iWorld
Ex-Disney+Hotstar head Sajith Sivanandan jumps on to Jio Platforms
MUMBAI: It’s a homecoming of sorts of Sajith Sivanandan. He worked with the team at Disney+Hotstar and he’s transitioned from there (with the same folks who have moved to the merged company) as president of Jio Mobile Digital Services under Jio Platforms. In this role, Sanjith will lead the development of AI-driven digital services for Jio Mobile, with a focus on enhancing user experience and scaling digital solutions.
Sajith brings a wealth of experience to his new position, having previously served as the head of Disney+ Hotstar from October 2022 to December 2024. During his tenure, he managed the platform’s strategy, growth, and product development, helping it remain a major player in India’s streaming market. Prior to this, he worked at Google for 15 years, holding various leadership positions, including managing director and business head for Google Pay and Next Billion User Initiatives in the Asia Pacific region.
Sajith has also worked at various other notable organizations, including XA Network, where he was a member from February 2021 to December 2023; Affle UK Ltd, where he was a director of market development and consumer insight from October 2006 to October 2007; and The Gallup Organization, where he was an associate partner from May 2001 to September 2006.
Sajith’s expertise in digital media, business strategy, and analytics will be instrumental in driving Jio Mobile’s digital services forward. He will work closely with cross-functional teams to build a suite of digital services at scale for Jio Mobile, underpinned by AI. Sanjith’s appointment is a significant milestone in Jio Platforms’ mission to revolutionise the digital landscape in India.
Sajith holds an MBA in finance from the Asian Institute of Management and a bachelor’s degree in History from Hindu College, Delhi University. He has also completed his MBA in marketing from FORE School of Management, New Delhi.
Sajith’s appointment is a significant milestone in Jio Platforms’ mission to revolutionize the digital landscape in India. With his extensive experience in digital media, business strategy, and analytics, he is well-equipped to drive Jio Mobile’s digital services forward and enhance user experience for customers.
(Earlier, the article had mentioned Sajith’s name as Sanjith. We have corrected it since. A big thank you to Peter Mukerjea for pointing it out. The error is regretted – Editor.)
iWorld
Meta plans 8,000 layoffs in new AI-led restructuring wave
First phase from May 20 may cut 10 per cent workforce amid AI pivot.
MUMBAI: At Meta, the future may be artificial but the cuts are very real. The social media giant is reportedly preparing a fresh round of layoffs, with an initial wave expected to impact around 8,000 employees as it doubles down on its artificial intelligence ambitions. According to a Reuters report, the first phase of job cuts is slated to begin on May 20, targeting roughly 10 per cent of Meta’s global workforce. With nearly 79,000 employees on its rolls as of December 31, the move marks one of the company’s most significant workforce reductions in recent years.
And this may only be the beginning. Sources indicate that additional layoffs are being planned for the second half of the year, although the scale and timing remain fluid, likely to be shaped by how Meta’s AI capabilities evolve in the coming months. Earlier reports had suggested that total cuts in 2026 could reach 20 per cent or more of its workforce.
The restructuring comes as chief executive Mark Zuckerberg continues to steer the company towards an AI-first operating model, committing hundreds of billions of dollars to the transition. Internally, this shift is already visible: teams within Reality Labs have been reorganised, engineers have been moved into a newly formed Applied AI unit, and a Meta Small Business division has been created to align with broader structural changes.
The trend is hardly isolated. Across the tech sector, companies are trimming headcount while investing aggressively in automation. Amazon, for instance, has reportedly cut around 30,000 corporate roles nearly 10 per cent of its white-collar workforce citing efficiency gains driven by AI. Data from Layoffs.fyi shows over 73,000 tech employees have already lost jobs this year, compared with 153,000 in all of 2024.
For Meta, the move echoes its earlier “year of efficiency” in 2022–23, when about 21,000 roles were eliminated amid slowing growth and market pressures. This time, however, the backdrop is different. The company is financially stronger, generating over $200 billion in revenue and $60 billion in profit last year, with shares up 3.68 per cent year-to-date though still below last summer’s peak.
That contrast underlines the shift underway. These layoffs are less about survival and more about reinvention. As Meta restructures itself around AI from autonomous coding agents to advanced machine learning systems, the question is no longer whether the company will change, but how many roles will be left unchanged when it does.
