Facebook India appoints former Uber executive Rajiv Aggarwal as head of public policy

Facebook India appointed former Uber executive Rajiv Aggarwal as its director of public policy in the country, a post that has been vacant for nearly a year since its previous policy head Ankhi Das quit.

Aggarwal, who will work on user safety, data protection and privacy, inclusion and internet governance, will report to Ajit Mohan, managing director, Facebook India, the company said in a statement. His last assignment was with Uber, where he was the head of public policy for India and South Asia.

Aggarwal comes with 26 years of experience as an Indian Administrative Officer (IAS), working from grassroots to the global level, including as a district magistrate in nine districts across the state of Uttar Pradesh. During his tenure as an administrative officer, he steered India's first-ever national policy on Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) as joint secretary in the department for promotion of industry and internal trade (M/o Commerce) and was instrumental in the digital transformation of India’s IP offices. He has been closely associated with the India-US bilateral trade forum, besides being India’s lead negotiator on IPRs with other nations, the company said in a statement.


“Facebook is an ally for the exciting economic and social transformation that India is witnessing, with digital playing a central role. We realise we are deeply immersed in the fabric of India and we have the opportunity to help build a more inclusive and safe internet that benefits everyone in the country," Mohan said in the statement.