In a move to accelerate its regional growth, OpenAI has appointed Kiran Mani as Managing Director for Asia-Pacific, signalling a stronger focus on India and neighbouring markets.
Mani, former CEO–Digital at JioStar, will join OpenAI in June and relocate to Singapore, where the company operates its regional hub. He will report to Chief Strategy Officer Jason Kwon and lead business strategy, partnerships, and market expansion across Asia-Pacific, including India, Japan, South Korea, Southeast Asia, and Australia.
He brings over 20 years of experience across digital media, technology, and consumer internet companies. At JioStar, the Reliance-Disney joint venture behind JioHotstar and a wide portfolio of TV and digital platforms, Mani led product, growth, and digital strategy. He played a key role in scaling the platform in one of the fastest-growing streaming markets globally.
His experience in building large-scale consumer platforms and working with telecom, media, and technology partners is expected to support OpenAI’s efforts to deepen its presence in the region.
The appointment comes as OpenAI increases its focus on India as a key growth market. The company recently launched its “OpenAI for India” initiative, aimed at building local infrastructure, supporting startups and developers, and expanding enterprise adoption of AI tools.
India is already one of the largest user bases for ChatGPT globally. OpenAI plans to expand its presence further by opening new offices and increasing hiring. It is also working with local partners to build data centre capacity within the country to meet data residency requirements and reduce latency.
The move highlights OpenAI’s strategy to strengthen regional leadership rather than managing Asia-Pacific operations primarily from the United States. The company is competing with global players such as Google, Anthropic, and Chinese AI firms, all of which are investing heavily in international markets where demand for localised AI infrastructure and solutions is rising.
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