Google appoints former Apple and Microsoft executive Sreenivasa Reddy as govt affairs and public policy lead

Google has hired former Apple and Microsoft policy executive Sreenivasa Reddy as its government affairs and public policy lead, amid growing regulatory pressures.

"I do believe that Google has a unique opportunity to play a role in addressing these challenges and helping India achieve its full digital potential," Reddy wrote in a LinkedIn post announcing his appointment.

"I am committed to working with the Indian government, the ecosystem of our partners, businesses, and civil society to develop policies and programs that promote innovation, economic growth, and social inclusion and build on the company's strong track record of partnering in India's growth," he added.

Reddy had earlier served as Apple's head of regulatory affairs in India. He later joined Microsoft as senior director of mixed reality engineering (device & tech) and the head of XR regulatory affairs, APAC & MEA.

The hiring of Reddy as the managing director of government affairs and public policy, India comes at a time when Google is facing sustained scrutiny from the Indian government.

In October last year, the Competition Commission of India (CCI) had accused the company of abusing its dominant position in the Indian smartphone market. The CCI ordered Google to remove restrictions on device manufacturers and fined it $163 million (Rs 1,337.76 crore), which Google paid. In June this year, Google appealed to the Supreme Court to dismiss the antitrust directives imposed on the company.

In January 2023, Google announced modifications to Android and Play Store in response to the Supreme Court's refusal to grant a stay on CCI's order imposing a fine on the company and directing necessary adjustments.

Google stated in a blog post, "Implementing these changes across the ecosystem was a complex process, requiring substantial effort from our end, partners, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), and developers."

These adjustments allowed OEMs to license individual Google apps for pre-installation, departing from the prior practice of free pre-installation with Android. Indian users thus gained the option to select their default search engine via a choice screen while setting up a new Android device in India.