Mumbai: In a landmark announcement today, Reliance Industries and The Walt Disney Company officially unveiled their new joint venture JioStar, valued at a staggering Rs 70,352 crore. The merger is set to create one of India’s largest media and entertainment conglomerates, spanning key sectors such as entertainment, digital, and sports.
As part of the restructuring, Nita Ambani has been appointed Chairperson of the joint venture (JV), while Uday Shankar, former Chairman of Disney Star and Viacom18, takes on the role of Vice-Chairperson, providing strategic guidance to the venture’s leadership team.
The dynamic trio of Kevin Vaz, Kiran Mani, and Sanjog Gupta will be at the helm of the new joint venture, JioStar, each leading a critical division. Kevin Vaz, as CEO of Entertainment, will oversee all entertainment content and platform operations, while Kiran Mani, as CEO of Digital Operations, will drive the digital strategy, including OTT platforms and apps. Meanwhile, Sanjog Gupta, as CEO of Sports, will take charge of the sports division, managing broadcasting and live events. Together, they will steer the JV toward success across entertainment, digital, and sports sectors.
Key Leadership Appointments:
The following are the list of leadership team for JioStar consisting seasoned executives who will oversee various business functions across entertainment, digital operations, sports, and more:
Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) by Division
- Kevin Vaz – CEO, Entertainment: Overseeing all entertainment content and platform operations.
- Kiran Mani – CEO, Digital Operations: Managing the digital strategy, including OTT platforms and apps.
- Sanjog Gupta – CEO, Sports: Leading the sports division, including broadcasting and live events.
Key Executives for Business Strategy & Operations
- Ambuj Kashyap – Strategic Partner to Uday Shankar: Working on business strategy and initiatives.
- Rasesh Upadhyay – Entertainment Business Strategy: Collaborating with Kevin Vaz on entertainment strategy and operations.
- Gaurav Gokhale – Digital Business Strategy: Partnering with Kiran Mani on the digital strategy and operations.
Cluster Heads for Entertainment Divisions
- Alok Jain – Head of Cluster, Entertainment (Colors, Digital Hindi, Niche, Movies, and Studio): Previously President of General Entertainment at Viacom18.
- Sumanta Bose – Head of Cluster, Entertainment (Star Plus, Bharat, Regional Languages): Former Business Head for the Hindi-speaking market at Hotstar.
- Krishnan Kutty – Head of Cluster, Entertainment (South): Former Business and Content Head for South & Marathi regions.
Revenue and Commercial Leadership
- Ajit Varghese – Head of Revenue, Entertainment & International: Responsible for driving ad sales and revenue across entertainment and international markets.
- Sandeep Jain – Head of Commercial: Previously EVP of Commercials at Star India, managing overall commercial strategy.
- Ishan Chatterjee – Head of Sports Revenue and Business: Leading business growth and revenue in the sports division.
- Hursh Shrivastava – Head of Partnerships: Managing strategic partnerships, especially in sports and broadcasting rights.
Technology and Product Leadership
- Bharat Ram – Head of Product: Leading product innovation and tech initiatives across the JV.
- Akash Saxena – Head of Technology: Managing all technological advancements and product development.
- Shoury Bharadwaj – Head of Engineering: Overseeing engineering and tech solutions for viewer experience.
- Vijay Seshadri – Chief Architect: Handling the technical architecture and integration of systems.
Marketing and Communications
- Sushant Sreeram – Head of Marketing: Leading all marketing initiatives and brand strategies.
- George Cherian – Head of Corporate Communications & PR: Managing internal and external communications.
Human Resources and Operations
- Rishi Gaind – Head of Human Resources: Overseeing talent management and organizational development.
- Rajat Nigam – Transition Head of IT and Media Operations: Managing the integration of IT and media operations during the merger.
Finance, Legal, and Integration
- Mukesh Mundhra – Transition Finance Head: Overseeing financial integration and synergies.
- Mani Rangarajan – Financial Integration Lead: Leading the overall financial integration strategy.
- Kshripra Jatana – Transition Legal Head: Managing legal aspects and regulatory compliance during the integration process.
