Google has appointed Nitin Gajria as Managing Director for Southeast Asia and South Asia Frontier Markets at Google Asia Pacific, tasking him with driving the region’s commercial strategy as it accelerates AI-led growth and digitalisation.
The appointment comes as Southeast Asia emerges as one of the world’s most tech-optimistic regions. Active users of Google’s Gemini app in the region have more than doubled over the past year, while consumer interest in AI is running three times higher than the global average, according to Google.
A return to where his Google journey began
Gajria brings more than 25 years of industry experience to the role. He most recently led Google’s Publisher Partnerships across the Asia-Pacific for the past three years, and before that spent four years leading the company’s investments across Sub-Saharan Africa. He has also held roles leading Google’s business in Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos.
“After spending the past three years scaling our publisher and creator monetisation business across APAC, this feels like a full-circle moment. My journey at Google started in Southeast Asia 12.5 years ago and I’m pumped to be back,” Gajria wrote in a LinkedIn post announcing the move. “With regional consumer AI interest running three times higher than the global average, what excites me most isn’t just the technology – it’s what people in this region will do with it.”
Building on Google’s regional AI investments
The appointment builds on Google’s recent strategic investments in the region, including an expanded footprint in frontier markets such as Pakistan and the establishment of an Applied AI Lab in Vietnam, aimed at helping people and businesses accelerate AI-led growth.
“Over the years, I have seen Southeast Asia and the South Asia Frontier Markets go from strength to strength and it’s clear that the diversity, dynamism, and entrepreneurial energy here remain unmatched. As AI unlocks new possibilities, the opportunity to accelerate our digital economies has never been greater – from democratising access to learning, helping local businesses scale, to enabling communities to solve distinct, real-world challenges,” said Gajria.
In his LinkedIn post, Gajria added that he was “eager to listen, learn, and build what’s next together” with Google’s regional teams, partners, developers and creators.
