Facebook India Appoints Sunil Abraham as Public Policy Director for Data and Emerging Tech

Facebook India Appoints Sunil Abraham as Public Policy Director for Data and Emerging Tech is a news report published by The Times of India on 12 October 2020, distributed by Press Trust of India (PTI). The article announces Abraham’s appointment to lead Facebook India’s policy positions on data privacy, consumer protection, and artificial intelligence. He was tasked with building stakeholder partnerships across South Asia and contributing to regional policy development on emerging technologies.

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Article Details

📰 Published in:: The Times of India
✍️ Author:: PTI
📅 Date:: 12 October 2020
📄 Type:: News Report
📰 Newspaper Link:: Read Online

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New Delhi, Oct 12: Facebook India on Monday announced appointment of Sunil Abraham as the Public Policy Director for Data and Emerging Tech to lead and shape the company's stance on tech policy issues in India. He will report to Facebook India Public Policy Director Ankhi Das, and will be responsible for building partnerships and engagements with key stakeholders in the public policy area of data privacy, consumer protection, and AI-led innovation for new products and services, a statement said.

As part of the public policy leadership team, Abraham will contribute to important policy development initiatives and proceedings in India and the South Asia region on data protection, privacy, new and emerging tech and represent Facebook's position in these multi-stakeholder processes, it added.

Abraham had co-founded Mahiti Infotech, an open technology service provider for non-profit sector, in 1998, while in 2008, he co-founded the Centre for Internet and Society, a policy and academic research organisation.

He has been an advocate of free/open source software and was a part of the Wikimedia movement starting in 2004 when he co-managed the International Open Source Network for UNDP.

Most recently, he spent a year as Endowed Professor at ArtEZ University for Arts in the Netherlands.

Speaking about the appointment, Facebook India, South and Central Asia Public Policy Director Ankhi Das said Abraham's experience in the field of technology policy and his vast research on data reforms are an ideal fit for Facebook.

"We are thrilled to have Sunil in our team as he brings deep industry and civil society knowledge and understanding. With his expertise and experience, he will help us in our mission to build transparency, accountability and empowered communities," she added.

Context and Background

This appointment came at a time when Facebook’s operations in India were under sustained scrutiny over data governance, platform accountability and regulatory compliance. India was simultaneously advancing major policy frameworks on data protection and intermediary responsibility, making public policy leadership a strategically sensitive role for global technology companies.

Sunil Abraham’s background placed him at the intersection of civil society, technology research and policy engagement. His work with non-profit technology initiatives and academic research institutions reflected long-standing involvement in debates on privacy, open technology and governance rather than corporate advocacy alone.

The creation of a dedicated role focused on data and emerging technology signalled Facebook India’s attempt to formalise its engagement with regulators, researchers and policy stakeholders. It also reflected the growing importance of structured policy dialogue as platforms navigated increasingly complex regulatory environments in India and the wider South Asia region.