Kiran Mani, Former JioStar CEO, Joins OpenAI to Lead Asia-Pacific Expansion from Singapore

OpenAI Appoints Kiran Mani as Managing Director for Asia-Pacific

OpenAI has appointed Kiran Mani, currently CEO of JioStar and a former Google executive, as its managing director for Asia-Pacific, marking a strategic expansion in Asia-Pacific that positions the company to compete more aggressively in one of the world's fastest-growing AI markets1

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. Kiran Mani will join in June and relocate from Mumbai to Singapore, where he will report to Chief Strategy Officer Jason Kwon2

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. This newly created role underscores OpenAI's commitment to the region as it faces intensifying competition from rivals like Anthropic and Google in the race for AI growth and global expansion.

Former JioStar CEO Brings Deep Technology and Media Experience

The former JioStar CEO brings extensive experience spanning technology giants including Google, Microsoft, and IBM. At Google, Mani spent over 13 years in multiple leadership roles, serving as general manager for Android and Google Play across Asia-Pacific and Japan, while also overseeing more than $5 billion in advertising revenue as managing director of US retail2

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. His tenure at JioStar, a joint venture between Reliance Industries and The Walt Disney Company, was defined by structural consolidation as he architected the merger of Viacom18 with Star India to create one of India's largest media and entertainment platforms. Under his leadership, the JioHotstar platform built a subscriber base exceeding 300 million users1

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. Mani is expected to remain with JioStar until early June to support the transition before assuming his role at OpenAI APAC.

India Emerges as Critical Market for ChatGPT and Enterprise Adoption

The appointment comes as India has become OpenAI's second-largest global market, with more than 100 million weekly ChatGPT users, while Japan has emerged as a leading hub for enterprise adoption outside the United States2

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. OpenAI has already begun building its presence in India by hiring its first employee focused on government relations in 2024 and announcing a partnership with the Tata Group to develop artificial intelligence technologies, including data centre infrastructure1

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. The region's rising internet usage, large populations, and growing interest in AI platforms make it a critical battleground for monetisation and sustainable revenue generation.

Aggressive Expansion Amid Intensifying Competition

OpenAI plans to nearly double its workforce to 8,000 from 4,500 by the end of 2026, with hiring concentrated across product development, engineering, research, and sales, including technical ambassadorship roles to help businesses deploy its tools2

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. This expansion follows a funding round that reportedly valued the company at $840 billion, with backing from major investors including Masayoshi Son's SoftBank. The capital is being deployed to strengthen infrastructure and accelerate adoption as AI platforms deepen their enterprise offerings. Competition is heating up as Anthropic has established hubs in Tokyo and Bengaluru, with India already becoming Claude's second-largest consumer market globally. Both OpenAI and Anthropic are operating at a loss while investing heavily in model training and infrastructure, creating pressure to demonstrate a path to profitability.

What This Means for AI's Future in Asia-Pacific

Mani's cross-functional background spanning technology, media, and advertising positions him to navigate the complex landscape of regulatory requirements, enterprise adoption cycles, and competitive pressure across diverse markets in the region. His role will focus on growth, localisation, and converting user adoption into sustainable enterprise revenue as OpenAI consolidates products like ChatGPT, Codex, and Atlas into unified solutions. The appointment signals that AI companies are no longer operating solely as research-led organizations but are pushing deeper into workflows, industries, and geographies where digital adoption continues to rise. Observers should watch how OpenAI balances rapid expansion with the need to improve unit economics, particularly as the company positions itself for potential future public listings while competing against well-funded rivals accelerating their own regional strategies.