Kiran Mani, CEO – Digital at JioStar, is set to step down from his role as he moves to OpenAI to lead its Asia-Pacific operations, marking a significant leadership shift from the media and streaming space to the rapidly evolving artificial intelligence sector.
He will take on the role of Managing Director for Asia-Pacific starting June 2026 and will be based in Singapore. In this position, Mani will be responsible for driving OpenAI’s regional expansion, focusing on scaling adoption, building partnerships, and strengthening the company’s presence across high-growth markets such as India and Southeast Asia.
Mani’s exit comes at a time when OpenAI is aggressively expanding beyond the US and Europe, with Asia-Pacific emerging as a key strategic market in the global race for AI leadership. The company is competing with major players like Google and Anthropic, making regional leadership roles critical for market penetration and ecosystem development.
At JioStar, Mani played a pivotal role in shaping the company’s digital and streaming strategy, overseeing platforms like JioHotstar and contributing to the growth of India’s large-scale digital entertainment ecosystem. His departure marks one of the first major senior exits from the merged Reliance-Disney media entity.
With over two decades of experience in technology and digital ecosystems, Mani brings strong global expertise to his new role. Prior to JioStar, he spent more than 13 years at Google, where he led Android and Google Play operations across Asia-Pacific and Japan. His earlier career also includes roles at Microsoft and IBM, further strengthening his cross-industry leadership background.
His appointment is expected to play a key role in shaping OpenAI’s regional strategy, particularly as the company looks to localize its offerings and tap into the growing demand for AI-driven solutions across Asia-Pacific.
