Deepak Sharma takes charge as CEO of production and distribution at Jio Studios

MUMBAI: Deepak Sharma has moved into the corner office at Jio Studios, taking over as ceo production and distribution in a senior appointment that underlines the studio’s ambitions across theatrical and filmed entertainment.

Sharma, an entertainment and media professional with more than 18 years across every major vertical of the film business, began the role in October 2025. He had shared the career update on LinkedIn about a month ago, signalling a transition that has now firmly placed him at the centre of one of India’s most influential studio set-ups.

The appointment caps a long run at PVR Pictures, where Sharma spent over 16 years, most recently as coo, steering operations across film acquisition, distribution and market strategy during a period of rapid change for theatrical cinema. Before that, he held senior leadership roles at Zee Entertainment, overseeing film production, distribution, acquisition and syndication.

Sharma’s career spans the full life cycle of filmmaking. At Sony Pictures Entertainment Films of India, he served as executive producer on Saawariya, handling project planning, budgeting, international coordination and studio reporting. Earlier stints saw him build revenue engines as a distributor for Sony Pictures and other Hollywood majors, experimenting with aggressive marketing, unconventional show timings and sharper negotiation to expand market share.

As a producer, his slate includes titles such as Socha Na Tha, Gulaal, Oh My God, Fox and Shaheed, combining commercial instincts with creative risk. He has also managed film budgeting, talent negotiation, scheduling, financial planning and fund-flow management, including commercial inputs for overseas fund-raising.

At Jio Studios, Sharma is expected to knit production and distribution into a single, tightly run engine, aligning creative ambition with scale, capital and reach. The brief is clear: build films that travel, manage costs with discipline and push harder in a crowded, fast-shifting market.

From the accounting desks of the Gulf to the boardrooms of India’s biggest studios, Sharma’s arc has been long and methodical. At Jio Studios, the pace is about to get faster.