Facebook names Hotstar's CEO as its India head

Facebook Inc on Monday named Ajit Mohan as the managing director of its Indian operations.

In a statement, the company said Mohan will lead a senior leadership team at Facebook India and will join early next year.

Mohan will lead a senior leadership team at Facebook India as part of the company's efforts to strengthen Facebook’s relationships with people, businesses and the government.

In a statement, the company said the newly created role of the MD of India, a VP-level role, one of the most important responsibilities for this person will be aligning teams and driving Facebook's overall strategy in India.

Ajit will be responsible for Facebook's India strategy and for driving the company's continued investment in India. Ajit will join Facebook early next year.

Mohan’s appointment comes a year after Umang Bedi resigned as the managing director of Facebook India.

Commenting on his appointment, Mohan said he is delighted to take on the mantle of shaping Facebook’s charter in India.

"It is a unique opportunity to shape the agenda of a company that has brought the world closer together in one of the most exciting markets in the world," he said.

Mohan added that he is looking forward to championing India in Facebook and working with stakeholders across the spectrum to help build deep and meaningful communities across the country.

Facebook vice-president of business and marketing partnerships David Fischer said India is one of the largest and most strategically important countries for Facebook.

"As we think about what it will take to achieve our mission of bringing people together and building community, we know that investment in India is critical. Ajit’s depth of experience will help us to continue to have a positive impact in India across communities, organizations, businesses and with policymakers,” he said.

Mohan joins Facebook from Hotstar, the streaming platform launched by Star India, where he was Chief Executive Officer.

He launched and built Hotstar into India's leading premium video streaming platform. Ajit is an alumnus of McKinsey and Company’s New York office where he worked with media companies around the globe as well as served as a Fellow at the McKinsey Global Institute, where he focused on India's rapid urbanization.

Mohan is a graduate of the School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) at Johns Hopkins University and the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.