Latest news with #ShivnathThukral
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
After Google, Meta loses public policy head in India
Meta's head of public policy in India, Shivnath Thukral, is leaving the social networking company, nearly three and a half years after joining, and just months after his counterpart at Google stepped down. Thukral spent over seven and a half years at Meta and took over as public policy lead for the South Asian market — the company's largest user base — in November 2022, after his predecessor Rajiv Aggarwal left. 'Having helped build some of the systems and processes, I do feel it is a good time to let the engine and the team work on their own. As my next journey begins, I want to recognize the work of my team, which is the best in business and one of the reasons why this is such a difficult decision for me,' Thukral said in a LinkedIn post on Wednesday. Thukral's exit comes just months after Meta won relief in India over WhatsApp's 2021 data-sharing policy, which had earlier resulted in a five-year ban by the country's antitrust regulator. The company had warned that the antitrust ruling could force the rollback of its features. Nonetheless, Meta, which has the biggest user base for Facebook and WhatsApp, and the largest market for its Meta AI usage in India, still faces regulatory challenges as the country moves toward enacting its anticipated data privacy rules that may require parental consent to serve children. Meta also faces criticism from Indian telcos, as WhatsApp has over 500 million users in the country, and a large segment of them uses the instant messaging service instead of traditional telecom services for communicating over text, voice, and video calls. Similarly, WhatsApp is often criticized for not restricting spam on its platform in India, although the app did bring changes that were touted to restrict unsolicited business communication. 'It is not an easy decision to make, but I feel very confident that our policy engagement with stakeholders is at a credible and constructive juncture, and we can only build further on that. There is always more to do, and I know the team is well equipped to navigate the waters well,' Thukral wrote. Meta confirmed to TechCrunch that the company has not appointed Thukral's replacement. In February, Google's policy head, Sreenivasa Reddy, quit. Reddy had replaced former Indian antitrust official Archana Gulati, who resigned in 2022 just five months after joining. Google has not yet appointed a replacement for Reddy, and his exit occurred amid the search giant's antitrust cases in the country, some of which are yet to be settled. 'Shivnath Thukral is leaving Meta to pursue new opportunities,' said Kevin Martin, Meta VP and head of global policy, in a prepared statement. 'As a member of the India leadership team, he played a key role in navigating and shaping policy and regulatory conversations and engagements that were critical for the industry and Meta in India over the last 7.5 years. We thank him for his leadership and contributions, and wish him well in his future endeavors,' he added.
TechCrunch
3 days ago
- Business
- TechCrunch
After Google, Meta loses public policy head in India
Meta's head of public policy in India, Shivnath Thukral, is leaving the social networking company, nearly three and a half years after joining, and just months after his counterpart at Google stepped down. Thukral spent over seven and a half years at Meta and took over as public policy lead for the South Asian market — the company's largest user base — in November 2022, after his predecessor Rajiv Aggarwal left. 'Having helped build some of the systems and processes, I do feel it is a good time to let the engine and the team work on their own. As my next journey begins, I want to recognize the work of my team, which is the best in business and one of the reasons why this is such a difficult decision for me,' Thukral said in a LinkedIn post on Wednesday. Thukral's exit comes just months after Meta won relief in India over WhatsApp's 2021 data-sharing policy, which had earlier resulted in a five-year ban by the country's antitrust regulator. The company had warned that the antitrust ruling could force the rollback of its features. Nonetheless, Meta, which has the biggest user base for Facebook and WhatsApp, and the largest market for its Meta AI usage in India, still faces regulatory challenges as the country moves toward enacting its anticipated data privacy rules that may require parental consent to serve children. Meta also faces criticism from Indian telcos, as WhatsApp has over 500 million users in the country, and a large segment of them uses the instant messaging service instead of traditional telecom services for communicating over text, voice, and video calls. Similarly, WhatsApp is often criticized for not restricting spam on its platform in India, although the app did bring changes that were touted to restrict unsolicited business communication. 'It is not an easy decision to make, but I feel very confident that our policy engagement with stakeholders is at a credible and constructive juncture, and we can only build further on that. There is always more to do, and I know the team is well equipped to navigate the waters well,' Thukral wrote. Meta confirmed to TechCrunch that the company has not appointed Thukral's replacement. In February, Google's policy head, Sreenivasa Reddy, quit. Reddy had replaced former Indian antitrust official Archana Gulati, who resigned in 2022 just five months after joining. Google has not yet appointed a replacement for Reddy, and his exit occurred amid the search giant's antitrust cases in the country, some of which are yet to be settled. 'Shivnath Thukral is leaving Meta to pursue new opportunities,' said Kevin Martin, Meta VP and head of global policy, in a prepared statement. 'As a member of the India leadership team, he played a key role in navigating and shaping policy and regulatory conversations and engagements that were critical for the industry and Meta in India over the last 7.5 years. We thank him for his leadership and contributions, and wish him well in his future endeavors,' he added.
India Today
21-05-2025
- Business
- India Today
Skill India chatbot helps users find courses, jobs, training centres via WhatsApp
Looking to upskill, find a training centre, or land a job? Now you can do all that from WhatsApp, thanks to a new AI chatbot launched by the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) in partnership with chatbot -- called Skill India Assistant (SIA) -- uses Meta's open-source Llama AI model and is implemented by Sarvam AI. It offers personalised skill guidance, course suggestions, and job listings through a simple WhatsApp chat. Just send a message to +91-844-868-4032 to get SKILL INDIA ASSISTANT CAN DO FOR YOUThe Skill India Assistant is like having a career mentor in your pocket. It helps you:Get course recommendations tailored to your goalsFind nearby training centres for hands-on learningExplore job opportunities based on your skill setTake quizzes and clear doubts while learningChat in English, Hindi, or Hinglish -- more languages are coming soonYou can type or send voice messages to interact with the to the MSDE, this is the first major public integration of an open-source AI model in India's skill mission. It's built to help learners from remote or underserved areas access quality training and job information without needing a computer -- just the launch, Union Minister Jayant Chaudhary said the tool brings 'personalised skilling guidance directly to the fingertips of millions.'Meta India's Shivnath Thukral added that the chatbot 'shows how AI can truly serve society.' advertisement
Indian Express
20-05-2025
- Business
- Indian Express
Ministry of Skill Development, Meta launch AI assistant for upskilling
The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE), has announced the launch of 'Skill India Assistant' (SIA). The chatbot, being dubbed as an AI-driven 'digital mentor', was developed in collaboration with Meta. It is implemented by Sarvam AI, and it leverages Meta's open-source Llama models to provide personalised skilling guidance using WhatsApp as the platform. According to a statement, this marks the first large-scale integration of an open-source AI model into a national public skilling mission. SIA is accessible to users by sending a message to +91-844-868-4032 on WhatsApp. It offers a user-friendly interface where individuals can explore a variety of skilling courses, locate nearby training centers, and access job opportunities tailored to their profiles. What are its features? SIA offers a range of features designed to assist users in their skilling journey: Course Recommendations: Personalised suggestions based on user interests and career goals. Training Center Locator: Information on nearby skilling centers for hands-on training. Job Listings: Access to employment opportunities aligned with the user's skill set. Interactive Learning: Quizzes and doubt clarification to reinforce learning. Multilingual Support: Communication in English, Hindi, and Hinglish, with plans for additional languages. The assistant supports interactions in English, Hindi, and Hinglish, with plans to incorporate more regional languages later on. Users can interact with SIA through text or voice messages as well. During the launch, Jayant Chaudhary, Union Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, highlighted the transformative potential of SIA, saying, 'The Skill India Assistant marks a pivotal shift in how we deliver learning and employment support to our citizens. By harnessing the power of AI in a familiar platform like WhatsApp, we are bringing personalised skilling guidance directly to the fingertips of millions especially those in remote and underserved areas.' Shivnath Thukral, Vice President and Head of Public Policy at Meta India, highlighted the societal impact of the initiative. He said, 'With this launch, we aim to enhance how AI can serve society. The Skill India Assistant (SIA) demonstrates that open-source technology, when deployed thoughtfully and collaboratively, can uplift millions. We are pleased to support India's vision of an inclusive, empowered, digitally connected economy.'
