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OpenAI hires Nitin Bawankule as head of enterprise sales, India
Former AWS, Google and Disney+ Hotstar leader to drive AI adoption at scale
MUMBAI: OpenAI has appointed Nitin Bawankule as head of enterprise sales for India, strengthening its leadership bench as it deepens its push into one of the world’s fastest-growing AI markets.
Bawankule, who will join in mid-May, brings more than two decades of experience across cloud, media, and digital ecosystems. Most recently, he served at Amazon Web Services, where he led multiple high-growth verticals and helped accelerate enterprise adoption of cloud and AI solutions in India.
Announcing the move, OpenAI head of enterprise sales, India Nitin Bawankule said he is looking forward to helping organisations transition from “isolated AI pilots to company-wide transformation” and embedding AI into everyday workflows to unlock productivity and better decision-making.
Before AWS, Bawankule held senior leadership roles at The Walt Disney Company, where he led ad sales for Disney+ Hotstar and television networks, driving revenue growth across major sporting and entertainment properties. He also spent over eight years at Google, including a stint as country director for Google Cloud in India.
His appointment comes at a time when Indian enterprises are rapidly scaling AI adoption, moving beyond experimentation to integrating AI into core business functions. OpenAI’s decision to bring in a seasoned enterprise leader signals its intent to capture this opportunity and build deeper partnerships across industries.
With a strong track record in navigating major technology shifts, Bawankule is expected to play a key role in translating AI’s promise into practical, business-ready solutions for Indian companies.
As the race to operationalise AI gathers pace, OpenAI’s latest hire suggests it is gearing up not just to participate, but to lead from the front in India’s enterprise AI story.
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HYBE India, Samsung India team up to launch nationwide talent auditions
Partnership aims to discover and support next generation of female performers
MUMBAI: HYBE India has partnered with Samsung India to roll out a nationwide talent audition programme aimed at discovering and nurturing the next generation of female performers in India.
The initiative combines HYBE’s global entertainment expertise with Samsung’s technology ecosystem, offering aspiring artists a platform to showcase their skills and build a pathway into the music and performance industry.
At the core of the collaboration is a multi-city audition drive, supported both online and on-ground. Specially designed Galaxy Audition Studios will be set up across 10 cities, including Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, Kolkata and Hyderabad, within Samsung’s retail spaces. These hubs are intended to give participants a hands-on environment to rehearse, record, and refine their performances.
HYBE India chief operating officer Dahae Lee said the partnership is rooted in a shared goal of supporting young women’s aspirations, adding that the company is committed to guiding talent “from the initial audition stages to the moment of their debut.”
Echoing the sentiment, Samsung India vice president, MX business Aditya Babbar said the initiative is about enabling young women to “be seen and heard on a global stage,” while creating meaningful opportunities through technology.
Participants will be able to use Samsung Galaxy devices to create and submit audition content, from recording vocals to shooting performance videos, making the process more accessible and integrated with everyday tools.
The programme is also being amplified through Samsung’s ‘Show them how it’s done #withGalaxy’ campaign, positioning the initiative as both a talent search and a broader cultural push around self-expression and creativity.
As India’s creator economy continues to expand, the partnership signals a growing convergence between entertainment and technology players. By combining infrastructure, reach, and storytelling, HYBE India and Samsung are betting on a new wave of performers ready to step into the spotlight.
