Facebook India announces ex-IAS officer Rajiv Aggarwal as Head of Public Policy

New Delhi: Facebook announced on Monday the appointment of Rajiv Aggarwal, a former IAS officer, as the Director of Public Policy to lead important policy development initiatives for the social media giant in India on an agenda that covers user safety, data protection, privacy, inclusion and internet governance.

Aggarwal will report to Ajit Mohan, Vice President and Managing Director of Facebook India, and will serve on the country's executive committee.

"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. I'm thrilled that Rajiv is joining us to lead the Public Policy team. With his expertise and experience, Rajiv will help further our mission to build transparency, accountability, empowered and safe communities, all of which we recognise as our responsibility," Mohan said in a statement.

Aggarwal is an IAS officer with 26 years of experience. During his time 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 played a key role in the digital transformation of India's IP offices.

On top of that, he is the country's chief negotiator on international intellectual property rights (IPRs). His last assignment was with Uber, where he was the Head of Public Policy for India and South Asia.

Aggarwal's hiring follows a flurry of senior and executive hires in marketing, partnerships, communications, and other critical areas in recent months, showing the company's growing commitment to India.