in the country.
Meanwhile, Roy’s departure is not the first major leadership setback for Google in recent years in India, as key regulatory roles have seen frequent exits. For example, Sreenivasa Reddy stepped down in February 2025 after joining in September 2023, marking the second exit from the role within two years, while his predecessor Archana Gulati had resigned in 2022 after just five months. These departures clearly show instability in a critical policy function.
The scenario becomes even more crucial for the Sundar Pichai-led firm as the tech titan continues to invest heavily in the country. Recently, Google revealed plans to build a new network of high-capacity subsea cables and fiber-optic routes connecting India with the United States and key regions across Asia, Africa, and Australia. This comes months after the company’s announcement of a $15 billion investment commitment in India, which spans cloud infrastructure, data centers, AI development, and digital ecosystem support.
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