OpenAI has appointed Kiran Mani, former CEO of JioStar, to head its Asia-Pacific (APAC) operations, underlining the company’s growing focus on the region, especially India, as demand for artificial intelligence continues to rise.
Mani will join OpenAI as Managing Director for APAC in June and will be based in Singapore. In this role, he will oversee the company’s business growth, partnerships, and overall strategy across key Asian markets. His appointment reflects OpenAI’s intent to strengthen its presence closer to one of the fastest-growing digital user bases in the world.
With Asia emerging as a major battleground for AI companies, OpenAI is looking to expand beyond its stronghold in the United States. Countries like India, with a large and tech-savvy population, are becoming increasingly important for the adoption of AI tools across businesses and consumers.
Mani brings more than 20 years of experience in the technology and digital ecosystem. At JioStar, a joint venture between Reliance Industries and Disney, he played a key role in scaling the company’s streaming platform and expanding its reach to hundreds of millions of users. His work focused on building digital products and driving user engagement at scale.
Before that, Mani held senior roles at Google, where he worked on expanding Android and Google Play services across Asia-Pacific. He has also been associated with Microsoft and IBM earlier in his career, giving him a strong background in both enterprise and consumer technology.
OpenAI has been steadily building its footprint in Asia, setting up offices and teams in markets such as Japan, South Korea, Australia, and India. The company has also been exploring partnerships and investments in the region to support AI infrastructure and adoption.