Google appoints Preeti Lobana as India country manager, VP

Google has appointed Preeti Lobana as the new country manager and vice president of its India operations, replacing interim head Roma Datta Chobey. Lobana’s appointment marks a significant move as Google becomes the second major tech company in India, alongside Meta, to appoint a female country head.

Lobana, who previously served as vice president overseeing Google’s publisher, partner, ads content teams, and gTech, takes over from Sanjay Gupta, who was promoted earlier this year to president of the Asia Pacific region.

“With AI poised to redefine the boundaries of what's possible, I am incredibly excited to welcome my colleague Preeti Lobana as our new Country Manager and Vice President for India. Her leadership and passion for customer-centricity has fueled impactful solutions for businesses across industries empowering millions of businesses to thrive in the digital age,” Gupta wrote on professional networking platform LinkedIn.

He added, “Preeti's leadership will be instrumental as we deepen our engagement with India's unique ecosystem, leveraging AI advancements like Gemini to accelerate digital inclusion and unlock unprecedented economic opportunities for every Indian. I am confident that her deep market expertise will guide us in shaping a future where technology truly benefits all.”

“Following my eight plus incredible years at Google, leading customer-centric solutions, I am filled with gratitude and excitement to start my next chapter in a new capacity as Country Manager and Vice President for Google India. Having witnessed firsthand how the internet has transformed businesses, and having collaborated closely with product teams to deliver exceptional value to our customers, I'm energized by this incredible opportunity,” Lobana said.

Lobana will also work closely with Chobey, who will continue her role as managing director for Google India's Digital Native Industries.

“Roma's expertise across diverse sectors, from e-commerce and fintech to gaming and media, will be invaluable as we accelerate innovation and growth for these dynamic businesses,” said Gupta.

India is a critical market for Google, where the technology giant saw its revenue surge by 26 percent year-on-year (YoY) to Rs 5,921.1 crore for the financial year ended March 2024, from Rs 4,700 crore revenue in FY23.

The increase in revenue was primarily driven by strong growth in digital advertising in India, spurred by rising digital adoption, as well as a jump in the sales of the tech giant's enterprise products in the country.

These revenue figures do not include income from the company's discontinued operations of Rs 1,176 crore for FY24.

Net profit saw a modest 6 percent increase to Rs 1,424.9 crore in FY24, from Rs 1,342.5 crore in FY23.