Sources: Google's top legal counsel in India resigns over regulatory hurdles

Two people familiar with the matter say that Bijoya Roy, Google India’s top legal counsel, resigned after 16 months in the role in a high-profile departure for the U.S. tech giant as it faces regulatory hurdles and lacks a head of government relations in a key market.

India is crucial for Google, Alphabet’s unit, because most smartphones in the country run Google’s Android operating system, while Apple’s share has been steadily growing.

Google in India is also dealing with antitrust cases, legal challenges related to AI training, and more stringent content takedown rules for tech companies that have been in effect since February.

One of the people familiar with the matter said Thursday that Roy resigned last month for personal reasons and is preparing to launch her own venture. The two people declined to be named because the decision has not yet been made public.

Google did not respond to a request for comment, and Roy declined to comment as well.

Last year, Sreenivasa Reddy, Google India’s head of public policy, resigned—marking the second departure from the role in two years. The company has not filled the vacancy to date.

In October this year, Google said it would invest $15 billion over five years to build an artificial intelligence data center in Andhra Pradesh in southern India—Google’s biggest investment ever in the world’s most populous country.

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