Former bureaucrat steps down after four years amid rising regulatory friction over smartphone pre-installations and e-waste policies.
Samsung India’s head of public policy and environmental social governance (ESG), Rajiv Aggarwal, has resigned after nearly four years in the role, according to sources familiar with the matter.
Aggarwal, who managed the South Korean technology giant’s relationship with the Indian government, is currently serving his final week at the company. The specific reasons behind his departure remain unclear. When approached, the 57-year-old former bureaucrat—who previously held senior policy positions at Uber and Meta—declined to comment. Samsung Electronics has not responded to inquiries regarding the resignation.
His departure comes at a challenging time for smartphone manufacturers operating in India. Global tech giants, including Samsung and Apple, have recently resisted government directives mandating the pre-installation of state-run applications on mobile devices, citing significant privacy concerns.
Additionally, Samsung is among several major firms challenging a government policy in court that raises mandatory financial contributions towards electronic-waste recyclers.
Samsung currently holds a 16.2 per cent share of the Indian smartphone market—tied with Oppo and narrowly behind market leader Vivo—having previously held the top spot in 2023.
