Meta Upbeat On Indian Market Potential

Reels is big for Meta globally, but Reels is certainly huge for Meta in India. Increased engagement on AI tools is supercharging growth - Sandhya Devanathan, V-P, Meta India

New Delhi: Social media giant Meta counts India among its key priority markets globally, as the rising popularity of its offerings - from Reels to business messaging - and increased engagement on AI tools is supercharging growth, according to Meta India Vice President SandhyaDevanathan.

In an interview with, Devanathan said India is the leading market for short-form video Reels’ watch-time on Instagram. The Facebook and Instagram parent Meta is upbeat about the pace and extent to which Reels has caught on with creators and brands alike. “Reels is big for Meta globally, but Reels is certainly huge for Meta in India,”Devanathan said. Having recognised the power of Reels in influencing buying decisions, brands are including it early in their campaign blueprint and customer outreach plans, Devanathan said.

According to her, Reels is now in the consideration set for brands as they conceptualise their campaigns, marking a big shift in the way campaigns are being designed.

“Not only are we seeing the medium exploding in terms of consumption on our platform, but we are seeing brands and creators make use of that to get outcomes they want with their businesses and audiences,” she said. India is also the largest adopter of Meta AI, she said and added the company is “buoyed” by its uptake here, with users turning to the AI-powered chatbot for information on parenting tips to OnamSadya (traditional vegetarian feast served during Onam festival). Describing India as one of the key priority markets for Meta globally, Devanathan said the company is very excited about the prospects here and continues to double down and invest in the country. “So, in terms of user growth, we are very excited by the opportunities and also in the value that we are driving for businesses,” the top executive said.

Meta’s optimistic outlook for the Indian market is supported by multiple factors, mainly the strong growth forecast for the economy. The Indian economy is well-poised for growth and aspires to be a $7 trillion economy in coming years, promising new avenues of opportunities, she added. The optimism about India is evident in industry conversations and backed by factors like the demographic dividend with Gen Z and youth population, the momentum in the private sector, growth and innovation, the startup ecosystem, as also the strength of India’s capital markets, she pointed out. “All of this points to the larger trend of India rising to the economic superpower status that it has deserved for so long,”Devanathan said.