MAM
Kiran Mani quits JioStar to lead OpenAI’s Asia-Pacific push
The American AI giant poaches one of India’s most seasoned technology executives to drive its ambitions in the region, as India cements its place as a critical growth market
MUMBAI: Kiran Mani, the founding chief executive of JioHotstar and one of India’s most seasoned technology executives, has quit JioStar to become OpenAI’s managing director for Asia Pacific, a newly created role that signals how seriously the San Francisco-based AI company is betting on the region.
Mani, who stepped down as chief executive, digital at JioStar, will take up the position in June, relocating from Mumbai to Singapore. He will report directly to Jason Kwon, OpenAI’s chief strategy officer, sources privy to the development told ET.
The appointment is a coup for OpenAI. Mani spent more than 13 years at Google, where he ran the Android and Google Play business across Asia Pacific and Japan, and before that oversaw more than $5bn in advertising revenue as managing director of US retail, a role that also made him head of Google’s global retail practice. Earlier stints at Microsoft, IBM and Ogilvy & Mather round out a career that spans brand-building, P&L management and digital transformation across three continents.
At JioStar, he architected the merger of Viacom18 with Star India to create India’s largest media and entertainment platform, no small feat in a market notorious for its complexity.
The hire underscores a simple commercial reality: India is OpenAI’s second-largest global user base, and the broader Asia Pacific region is growing faster than almost anywhere else. Mani will lead regional strategy and operations from Singapore, inheriting a market that has become, as one source put it, a key growth engine for the company.
For OpenAI, the race to dominate Asian AI adoption is on. With Mani in the chair, it has found someone who knows exactly how to run hard.
MAM
Coca-cola launches ‘Har Meal Aaaah’ campaign with Mamitha Baiju
Hyperlocal film turns parotta into ‘Parotaaaaaah’ to celebrate meal moments
MUMBAI: One sip, one sound and suddenly, every meal gets its moment. Coca-cola has unveiled its latest campaign, ‘Har Meal Aaaah’, aiming to turn everyday dining into something a little more memorable and a lot more refreshing. Fronted by Mamitha Baiju, the campaign leans into Coca-cola’s iconic “Aaaah” mnemonic that unmistakable expression after the first sip reimagining it as a cultural thread that ties together food, flavour and feeling across regions. The film, rooted in Tamil Nadu’s culinary culture, spotlights the beloved parotta, playfully stretching it into “Parotaaaaaah” to capture the joy of the perfect pairing.
Conceptualised by Ogilvy and extended regionally by Studio X, the campaign blends local insight with global brand cues. It reflects Coca-cola’s ongoing strategy of embedding itself into everyday rituals, this time, not through grand occasions, but through the quiet, familiar moments around food.
The idea is simple but sharply executed: position Coca-cola not as an add-on, but as an essential companion to meals. By tapping into hyperlocal food habits while retaining a universally recognisable brand cue, the campaign aims to deepen emotional recall across diverse audiences.
Early traction suggests the approach is resonating. The campaign has already sparked organic engagement online, with memes and user reactions amplifying its reach proof that sometimes, the smallest ideas travel the furthest.
At a time when brands are competing for attention in increasingly fragmented markets, ‘Har Meal Aaaah’ takes a different route zooming in rather than out. Because in the end, Coca-Cola’s bet is clear: if you can own the moment after the first sip, you can own the meal.
