MAM
Mohanraj J takes over as Duroflex CEO
Mumbai: Duroflex Group has announced the elevation of Mohanraj J as CEO of its omnichannel consumer brand – Duroflex. He takes over from Mathew Chandy who will now be serving as CMD of the group.
Mohanraj has been with the company for more than six years in various leadership roles and will now spearhead Duroflex’s growth and expansion in the coming years. In this new role, his responsibilities will span the thriving retail, e-commerce and D2C business of Duroflex, said the company in a statement.
Duroflex Group also houses Sleepyhead, its young & independent D2C brand and a growing B2B and export vertical. Each of these has a separate focus and leadership. Mohanraj will be leading as CEO for the Duroflex consumer brand.
“Duroflex Group has experienced tremendous growth in the past two years. Despite the pandemic-related chaos and market volatility, we are still on track to join the 1000cr club,” said Mathew Chandy. “Mohan’s influential and decisive contribution has helped Duroflex stay resilient and accomplish that goal. He’s been instrumental in building our leadership team and culture.”
Mohanraj has enabled Duroflex to achieve major milestones and led the company through a successful national expansion. He also shaped the company’s D2C foray and exponentially elevated the retail experience through company-owned and company-operated stores, said the company.
“Over the years, we have built a strong and loyal consumer base and to ensure that we continue to deliver on our commitments, I plan to leverage our customer-focused strategy, our sustainable operational excellence and company culture with the goal of taking Duroflex to new levels of success,” said Mohanraj J. “We will further expand on improving our customer experience with technology at the core and continue to build a culture that believes in people first.”
Brands
JioHotstar EVP, head subscriptions (SVOD) and media Piyush Kothari exits
Streaming executive signs off after 6.5-year run across DisneyStar and JioStar
MUMBAI: Piyush Kothari, EVP and head subscriptions (SVOD) and media at JioHotstar, has stepped down from his role, bringing the curtain down on a 6.5-year stint spanning the DisneyStar and JioStar eras.
Kothari shared the update in a note reflecting on what he called a “transformative” phase for the media industry and a personal journey through the fast-evolving world of streaming and sports entertainment.
“The last few years have been transformative for the media industry and experiencing this journey up close over the past 6.5 years with DisneyStar and now JioStar has been a thriller,” he wrote, thanking colleagues and collaborators who shaped his time in the business.
Kothari joined JioHotstar in November 2024 as EVP, head subscriptions (svod) and media, where he oversaw subscription revenues and subscriber growth for the platform’s svod business.
Before that, he spent over five years at The Walt Disney Company in a series of leadership roles. His last position there was head of product, growth, partnerships and international expansion for Disney+ Hotstar, where he led efforts to scale subscription revenues across direct to consumer and partnership channels. The role also involved overseeing the service’s standalone businesses in markets such as Singapore, Canada and the UK.
Earlier, he served as lead, corporate office and strategic projects, working across the company’s entertainment, sports and streaming businesses. He also headed business operations at Mashal Sports, the entity behind the Pro Kabaddi League, where he helped steer the league through key commercial milestones including a five year broadcast and streaming media rights deal.
Alongside his operational roles, Kothari also served as nominee director on the board of Mashal Sports and was a director on the board of Novi Digital, the company that operates Hotstar.
Before entering the media and entertainment space, Kothari held senior roles across consulting, fintech and conglomerates. He worked with Welspun Group as head, group executive office, with Aditya Birla Group as joint president and business head, digital, analytics and strategy at Aditya Birla Idea Payments Bank, and earlier served as vice president in the chairman’s office at the group.
His career also includes stints at Accenture as principal, Accenture Strategy, and earlier at Shell in channel development and sales.
Reflecting on his time in the media sector, Kothari said he leaves with a lasting belief in India’s subscription economy. He also joked about picking up a new affection along the way.
“Carrying with me love for kabaddi, a deep belief in the potential of the subscriptions business in India, and fond memories and friendships,” he wrote, adding that he is now “onward to the next chapter”.
