Jiostar CEO Kiran Mani steps down and joins OpenAI
What's the story
Kiran Mani has stepped down from JioStar, where he served as CEO-Digital. He will be joining OpenAI as the Managing Director for Asia Pacific. This strategic move comes as part of OpenAI's plan to expand its presence in the rapidly growing AI market of Asia, with India being its second-biggest global user base.
Transition
Mani to take up new role in June
Mani will take up his new role in June, reporting to OpenAI's Chief Strategy Officer Jason Kwon. He will be relocating from India to Singapore for this position. At OpenAI, he will be responsible for regional strategy and operations across Asia Pacific (APAC), a market that has become a key growth driver for the company.
Market growth
Rapid AI adoption across APAC
Mani's appointment comes at a time when the adoption of AI tools is rapidly growing across APAC. India has now become OpenAI's second-largest market globally by weekly users, with Japan and Indonesia also among its top markets. Enterprise usage is also on the rise, with Japan becoming OpenAI's largest market outside the US for ChatGPT business users, and India being one of the leading markets for Codex adoption.
Leadership impact
Mani's journey so far
At JioStar, Mani was instrumental in shaping the company's digital ambitions. He led platforms across sports and entertainment and played a key role in launching JioHotstar as a go-to destination for premium content, live sports, and digital-first experiences. Before joining Reliance Industries-controlled Viacom18 in 2023 as CEO for Digital Ventures, he had stints at Google where he was Managing Director for Android & Google Play in APAC.
Career highlights
Over 2 decades of experience
With over 25 years of global leadership experience, Mani has a strong track record in building and scaling digital and technology businesses. Before JioStar, he held senior leadership positions at Microsoft and IBM, as well as founded and scaled a technology start-up. His move to OpenAI is part of the company's larger strategy to expand its global presence.