Mumbai: Jio Platforms has appointed Pankaj Mohan Pawar as its Chief Executive Officer, effective March 24, 2026, marking a key leadership transition as the digital services company prepares for its proposed initial public offering (IPO).
The appointment, disclosed in Jio Platforms’ Draft Red Herring Prospectus (DRHP) filed with the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), BSE and the National Stock Exchange on June 19, follows the resignation of former CEO Kiran Mathew Thomas, who stepped down a day earlier.
Pawar, 53, continues to serve as Managing Director of Reliance Jio Infocomm, the telecom arm of Jio Platforms. A Reliance Group veteran since 2000, he brings nearly three decades of experience in building and scaling consumer-focused and digital businesses.
According to the DRHP, Pawar will oversee the company’s overall operations and execution of its business strategy. His mandate includes driving growth across mobility, fixed broadband and enterprise businesses, while also steering the development of Jio Platforms’ digital products and technology ecosystem.
Before assuming the CEO role, Pawar served as a non-executive director on the Jio Platforms board. He resigned from the board on March 23 before taking charge as CEO the following day.
The filing also highlights another leadership realignment. Mathew Oommen, who had been appointed Group Chief Executive Officer in October 2024, was redesignated as Group President on June 19, 2026.
At the board level, Mukesh Ambani continues as Chairman and Non-Executive Director, while Akash Ambani serves as Managing Director. Akash’s designation was upgraded from Executive Director to Managing Director on April 9, 2026, with shareholders approving the appointment on May 4.
The company’s board also includes Manoj Modi, Isha Ambani and Anant Ambani as non-executive directors, alongside independent directors Raminder Singh Gujral, Shumeet Banerji, Haigreve Khaitan, Dinesh Kanabar and Zia Mody.
The leadership changes come as Jio Platforms moves ahead with its IPO plans. According to the draft prospectus, the offering will consist of a fresh issue of up to 27 crore equity shares with a face value of ₹10 each.
The company intends to deploy the net proceeds primarily towards the repayment or prepayment of borrowings of Reliance Jio Infocomm, with the balance earmarked for general corporate purposes.
The DRHP does not disclose the issue price, price band, total fundraising size or the valuation at which the company intends to list. As a result, market estimates suggesting an IPO size of around $4 billion or a valuation of approximately $137 billion remain speculative and are not reflected in the draft filing.
Before the proposed issue, Jio Platforms had 893.9 crore outstanding equity shares. If the full fresh issue of 27 crore shares is completed, the new shares would represent approximately 2.9% of the company’s post-issue equity capital.
Reliance Industries currently holds 66.43% of Jio Platforms’ pre-issue equity. The promoter’s final shareholding after listing will depend on the eventual size of the offering and the allotment process.
