Kiran Mani exits JioStar to lead APAC expansion at OpenAI

OpenAI has appointed Kiran Mani as Managing Director for Asia-Pacific, signalling a sharper focus on scaling its presence across India and the wider region. Mani, who currently serves as CEO–Digital at JioStar, will join the company in June and relocate to Singapore, where OpenAI operates its regional hub. He will report to Chief Strategy Officer Jason Kwon.

With over two decades of experience across digital media, technology and consumer internet businesses, Mani has been instrumental in building and scaling large online platforms in India. At JioStar, he led product, growth and digital strategy for properties including JioHotstar, helping expand its reach in one of the world’s fastest-growing streaming markets.

In his new role, Mani will oversee business strategy, partnerships and market expansion across Asia-Pacific, covering key markets such as India, Japan, South Korea, Southeast Asia and Australia. His appointment comes as OpenAI ramps up efforts to deepen its footprint in high-growth regions, where demand for generative AI solutions across enterprises and developers continues to rise.

India, in particular, has emerged as a critical market for OpenAI, with the company recently launching its “OpenAI for India” initiative to support local startups, expand enterprise adoption and build infrastructure partnerships. The move to bring in a senior leader from one of India’s largest digital ecosystems underscores OpenAI’s intent to drive more localised growth and partnerships across the region.