OpenAI has appointed Kiran Mani, former CEO of JioStar, to head its Asia-Pacific operations. The move signals a significant shift from India’s rapidly growing streaming sector to the expanding global AI landscape.
According to internal communication shared by Uday Shankar, Vice Chairman of JioStar, Mani’s transition has been formally announced within the organisation.
Mani is set to take on the role of Managing Director for Asia-Pacific in June and will be based in Singapore. In this position, he will report to Jason Kwon, Chief Strategy Officer at OpenAI. His appointment highlights the company’s strategic focus on accelerating growth in key international markets beyond the US and Europe.
This development comes amid intensifying global competition in the generative AI space, with players such as Anthropic and Google vying for market leadership. The Asia-Pacific region, particularly markets like India, is emerging as a critical growth hub due to its large user base and increasing demand for AI-powered solutions.
Mani brings over 20 years of experience in technology and digital ecosystems. Before leading JioStar, he spent more than 13 years at Google, where he served as General Manager for Android and Google Play across Asia-Pacific and Japan. His earlier career includes roles at Microsoft and IBM.
His appointment is expected to play a key role in shaping OpenAI’s regional strategy, with a focus on localisation, partnerships, and expanding adoption of AI technologies across Asia-Pacific markets.
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