This article first appeared on GuruFocus.
OpenAI is stepping more directly into Asia’s next phase of AI adoption, bringing in JioStar CEO Kiran Mani to lead a newly created Asia-Pacific role as competition intensifies with rivals such as Anthropic and Alphabet’s Google (NASDAQ:GOOG). Mani is set to join as managing director for the region in June, relocating to Singapore and reporting to Chief Strategy Officer Jason Kwon, according to a company spokesperson. The move could indicate a more localized push to capture users and enterprise demand across a region that is increasingly central to global AI growth.
The hire comes as OpenAI continues building out its presence in India, a market with more than 1.4 billion people that is seen as a key opportunity for long-term expansion. Mani brings experience scaling digital platforms at JioStar, a joint venture between Reliance Industries and Walt Disney, where JioHotstar has amassed more than 300 million subscribers by tapping into cricket and mass-market entertainment. That exposure to large-scale consumer ecosystems could prove relevant as OpenAI looks to broaden both usage and partnerships across Asia.
OpenAI has already begun laying the groundwork in the region, hiring its first India-based employee in 2024 focused on government relations and gradually expanding its team. In February, the company announced a partnership with Tata Group to build artificial intelligence technologies, including data center infrastructure, suggesting a wider strategy that combines local partnerships with its core AI capabilities. Mani’s prior roles at Google, where he spent more than 13 years and rose to general manager for Android and Google Play across Asia-Pacific and Japan, along with earlier experience at Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) and IBM (NYSE:IBM), could position him to navigate both regulatory and commercial dynamics as OpenAI scales its regional footprint.
