Facebook India’s Managing Director Kirthiga Reddy is stepping down and will “explore new opportunities” at the company’s Menlo Park headquarters in the US. The decision to relocate to the US is based on personal reasons wrote Reddy in her Facebook post. For the next 6 months she will be busy transitioning out of her role as the head of Facebook India operations.The search for Reddy’s successor is underway.

Reddy joined Facebook India in 2011 and helped established the company’s presence in India. Her decision to step down came as a surprise as some in the Indian media reported. Reddy’s announcement came a day after the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) announced that Facebook’s Free Basics service cannot be offered in India. The thumbs down from TRAI is a significant setback to  Facebook’s plans for India.

Reddy’s decision to step down is not connected with TRAI’s decision according to Facebook.