Google Ropes In New India Policy Head From PM Modi's Apex Think Tank Amid Regulatory Woes: Report

Alphabet Inc-owned GOOGL Google's India arm has hired Archana Gulati, who previously worked for the central government think-tank Niti Aayog, as its new public policy head, according to a Reuters source.

The former civil servant has served for many years in the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government and rose to the rank of joint secretary before joining Google.

She has also previously worked with the country's antitrust watchdog, the Competition Commission of India (CCI), as a senior official.

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Why It Matters: In recent times, many multinational giants, including Meta Platforms Inc FB and Walmart Inc WMT, have hired central government employees as they battle the tighter data and privacy regulations, as well as competition law scrutiny, under the Modi government.

Reuters reported that a Google India spokesperson confirmed the development but did not provide more details.

This came after CCI ordered a probe into Google over allegations that the search giant has indulged in "abuse of dominance in news aggregation" and forced unfair terms on digital news publishers.

Price Action: According to data from Benzinga Pro, Alphabet Class A shares closed 4.20% higher on Wednesday in the U.S. market.