X’s Head of India and South Asia Policy, Samiran Gupta, resigns amidst content controversy

New Delhi: Samiran Gupta, the Head of Policy for India and South Asia at social media giant X, has resigned from his position, according to two inside sources. Gupta’s departure, one of the company’s most senior figures in India, comes amidst an ongoing legal dispute between X and the Indian government over content removal. This development is significant as it coincides with India’s upcoming elections.

Who is Samiran Gupta?

Gupta held a pivotal role at X, previously known as Twitter. His responsibilities included addressing crucial content-related policy matters and defending the company’s stance on new policy developments. He also provided support to the in-country sales organization. This information is detailed in his LinkedIn profile.

As of now, neither Gupta nor X has provided an official comment on his resignation.

According to Gupta’s LinkedIn profile, his tenure at X concluded in September. He played a key role in facilitating the transition in leadership for Twitter after its acquisition by Elon Musk’s X-Corp, which was completed in February 2022. Gupta’s departure from X marks a significant change in the company’s leadership structure in India. With around 27 million users, India is a crucial market for X, and numerous government officials, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, are active users of the platform.

X’s ongoing legal battle in India

In India, X currently has approximately 15 employees working in functions such as compliance and engineering. However, Gupta was the sole executive responsible for engaging with the Indian government and political parties. Typically, interactions between X and government and party officials intensify during the run-up to elections. India is scheduled to hold its next national election next year.

This resignation occurs amid X’s ongoing legal battle in India. The company is challenging a court ruling that accuses it of failing to comply with government orders to remove specific content. X contends that this ruling could empower the Indian government to block more content and expand its censorship capabilities.

In September, India informed the court that X is a “habitual non-compliant platform” that has disregarded numerous orders to remove content, thereby undermining the government’s authority in this regard.