Google’s chief legal officer in India has stepped down from her position, marking another significant leadership departure for the technology company in a market where it’s encountering increased regulatory pressure.
Bijoya Roy left her role as Google’s top India counsel last month after serving for 16 months, according to two sources familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity since the decision hasn’t been made public.
The departure represents a notable exit for Alphabet’s Google in India, a critical market where the majority of mobile devices operate on the company’s Android system, despite Apple’s expanding market presence.
Roy stepped away from her position for personal reasons to launch her own business venture, one source revealed on Thursday. Neither Google nor Roy provided responses when contacted for comment.
The resignation adds to Google’s leadership challenges in India, where the company is navigating multiple legal and regulatory obstacles. These include ongoing antitrust proceedings, legal disputes regarding artificial intelligence training practices, and new content removal requirements that took effect for technology companies in February.
Google’s leadership turnover in India extends beyond Roy’s departure. The company’s head of public policy for India, Sreenivasa Reddy, left his position last year, representing the second person to vacate that role within approximately two years. The position remains unfilled.
Despite these challenges, Google has demonstrated its commitment to the Indian market through substantial investment. In October, the company announced plans to invest $15 billion over five years to establish an artificial intelligence data center in Andhra Pradesh, a southern Indian state. This represents Google’s largest financial commitment ever in the world’s most populous country.
