Aditya Swamy, Managing Director APAC across India, Southeast Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Google Play

Google Play has elevated Aditya Swamy to the position of Managing Director for its operations across India, Southeast Asia, Australia, and New Zealand. The move underscores Google’s focus on accelerating growth in the app economy while strengthening its engagement with developers and digital businesses in one of the world’s most dynamic regions.

Swamy, who previously served as Regional Director for Google Play in the same markets, will now oversee strategic leadership, platform expansion, and market operations across diverse geographies. His elevation follows a period of rapid digital growth in India and Southeast Asia, where mobile applications have become central to commerce, entertainment, and innovation.

With over two decades of experience in marketing, media, and digital transformation, Swamy is widely recognised as a seasoned business leader. Since joining Google in 2017, he has contributed to expanding Google Play’s partnerships with developers, app publishers, and content creators, helping to shape a thriving regional ecosystem.

Before his tenure at Google, Swamy held leadership positions at companies including Flipkart, Viacom18, and The Coca-Cola Company. At Flipkart, he served as Senior Director of Marketing, where he played a key role in developing large-scale retail campaigns and enhancing brand engagement. At Viacom18, he was instrumental in building content-led youth marketing strategies and driving growth for entertainment brands. His diverse background across consumer, retail, and media sectors gives him a holistic understanding of digital business dynamics.

In his new role, Swamy will lead Google Play’s regional strategy, focusing on developer monetisation, localisation, and innovation. This includes initiatives to empower app developers and startups with tools to scale, enhance app discoverability, and enable secure and seamless payment solutions. Industry experts note that his appointment aligns with Google’s strategy to create deeper market linkages and prioritise growth in high-potential digital economies.

As the app economy matures across Asia-Pacific, the region continues to experience rising smartphone penetration and rapid digital adoption. India, in particular, has emerged as one of Google Play’s fastest-growing markets. Under Swamy’s leadership, Google Play is expected to further strengthen its partnerships with Indian developers, drive export of local apps globally, and enhance support for creative entrepreneurs building for the digital economy.

Swamy’s appointment also highlights Google’s focus on regional leadership and localised innovation. The company’s decision to consolidate India, Southeast Asia, Australia, and New Zealand under a unified leadership structure reflects an intent to harmonise strategies and leverage shared opportunities across these diverse markets. Analysts expect the move to enable more integrated policy execution, cross-border innovation, and improved developer support across markets with similar growth trajectories.

With responsibilities spanning such a large and varied geography, Swamy’s mandate includes strengthening developer engagement, expanding monetisation models, and ensuring compliance with local regulatory frameworks. His leadership will also play a role in balancing the interests of developers, consumers, and partners while maintaining trust and quality on the platform.

In the broader industry context, the appointment comes at a time when global app platforms face increasing competition and scrutiny from regulators and developers alike. Google Play’s emphasis on regional leadership signals a proactive approach to maintaining its market position and adapting to the rapidly changing digital landscape.

Swamy’s focus areas are expected to include enhanced revenue models for developers, partnerships with local fintech players for seamless transactions, and building initiatives to foster digital literacy and app innovation. He will also oversee programs that promote secure content distribution and support for startups entering new markets.

Industry observers view Swamy’s elevation as a reflection of Google’s long-term commitment to India and its surrounding markets. His experience in blending brand strategy with digital execution is seen as a key asset for driving sustainable growth in the next phase of Google Play’s evolution.

In summary, Aditya Swamy’s promotion to Managing Director of Google Play across India, Southeast Asia, Australia, and New Zealand signals Google’s renewed focus on regional expansion and innovation. Under his leadership, the platform is expected to strengthen its relationship with developers, improve monetisation frameworks, and deliver a more localised and inclusive experience for users across the Asia-Pacific region.