SUMMARY
- On August 23, LinkedIn announced the appointment of Kumaresh Pattabiraman as the India manager and product head.
- Pattabiraman will succeed Ashutosh Gupta, who departed LinkedIn India in April following an 11-year tenure.
- This marks a significant milestone in the company’s expansion into its fastest-growing market-India.
On August 23, professional networking platform LinkedIn announced the appointment of Kumaresh Pattabiraman as the India manager and product head.
Pattabiraman took to LinkedIn to post, “Having started my career as an engineer in Bangalore and built teams in India across LinkedIn and Microsoft, I can say that the energy, ambition, and potential of Indian talent, especially in R&D, are unparalleled.”
Pattabiraman will succeed Ashutosh Gupta, who departed LinkedIn India in April following an 11-year tenure. Gupta has since joined Avataar Venture Partners as an operating partner in a growth-stage venture capital fund.
Pattabiraman’s journey with LinkedIn began in July 2013, where he assumed the role of group product manager for the company’s search and discovery product team. Throughout his tenure, he has been instrumental in enhancing the user experience of LinkedIn’s members through the development and launch of key products, including Search and Feed, Profile Video, and Career Breaks, as per the company’s statement.
With over 15 years of experience in product and engineering roles, Pattabiraman’s background includes contributions to the Bing search engine at Microsoft.
This marks a significant milestone in the company’s expansion into its fastest-growing market-India, as it stands as the second-largest market for LinkedIn, surpassed only by the United States, boasting over 135 million members. Globally, LinkedIn boasts over a billion active users, with the company reporting revenues of over $15 billion for the fiscal year 2023.
India is also recognized as one of the leading nations in the global race for artificial intelligence talent, boasting the highest AI skill penetration rate globally, with its members utilizing AI skills three times more frequently than the global average, according to Pattabiraman.
He further emphasized that this position places India at the forefront of the future of work, positioning the country as an ideal base for global expansion.
In a recent development, the Microsoft-owned platform expanded its Instagram Reels-like vertical short-form video experience to India in an effort to capitalize on the increasing demand for concise content in the country.
This expansion was in response to LinkedIn’s observation of a 20 percent year-on-year increase in membership and engagement rates in India, marking the highest growth rate for the platform in any region worldwide.
Additionally, LinkedIn ventured into the gaming sector in May with the introduction of three puzzle games — Pinpoint, Queens, and Crossclimb — available for players across the globe on LinkedIn’s mobile app or website.
