Mumbai: At the 25th edition of FICCI FRAMES, Sandhya Devanadhan, Vice President – India & South East Asia, Meta, delivered a compelling address outlining the transformative role of digital and AI in shaping India’s growth over the next decade. Framing her talk around India’s trajectory toward an $8 trillion economy, Devanadhan highlighted that the next $1 trillion of this growth will be powered by digital adoption, innovation, and technology-driven transformation.
Addressing the audience, Devanadhan underscored the unique nature of India’s growth model. With 70% of GDP expansion expected to come from private consumption and 75% of that growth driven by higher and upper-middle-income groups, she emphasized that the rise in prosperity across the country presents both opportunities and responsibilities for the media and entertainment sector. She highlighted that India is at a digital inflection point, calling on stakeholders to innovate, deliver new services, and enable inclusive growth.
Devanadhan outlined the current digital landscape in India, noting that while 650 million Indians actively engage on social media, only 270 million transact online, signaling a significant adoption gap. Similarly, among the 65 million SMBs driving the economy, only 5 million are digitally enabled. She stressed that bridging these gaps would be critical for sustainable economic growth and for leveraging digital to drive India’s media, entertainment, and business ecosystems.
Highlighting India’s digital diversity, she segmented the population into India 1, India 2, and India 3—representing varying degrees of digital readiness and engagement—and urged stakeholders to adopt differentiated approaches tailored to these segments. “Winning with these consumers requires understanding their needs and enabling access, innovation, and adoption at scale,” she noted.
Devanadhan also spoke about Meta’s investments in India, from the country’s largest WhatsApp communities and the vibrant Instagram creator ecosystem to innovations such as Meta AI and AI-powered devices. She pointed to initiatives like Project Waterworth, the world’s largest subsea cable project, and data center investments as key infrastructure drivers that will expand digital inclusion and connectivity across India.
Adaptability and innovation were central themes of her address. Devanadhan emphasized the importance of staying nimble in a rapidly evolving media and entertainment landscape and showcased Meta’s efforts to empower creators, businesses, and governments through AI and digital tools. She cited partnerships with the governments of Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra to digitize citizen services, enabling millions to access services online efficiently.
Scale, she noted, remains a defining advantage for digital adoption in India. From creators popularizing Indian culture globally through Instagram Reels to 200,000 SMBs leveraging Meta tools to drive sales, the impact of digital innovation is tangible. Strategic collaborations, including the recent partnership with Reliance to bring enterprise AI solutions to Indian companies, further underscore Meta’s commitment to fostering India’s AI-driven growth.
Devanadhan concluded her address with a note on opportunity and choice, “Change is the canvas on which opportunity paints its masterpiece… Growth is a choice. It’s intentional and deliberate, and it starts with all of us adapting to change and leaning forward into the opportunities it presents.”
She also marked the occasion with the launch of a new book by Meta’s global CMO, Alex Schultz, focusing on the themes of digital transformation and innovation, coinciding with the 25th year of FICCI FRAMES.
The session offered a forward-looking perspective on India’s digital economy, highlighting how AI, digital inclusion, and innovative media strategies can drive the nation’s economic, social, and cultural ambitions over the next decade.
