YouTube Welcomes Gunjan Soni as Country Managing Director for India

YouTube has appointed Gunjan Soni to the role of Country Managing Director for India. This change comes after Ishan Chatterjee stepped down in 2024 to take on the position of Chief Revenue Officer at JioCinema.

Gautam Anand, vice president and managing director for YouTube APAC, shared on LinkedIn, “As India remains one of YouTube’s most vibrant and crucial markets, brimming with creativity and opportunity, I’m delighted to announce that Gunjan Soni has joined YouTube as our new Country Managing Director for India.”

Gunjan Soni’s Professional Journey

Prior to her appointment at YouTube, Soni served as the Group CEO of Zalora, an online fashion e-commerce retailer in Singapore, for six years. During her tenure, she launched new categories and business models while improving user experience through personalised and loyalty programmes.

With over two decades of leadership experience across various sectors, Soni has a rich background in business, technology, marketing, and e-commerce. She spent three years at Myntra, Flipkart’s online fashion platform, where she held multiple roles including Chief Marketing Officer and later, Head of Jabong.

Previous Roles and Achievements

Soni’s career also includes serving as executive vice president at Star India for nearly two years. In this role, she led numerous initiatives in digital content and sports, including a significant contribution to the launch of Hotstar, the video streaming platform, in 2015. Prior to her time at Star India, she was a Partner at McKinsey in the Consumer and Marketing practice.

Gunjan Soni’s Vision for YouTube India

In her new role at YouTube, Soni expressed her enthusiasm, stating, “Witnessing how YouTube empowers creators and connects communities across India is truly inspiring. I’m particularly excited about building on this foundation, fostering innovation, and further enhancing the platform’s role in helping creators unlock new storytelling opportunities and reach audiences globally. I am excited to work with and support our incredible partners across the ecosystem.”